6266 replies to this topic

[michaeledward64]

Got my new 22mm eyepieces for my BT-100.  So, I went out and viewed Jupiter with my 22's, 14's, and 7's

Also spent a good amount of time with Orion; the nebula, Mintaka double, Sigma Orionis.

 

I haven't figured out yet how to get to zenith with my stand. And when I went out, it was too late to point to the Pleiades or the Auriga open clusters. They were too close to zenith.

 

But, I did spy M41, some call it the 'Little Beehive' in Canis Major. I also swung around and found NGC457; which oddly, sometimes I just can not locate ... whereas other days ... it is just there, clear as can be.

[wrighty338]

Got my new 22mm eyepieces for my BT-100.  So, I went out and viewed Jupiter with my 22's, 14's, and 7's

25x100 on a BT sounds excellent, Michael! How do you like the 22's and 7's compared to the 14's - they look like they have a bit more glass in than the standard eyepieces. Pop a post in Team BT if you haven't already 

[michaeledward64]

... How do you like the 22's and 7's compared to the 14's  ... 

The 14's are just about everything one could want. They really work great.

 

When I put in the 7's .. it almost seems as if my pupilary distance changes ... as the eyepieces have a larger diameter. The 22 are the same as well.

 

I got the 22's because the Pleiades extends beyond the field of view with the 14's. I suppose I could have figured that out before buying the binoculars ... but ... 

 

I went out late last night and the Pleiades were pretty close to zenith, so I didn't get to see how they look at 25x. However, hoping from Sirius to M41 as super easy.

 

I do regret not getting all the eyepieces with my original purchase. I figured my 15x70 Celestrons would cover the lower power. <<< shrugg >>>

[B 26354]

Falcon w/Starlinks launch out of Vandenberg tonight, 7:44 pm local....

Nice! From my location in the San Jacinto Valley, ~250 miles ESE of Vandenberg, I watched it with my Kowa 12x56 BD-XD Prominars, under wonderfully cloudless skies.

 

For any of these launches, I'm easily able to see the rocket's orange flames without optical aide from my driveway shortly after liftoff, when it's still less than three degrees above the horizon... and I was able to follow this one until it disappeared behind the hills to my SSE, about four degrees above the horizon. I'm always amazed at how incredibly enormous the glowing, conical exhaust plume is, in the sky. So cool!

 

I also tried a few photos with my Olympus E-M1 and an Oly 40-150mm F2.8 PRO lens. My exposures were 2.5-seconds long, with the lens set at f/2.8 and 52mm focal length, and this shot was taken when it was roughly WSW of me:

 

 

For any of us western US binocular fanatics, these Vandenberg rocket launches are great fun to watch, and they can often be seen from as far north as coastal Oregon, and as far "east" as Arizona. Launch schedules are here:

 

https://www.spacelau...vandenberg-sfb/

 

[pat in los angeles basin]

While glassing around Hyades and Cassiopeia last night at 6pm local time (los angeles) I noticed a heap of satellite activity generally on a north/south or east/ west pattern. I don't know if it was simply the timing of the sunset and the light reflected being in accord to allow the observance of a greater # of satts. At the end  of the observing session (with a 9x35  Leupold IF porro bino) showed 4 satts moving quickly in close formation as they transited though Cassiopeia bowl section going on a North/ South . I've seen starlink trains on occasion- not like one of those at all. My second thought as I live close to the beach that I might be seeing 4 shorebirds on their way to the shore after day feeding inland. I found myself wishing for a 7x50 or 10x50  to pick up the lesser details as the 9x35 seems to darken the skies (improving contrast to the open cluster) I recently read of a Chinese launch that had 6 satts for some research mission (classified). Was thinking that if the positioning was correct, they may appear as 4.   Regards, Pat

[desert_sage]

I was going to take a look at Jupiter with the 2 moon occultation that Dave Mitsky mentioned:

 

https://www.cloudyni...ean-satellites/

 

Unfortunately there was a windstorm (30mph) and blowing clouds, so no scope work.  Jupiter was a blurry dot. There was a sucker hole to the SE and most of Orion was partially visible with the Canon 12x36 IS, with a streamer of cloud parallel to the “sword” like a misplaced Milky Way.

