Post by jeremy on Aug 27, 2011 11:30:40 GMT -6
Took a gamble last night, and it paid off tremendously. Since getting my new scope I have been craving going back to Conway one night with some dark skies out of the city to really see what my scope could do. All week I had been keeping an eye on Friday as the weather looked great, the moon would not interfere with DSOs, and I could sleep in on Saturday. Everything looked in alignment!
As Friday went on though, the clouds were not being cooperative. So I had almost decided that viewing wouldn't be possible, at least not enough to make that hour drive worth it. Just as I was coming to this conclusion Paulie texts me "you going to Conway?", and in a moment it was back on. The weather was saying it would be mostly clear skies, so I decided to head down and trust those reports, even if that meant looking at clouds for several hours until something showed itself.
While driving down, not really knowing how much the cloud coverage had changed in my long drive, I looked up through my moon roof and saw Vega. This gave me hope, and also made me realize I will call it a Vega roof during new moons (at least during summer)!
Once I got onsite, there was no stopping me. I was pointing my scope to everything I could find and racked up quite the list. For some reason I did have issues getting my COL to align well, so it was only getting me in the neighborhood, but honestly it made it more fun as I had to really study the starmaps to find out where it was pointing me then hopping around to find what I was looking for.
Paulie and Hillary ended up making it out around 11:30, after the baseball game they went to. Below is the list of what I saw:
List: 8/26/11 - Conway
Cat Eye Nebula - NGC 6543
(Planetary Nebula in Draco)
Observed: Aug 26, 2011 10:56:58 PM
Omega Nebula - Messier 17
(Bright Nebula in Sagittarius)
Observed: Aug 27, 2011 12:50:05 AM
"Hard to make out nebula. Saw small cloud."
Messier 22
(Globular Cluster in Sagittarius)
Ring Nebula - Messier 57
(Planetary Nebula in Lyra)
Observed: Aug 26, 2011 10:57:07 PM
Dumbbell Nebula - Messier 27
(Planetary Nebula in Vulpecula)
Observed: Aug 27, 2011 12:05:24 AM
"Much better! I can see definition, looks great."
Eastern Veil Nebula - NGC 6992
(Bright Nebula in Cygnus)
Observed: Aug 27, 2011 12:43:44 AM
"Needed 0-III filter, but finally saw it. Large and whispy!"
Helix Nebula - NGC 7293
(Planetary Nebula in Aquarius)
Observed: Aug 27, 2011 12:33:13 AM
"Needed 0-III filter, but shows as large grey disc with 25mm."
Messier 52
(Open Cluster in Cassiopeia)
Observed: Aug 27, 2011 1:36:06 AM
Andromeda Galaxy - Messier 31
(Spiral Galaxy in Andromeda)
Observed: Aug 27, 2011 2:08:18 AM
"Big and bright and wonderful. Can clearly see shape tonight. Taking up almost whole width in field of view with 25mm."
Pinwheel Galaxy - Messier 33
(Spiral Galaxy in Triangulum)
Observed: Aug 27, 2011 1:28:09 AM
"Large faint circular cloud. No definition. Used 25mm."
Messier 74
(Spiral Galaxy in Pisces)
Observed: Aug 27, 2011 1:19:48 AM
"Took a bit to find, way to faint to see anything of substance."
Caroline's Rose - NGC 7789
(Open Cluster in Cassiopeia)
Observed: Aug 26, 2011 10:56:13 PM
"Nice big cluster. Couldn't see in the city, nice and big out here at Conway."
HD 240465
(Double Star in Cassiopeia)
Observed: Aug 26, 2011 10:57:38 PM
Messier 110
(Elliptical Galaxy in Andromeda)
Observed: Aug 26, 2011 11:08:44 PM
"Can finally see this! Just had to leave city
"
Messier 32
(Elliptical Galaxy in Andromeda)
Observed: Aug 26, 2011 11:09:13 PM
Messier 30
(Globular Cluster in Capricornus)
Observed: Aug 26, 2011 11:21:19 PM
Messier 2
(Globular Cluster in Aquarius)
Observed: Aug 26, 2011 11:26:14 PM
"Nice and tight cluster, decent definition with 10mm."
Lagoon Nebula - Messier 8
(Bright Nebula in Sagittarius)
Observed: Aug 26, 2011 11:30:43 PM
"Can only make out inner cloud, but looks good. Along with cluster of course!"
Messier 71
(Globular Cluster in Sagitta)
Observed: Aug 26, 2011 11:57:31 PM
C/2009 P1 (Garradd)
(Comet in Sagitta)
Observed: Aug 26, 2011 11:57:26 PM
Jupiter
(Planet in Aries)
Observed: Aug 27, 2011 12:38:32 AM
"Saw Io's shadow transit! Could also make out Red Eye storm for first time, very subtle"
Blinking Planetary Nebula - NGC 6826
(Planetary Nebula in Cygnus)
Observed: Aug 27, 2011 1:06:24 AM
"Still blinking."
IC 1805
(Open Cluster in Cassiopeia)
Observed: Aug 27, 2011 2:05:11 AM
"Found right part of sky. Very, very faint cloud, might have been my imagination."
