6317 replies to this topic

[Jawaid I. Abbasi]

The Thread Was too long So I started new thread to continue........as Part 3

If you want to read Part 1 then Click HERE

If you want to read Part 2 then Click HERE

[Astroman007]

What made the last (Part 2) incarnation of this thread too long? There were only 819 posts therein...

[rguasto]

Comet 46p Wirtanen was easy tonight in my 12 x 50's. A nice cold clear night. Found it about 3 fields below Menkar.

[Luca Brasi]

Comet 46p Wirtanen was easy tonight in my 12 x 50's. A nice cold clear night. Found it about 3 fields below Menkar.

 

Just got in from observing 46p.  Big and bright, can't wait until it peaks next week.  Just hope I get another clear night!

[Jawaid I. Abbasi]

What made the last (Part 2) incarnation of this thread too long? There were only 819 posts therein...

To make more interested. Human psychology is a long thread becomes "Boring" and sometime, some one just want to read quickly some thread here and there then trying to read some end topic.

 

I am just trying to make this thread more manageable as possible

[John Rogers]

I observed the Winter Milky Way using my homebuilt 2x54 Nikon binoculars.  Orion and the Pleiades were spectacular!  I can't believe what a difference these things make over the naked eye.

 

 

John Rogers

[GDAstrola]

John Rogers:  You have my attention.  Please tell us more about the 2X54 binoculars which you built.

[duck2k]

I was able to enjoy the night sky a little more.  There were veil like clouds moving sporadically, but there was enough clear sky to enjoy.

 

Grabbing the 10x50 Resolux binos, I sat down in my grav chair to have a nice session.  I relaxed in the chair and pointed the binos up.  These are great little binoculars!  Stars were pinpoint, and had a flat field non-distorted view.  

 

I was amazed how M31 looked at 50mm! I saw The dark cloud of M33 too.  Too many objects to look at to list.  Some of the highlights:

 

M42, M35-38, M45, Heyades, Double Cluster, Stock 2, etc.

 

I enjoyed scanning within the different Constellations.  I enjoyed looking at the “forrest,” and some of the “trees.”  I will probably go somewhere darker tomorrow night.

[John Rogers]

John Rogers:  You have my attention.  Please tell us more about the 2X54 binoculars which you built.

From this thread:  https://www.cloudyni...idefield-binos/

 

I downloaded the 3D printer file that is available there and had the shells printed at my local library at no cost.  I picked up the Nikon lenses for around $15.00 each.  I didn't like the hardness of the printed eyeguards, so I spent a few more dollars for some surplus rubber eye guards that make it very comfortable to use.

 

 

 

John Rogers

[Astroman007]

Last night's observing session, comet 46P / Wirtanen through my 28x110s:

 

9:10 to 9:30 PM local time. Using my 28x110s, I had a closer look at 46P / Wirtanen. Through these large and higher powered binoculars, the comet's fuzzy circular form dominated the center of the FOV. It was now evident that the comet's circular halo of light was not nearly as uniform as it had appeared last night through my much smaller 16x70s. In fact, it rather appeared to be subtly (but quite noticeably with the aid of averted vision) lumpy, with thicker patches and knots of light distributed seemingly at random, but with most of their concentrations in the N, W, and S of the halo, leaving the E largely smooth. However, not one of the thickenings or knots was especially noteworthy for its prominence. I could verify that the comet has no definite nucleus, but merely a gradual brightening towards the center from the outside in. It also has no sharply defined edge to its glow, or even a certain edge at all, for averted vision will only extend the initially perceived boundary further out into the void. As a side note, the comet has moved a bit further north of where it was last night, and I now clearly saw it by naked eye; faint, but certainly there, to the left (E) and N of Azha.

The temperature was a very chilly -20*C. Ice coated the barrels of my binoculars and the cold greatly stiffened the grease in the mount head. The sky conditions were much like last night's were, only minus any hint of wind, and there was surprisingly excellent seeing as well as excellent transparency in those areas of the sky that were clear. The scattered patchy clouds, borne upon the wings of some upper-atmospheric wind, rolled in unstoppably from the N in ever-increasing thickness and tightness of formation, appearing deceptively stationary as they took over the sky. The session, which began under skies that were mainly clear, ended under skies that were nearly fully cloudy.