 

Snow on the surrounding mountains this morning.

[michaeledward64]

I just got to look through the 22 mm eyepieces at the Pleiades. The cluster is every bit as big as the field of view at 25x magnification. Honestly, I do believe this cluster is more impressive, and looks more like a cluster, when viewing through my Celestron 15 x 70.

 

With the 25x I also pointed to M38 in Auriga, the Orion Nebula and Signa Orionis. All looked good. But all looked better the other night with the 14 mm eyepieces.

 

It is a cold windy evening, which cleared up nicely from the clouds we had all day, so I it was just a quick session outside.

 

I'm still digging this BT-100XL.

[Mike G.]

We've had about 2 weeks of solid gray here in NE Ohio but tonight it was predicted to clear after 10 with 'mostly clear' skies.  Also, 23F.  Even so, I got the 15x50 Canon IS out and a heavy coat and went outside for 3 different 10 minute sessions.  Orion was bright and beckoning, so first up was M42.  Great definition of the cloud, wings reaching out and 2 stars visible in the Trap with the Canons. Mintaka an easy split, and I could get 2 stars out of Sigma O. Was able to catch M78 with averted imagination then down to Canis Major and M41 - really nice, even though pretty low for my location. M93 was located, and then up to M47 and M46.  M46 was really dim, had to move the binos back and forth to be able to be sure it was there.  Cranking my 68 y.o. arthritic neck back, stopped by at M35, M37, M36 and M38.  Tried to find the Eskimo Neb but failed.  Double cluster was really a perfect object for the 15x Canons - framing is something I value and why I have so many eyepieces for my scopes.  Went over to Big Dipper and hunted down M81 and 82.  Just little faint smudges in the Canons, but I wasn't expecting much.  Also hit M45 and the Hyades, then gave up. 

[JoeFaz]

Last night I visited NGC 2017 by complete accident with my 20x80s. I spun towards Lepus to look at M79 and was a little off where I meant to point (I don't have a red-dot mounted on my P-gram yet). Dead center of the FOV was this wonderful cluster (more likely asterism). It took me a minute to find my bearings and see what I was looking at. It is composed of four stars in the shape of a lowercase "y." The brightest star in the middle (β 321) appears white to me (it is blue in photos I found), the star at the bottom appears slightly blue, and the two stars at the top of the "y" are both orange. Very appealing in binoculars and I'll have to come back to it with a telescope to to see what else there is to see going a little deeper.

[Dale Smith]

We had a sudden cloud break later last night after a very rainy day here. So, despite being tired, I went out into my backyard with my new SQM-L and the MoonStar 6.5x32 binoculars. Orion had cleared the neighboring fir tree, while I could make out the Pleiades at the edge of visibility.

 

I pointed the SQM-L at the zenith. “18.69” glowed in red. I waited a few moments, tried again. “18.67.” Then waited again. “18.69.” Wow. My suspicion stepping out front a few minutes early when I took some refuse to the garbage can was confirmed—the sky was darker than usual, Bortle 6 (just) rather than the more usual Bortle 7. Still bright suburban.

 

M42 glowed in the MoonStar. I could just detect two of the Auriga clusters. If only I’d brought out my 10x50s or 10x70s  instead no doubt I would have seen two glowing patches. The Hyades and Pleiades were magnificent, as was the Double Cluster, glowing at 6.5x in a way it doesn’t usually here. Normally that takes more magnification. 10x or higher.

 

It was a short session, with clouds rimming the horizon and the hint of looming fog (which arrived a few minutes after I’d gone inside). Those who live beneath darker skies would still find 18.69 MPSAs and Bortle 6 too bright, but for me, it was awesome to have things just a tad darker. Urban astronomers take what we can get 

[rodney j johnson jr]

is the nasa toolbag considered a celestial viewing?

tried to see whether it had 'snap-on' or 'craftsman' or 'mac' on the side....

hopefully not 'harbor freight' or 'northern tool' or 'tool king' (they are chinese-owned).

 

a 2-snorter!

[Fiske]

Not last night, but last Wednesday night (3 January 2024), the last time we had clear skies  ) I did a front porch observing session with the Kowa Highlander 82 pursuing various double stars, including STF 627 in Orion, a quite nice one introduced to me by JoeFaz. 

 

I had the 32x eyepieces in the Kowa, and also viewed the Orion Nebula, which was superb, four stars of the Trapezium easily and beautifully resolved with the Kowa. I also viewed M 37, M 36, M38, and M 35. All splendid with the Kowa, even in urban skies.

 

If I have the opportunity to observe from the ASKC dark sky site while Auriga is still favorably placed, I'll include these four clusters on my observing list to make a comparison with how they appear from my urban yard. They are captivating and lovely, despite light pollution. Open clusters like these are an excellent subject for larger binocular telescopes like the Oberwerk 120XL-SD and 127XL-SD because the additional aperture goes deeper, restoring some of what is lost due to light pollution. This to me is the power of larger aperture BTs, which are best at low to moderate magnification levels.

 

I closed my session with a long and pleasing view of a favorite (and less known) open cluster in Auriga -- NGC 2281, a subtle treasure for urban binocular observers. It is near the marvelous carbon star, UU Aurigae, which is also a must see. When I later looked at the cluster in Sky Safari, I noticed the view wasn't quite right and comparing Sky Safari with a simbad image (DSS2 colored) discovered that the pair of stars listed as NGC 2281 61 and 59 are not plotted by Sky Safari, though easily seen visually and a lovely element of the cluster.

[Dale Smith]

I look forward to seeking out both NGC 2281 and UU Aurigae when it finally clears here, Fiske, as well as the Auriga Messiers, in the BT-82XL. The three Messiers, M36-38, were a real treat in my Pentax 20x60 last winter.

 

We’ve had front after front of rain these past few weeks, with only one evening with a couple of hours worth of clear sky 

[Fiske]

I look forward to seeking out both NGC 2281 and UU Aurigae when it finally clears here, Fiske, as well as the Auriga Messiers, in the BT-82XL. The three Messiers, M36-38, were a real treat in my Pentax 20x60 last winter.

 

We’ve had front after front of rain these past few weeks, with only one evening with a couple of hours worth of clear sky 

Same here, but also with snow.

 

[Dale Smith]

Still clouded over here Sunday night, 1/7. I did stay up late to watch the successful launch of Peregrine Mission-1. One of the twenty payloads on board is the Writers On the Moon project, which includes seven of my novels, other stories etc on an SD card, bound for the Gruithuisen domes on the eastern edge of the Ocean of Storms. I’m looking forward to viewing that region in my BT-82 and 90mm Mak support telescope when the weather allows it. I’ve not really explored that area.

Edited by Dale Smith, 08 January 2024 - 03:53 AM.

[RiderRoy]

First binocular session of the year, last night. Started things off with the winter favorites M45 and M42.

 

 

But the real excitement for the evening was catching the Falcon 9 streak across the sky. Not sure what it was we saw but thinking maybe a stage separation. 

 

[Fiske]

Still clouded over here Sunday night, 1/7. I did stay up late to watch the successful launch of Peregrine Mission-1. One of the twenty payloads on board is the Writers On the Moon project, which includes seven of my novels, other stories etc on an SD card, bound for the Gruithuisen domes on the eastern edge of the Ocean of Storms. I’m looking forward to viewing that region in my BT-82 and 90mm Mak support telescope when the weather allows it. I’ve not really explored that area.