The planet Mars, dominating at medium altitude the WSW, appeared as a relatively bright deep orange star. Deneb in the NW, the Hyades, the Pleiades, Orion, and Cetus all appeared and disappeared at different times in between breaks in the cloud. One very bright meteor slashed nearly horizontally across the high SE sky, swift and yellowish of hue, traveling perfectly the length of a long thin break in the cloud cover.

 

Edit: I just finished disassembling my equipment. It is now completely cloudy, not one star in sight. And all that bare metal...ouch, ouch, ouch!

[Mike G.]

Last night was not a total bust but I have yet to see 46P. The southern sky was completely clouded out but it

was relatively clear to the west and north. So with the APM 100’s and my 9x63 Ultimas I was able to see Lyra and associates, M57, alberio, M27, then north to Cas for some minutes, down to the double cluster, Mirfak and the Perseus open cluster, over to Auriga and M36 and M38. Finally the Pleadies and Hyades.  By then the clouds were all encompassing and, since I had not planned on a long session so had not dressed for the 26F temp, packed up and called it a night. Tonight should be better cloud-wise so another try for 46P is on the schedule 

[B l a k S t a r]

To make more interested. Human psychology is a long thread becomes "Boring" and sometime, some one just want to read quickly some thread here and there then trying to read some end topic.

 

I am just trying to make this thread more manageable as possible

Maybe a monthly would work well …

[Astroman007]

To make more interested. Human psychology is a long thread becomes "Boring" and sometime, some one just want to read quickly some thread here and there then trying to read some end topic.

 

I am just trying to make this thread more manageable as possible

Maybe a monthly would work well …

But...I love long threads! They are so informative and create a timeline!

[B l a k S t a r]

But...I love long threads! They are so informative and create a timeline!

 

 

Yeah but, named with the months in the title retains the line. Ooooh.  

 

Very organised though…

[The Luckster]

Viewed 46p for the second night in a row with my Meade 15x70s, from my orange/red border observatory...my balcony.  Basically, what I have observed is a dim smudge, but easily viewed without averted vision.  Still cool!

 

CS

 

jason

Edited by The Luckster, 08 December 2018 - 03:40 PM.

[aeajr]

Was out with 6 of my club buddies at a beach to view the comet.   30 degrees and windy but we spotted it with binoculars and got it in an 8" scope.      

 

I love shared observation sessions.

 

if you are having trouble spotting this comet, at this post I lay out some detailed steps and markers to help you find the comet.  It is specific to tonight, but if you follow the process I describe you may find it helpful on other nights.

 

You can find that post here:

https://www.cloudyni...38#entry8995755

[celestronlover57]

Waiting a few more nights for 46P to be closer to the Pleiades.  Hoping to spot it in my Ultraview 10x50's.

[StarDustBin]

I have been unable to do any sort of night sky observation for the last 4 weeks or so. The constant presence of clouds and ocasional raining above my city have not allowed proper conditions for observation. This was getting me a bit sad, because I was expecting to do some observation here and there during winter time.

 

Last night I woke up around 02:30 in the morning, went to the toilet and after I went to the kitchen to check the fridge. I was munching something when I looked casually thru the kitchen window and saw 3 almost perfectly aligned sparkling stars in the middle of the night sky, at about 30º elevation. This got me as a surprise and I stopped munching and freezed for a few seconds.

 

I went closer to the window to have a wider look and, after some consideration and alignment with M45, (wich was easily viewable too), realised I was looking at Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka. They were perfect spots of light. When closer to the window, I could also see Rigel, wich was bright and clear as never and it seemed to be larger than usual. Her bluish sparkle was very easy to see. I then opened the window and streched a bit outside to see if I could see Betelgeuse further up. Yes, there she was. A clearly visible orange bright spot of light. I was trilled. Bellatrix, Meissa and Saiph were also quite visible. The main stars of the constellation were perfectly aligned as I normally see in charts. This was a first for me, so far I had only observed Rigel, Betelgeuse and Bellatrix.

 

I think I saw a smudge below the 3 center stars, and wondered if I was seeing M42, but it might be suggestion from my brain and actually not the Orion Nebula. I was using my eyes only.

 

The night sky was strangely clean, without clouds, a lot of contrast and stars everywhere. For moments I thought some electrical problem happened and the city was without lighting, but it was not the case.

 

I think if this winter night sky could be what felllow members are so excited about when winter comes. Does winter night skies bring better viewing conditions when not cloudy? Do winter times provide cleaner layers of air above Earth? Does humidity cleans the air and acts as a refracting boost?