How wonderful, Dale. Congratulations!

 

  

[skyops]

*

 

Clear skies last night but with poor seeing, so I contented myself with 16x70 views of Neptune and Saturn then Uranus and Jupiter, the four Galilean Moons stretched out in a line west of Jove.

 

 

 

 

.

[skyops]

*

 

I viewed the Lunar occultation of Antares this A.M. through binos, and while occluded took a snap of Venus and Mercury in the wider scene.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mars came into view a bit later through 15x56s but I could get no photo in the brightening sky.

 

 

 

 

 

.

[desert_sage]

I went out briefly this morning with the Canon 12x36 IS, pre-dawn it was reasonably clear, 23F, and with some clouds in the distant east that were just beginning to turn rosy, no stars evident.

 

There was a slender crescent Luna, with the old moon in its arms, up perhaps 20 degrees in the SE, rippling quickly in the thermals from town.

 

Well up above that was a bright Venus, too bright to determine a phase.

 

In between the above, and a bit to the east, was Mercury. At first it was a visible object to the naked eye, but it rapidly became an indirect vision only object, and then invisible save in the binoculars. I wasn’t able to establish a phase using the Canons.

 

Mars was supposedly up, but not apparent, there is a tree line to the E and some clouds on the horizon that may have masked it.

 

A nice night.

Edited by desert_sage, 09 January 2024 - 10:16 AM.

[skyops]

*

 

Venus, Mercury and a 5% illuminated Moon this A.M. 

 

 

 

 

 

Unlike yesterday, I got too cold waiting for Mars to appear through glasses and gave up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

[Dale Smith]

*

 

Venus, Mercury and a 5% illuminated Moon this A.M. 

 

 

 

IMGP1294 - Copy (2).JPG

 

 

Unlike yesterday, I got too cold waiting for Mars to appear through glasses and gave up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

Fabulous photo! Right now, I'm living my astronomy vicariously, heavy rains here in Western Oregon. Hoping things clear at some point before spring. Thanks for the photo, and thanks everyone for your accounts of what you've been able to see lately. It means a lot! 

[Dale Smith]

How wonderful, Dale. Congratulations!

 

  

Thanks, Fiske! It's been a ride that past two days. Unfortunately, the lander developed a fault which they now believe was caused by a fuel valve not closing after the lander's engines finished firing to separate from the Centaur upper stage. It won't be able to soft land on Luna, so a decision will be made shortly about whether to crater on the lunar surface (returning our stories to their elemental form in real sense, along with everything else onboard) or to head off into deep space (cue Bowie's "Space Oddity."). However, there is a backup of our archive scheduled to go aboard a future lunar lander.

Edited by Dale Smith, 10 January 2024 - 01:00 AM.

[cimar]

Yesterday evening: comet 12P/Pons-Brooks

This morning: Mercury and Venus

[Dale Smith]

Last night (Wednesday 1/11) the skies cleared briefly as temperatures dropped (we have a snow storm forecast for Friday 1/13), so I popped outside with the Resolux 7x50s and my still new SQM-L, which I'm totally in love with. SQM ratings were in 18.59-18.67 range. 

 

All the rain that had fallen earlier in the day made the dark skies very transparent. Even at 7x, the Pleiades and the Double Cluster both seemed to glow. I wished I'd grabbed my 7x50 Nikon ProStars, but with this being a brief window of opportunity and the possibility of rain during my short session, I decided to go with the trusty Resolux 7x50s. Orion was still hidden behind the back neighbor's enormous cedar. It's on the far side of their house, so not as dominating as it could be.

 

We also had a friend over, so I didn't want to take too much time, since we were celebrating his birthday.

 

Later, after he left, the clouds were closing in again, but I grabbed the 10x70 Nikon SPs and got quick looks at M45 and Orion's Sword. Both were spectacular, wreathed in clouds.