 

I went to bed with the Orion stars shining in front of me. I might had a smile in my face until the moment I fall asleep.

Edited by StarDustBin, 09 December 2018 - 08:48 AM.

[Tyson M]

Couple nights ago I bagged quite a few targets from both my red zone backyard with my Fuji's 10 x 70

 

I went hunting for 46P.  I typed it out on SS5 pro and went back out with my monopod and binos.  I starhopped along Eridanus river west, from Rana to Ran, then Zibal and Azha. Up from there north up towards 46P hitting HD 18634 and HR 913 before finally finding it!

 

It was hard to detect at first in my backyard red zone, but it jumped out with averted vision. 

 

I swept to Orion. I hit Hyades and M45.  I split Rigel with the bins.

 

NGC 1985, NGC 1981 and 3 stars of the trap visible. Amazing constellation to sweep through. I also checked out the shield of Orion and Collinder 70 and 69.

 

Last night at the yellow zone darksite with the same bins, I found M34, M36, Double Cluster, M45, Hyades, Melotte 20, M31, M33 (a personal first for me), and had a good long look at 46P/ Wirtanen which glowed brilliantly. Brighter than M33, almost like M31 just a bit fainter and more spherical in shape, as opposed to the oval nature of M31.

[duck2k]

We went out to our star party gazing area.  I took the Resolux 15x70, and my new Resolux 10x50’s.  I did not feel like setting up the larger optics.  I wanted to be comfortable in my grav chair and enjoy a low power nite.  Between the 15x70 and the 10x50, I enjoyed the night sky.

 

I mostly observed the constellations to th East.  I enjoyed many of the show pieces.  I was surprised to see how M31 looked in the 10x50’s.  What was more beautiful was looking at M33 at these low powers.  Through the smaller ones, was a purple cloud, in the larger there was a definitive halo, and a dim lighted center.

 

Other objects of note:

 

M41, M50, M46, M47, NGC 2477 (NGC 2453 was not bright enough to see).  Most of these wonderful objects were pinpoint, and the wonderful flat field.  Was a great night all way around.

[Corcaroli78]

Comet 46p Wirtanen was easy tonight in my 12 x 50's. A nice cold clear night. Found it about 3 fields below Menkar.

Nice hint rguasto.

 

If you saw it with 12x50, maybe I should give a try after some unsuccessful observations.

 

Weather in Denmark is slightly improving. I hope to have the opportunity to catch the 46P this night with the 15x70´s . It has been a bad week with clouds that blocked the view of the Mars - Neptune encounter.

 

Carlos

[Beg]

Clear, dark and cold tonight. Used the Obie 100XL ED and the 17.5 Morpheus for 32X. My Manfrotto N12 froze up rather quickly and became very difficult, which cut my session short. But again, my laser pointer was still working excellent in these cold temps, which is kind of amazing.

 

I started with NGC 2244 and the Rosette Nebula. An excellent cluster, but a very faint large Nebula that is brightest in the red spectrum that the human eye has difficulty picking up. I could pick out the faint circular glow and mist in parts of the fov, which was still amazing.

 

Then went to NGC 2264, the Christmas tree cluster. No sign of the Nebula, but very cool area to pan around in though.

 

Then went to NGC 2261, Hubble's variable nebula. Had an excellent view of this small faint Nebula. My first time seeing it. Not my last though as I want to try the 12.5 and 9mm Morphs on it next time.

 

My N12 just froze up about then which kind of ticked me off. I removed the Binos from the head and made sure that they were fully capped to prevent a major fogging issue before bringing them inside a room with a 70 degree temperature difference....

 

A short little frosty session.

[SECTOR 001]

It's either been raining, cloudy or so dang windy and cold these last few weeks, it's not worth going out.  Now it's just plain cold but at least it's been calm and clear.

 

Kenny

 

[edwincjones]

comet 49P in 8x32s this am-close to horizon by trees and poor seeing

 large and defuse but easy to find

just followed point of Hyades down 

 

edh

[Illinois]

I used 10X50 binocular last night and I saw Comet 46/W. It look little bigger than M22 in my binocular! SHOULD be beautiful view on December 13th when the Comet get closer to 3rd magnitude double stars in binocular. Also closer to M45 between December 16 and 18th!