Pleiades - Messier 45
(Open Cluster in Taurus)
Observed: Aug 27, 2011 2:17:52 AM
(1) Ceres
(Asteroid in Cetus)
Observed: Aug 27, 2011 3:00:55 AM
Orion Nebula - Messier 42
(Bright Nebula in Orion)
Observed: Aug 27, 2011 3:30:48 AM
"Stayed up and out late enough to see."
Mars
(Planet in Gemini)
Observed: Aug 27, 2011 3:20:27 AM
"Very small."
I ended the night looking at Neptune, M42, and Jupiter again through the big scope Paulie was manning. Great night last night, thanks for coming out Paulie and Hillary!
As Friday went on though, the clouds were not being cooperative. So I had almost decided that viewing wouldn't be possible, at least not enough to make that hour drive worth it. Just as I was coming to this conclusion Paulie texts me "you going to Conway?", and in a moment it was back on. The weather was saying it would be mostly clear skies, so I decided to head down and trust those reports, even if that meant looking at clouds for several hours until something showed itself.
While driving down, not really knowing how much the cloud coverage had changed in my long drive, I looked up through my moon roof and saw Vega. This gave me hope, and also made me realize I will call it a Vega roof during new moons (at least during summer)!
Once I got onsite, there was no stopping me. I was pointing my scope to everything I could find and racked up quite the list. For some reason I did have issues getting my COL to align well, so it was only getting me in the neighborhood, but honestly it made it more fun as I had to really study the starmaps to find out where it was pointing me then hopping around to find what I was looking for.
Paulie and Hillary ended up making it out around 11:30, after the baseball game they went to. Below is the list of what I saw:
List: 8/26/11 - Conway
Cat Eye Nebula - NGC 6543
(Planetary Nebula in Draco)
Observed: Aug 26, 2011 10:56:58 PM
Omega Nebula - Messier 17
(Bright Nebula in Sagittarius)
Observed: Aug 27, 2011 12:50:05 AM
"Hard to make out nebula. Saw small cloud."
Messier 22
(Globular Cluster in Sagittarius)
Ring Nebula - Messier 57
(Planetary Nebula in Lyra)
Observed: Aug 26, 2011 10:57:07 PM
Dumbbell Nebula - Messier 27
(Planetary Nebula in Vulpecula)
Observed: Aug 27, 2011 12:05:24 AM
"Much better! I can see definition, looks great."
Eastern Veil Nebula - NGC 6992
(Bright Nebula in Cygnus)
Observed: Aug 27, 2011 12:43:44 AM
"Needed 0-III filter, but finally saw it. Large and whispy!"
Helix Nebula - NGC 7293
(Planetary Nebula in Aquarius)
Observed: Aug 27, 2011 12:33:13 AM
"Needed 0-III filter, but shows as large grey disc with 25mm."
Messier 52
(Open Cluster in Cassiopeia)
Observed: Aug 27, 2011 1:36:06 AM
Andromeda Galaxy - Messier 31
(Spiral Galaxy in Andromeda)
Observed: Aug 27, 2011 2:08:18 AM
"Big and bright and wonderful. Can clearly see shape tonight. Taking up almost whole width in field of view with 25mm."
Pinwheel Galaxy - Messier 33
(Spiral Galaxy in Triangulum)
Observed: Aug 27, 2011 1:28:09 AM
"Large faint circular cloud. No definition. Used 25mm."
Messier 74
(Spiral Galaxy in Pisces)
Observed: Aug 27, 2011 1:19:48 AM
"Took a bit to find, way to faint to see anything of substance."
Caroline's Rose - NGC 7789
(Open Cluster in Cassiopeia)
Observed: Aug 26, 2011 10:56:13 PM
"Nice big cluster. Couldn't see in the city, nice and big out here at Conway."
HD 240465
(Double Star in Cassiopeia)
Observed: Aug 26, 2011 10:57:38 PM
Messier 110
(Elliptical Galaxy in Andromeda)
Observed: Aug 26, 2011 11:08:44 PM
"Can finally see this! Just had to leave city
"Messier 32
(Elliptical Galaxy in Andromeda)
Observed: Aug 26, 2011 11:09:13 PM
Messier 30
(Globular Cluster in Capricornus)
Observed: Aug 26, 2011 11:21:19 PM
Messier 2
(Globular Cluster in Aquarius)
Observed: Aug 26, 2011 11:26:14 PM
"Nice and tight cluster, decent definition with 10mm."
Lagoon Nebula - Messier 8
(Bright Nebula in Sagittarius)
Observed: Aug 26, 2011 11:30:43 PM
"Can only make out inner cloud, but looks good. Along with cluster of course!"
Messier 71
(Globular Cluster in Sagitta)
Observed: Aug 26, 2011 11:57:31 PM
C/2009 P1 (Garradd)
(Comet in Sagitta)
Observed: Aug 26, 2011 11:57:26 PM
Jupiter
(Planet in Aries)
Observed: Aug 27, 2011 12:38:32 AM
"Saw Io's shadow transit! Could also make out Red Eye storm for first time, very subtle"
Blinking Planetary Nebula - NGC 6826
(Planetary Nebula in Cygnus)
Observed: Aug 27, 2011 1:06:24 AM
"Still blinking."
IC 1805
(Open Cluster in Cassiopeia)
Observed: Aug 27, 2011 2:05:11 AM
"Found right part of sky. Very, very faint cloud, might have been my imagination."
Pleiades - Messier 45
(Open Cluster in Taurus)
Observed: Aug 27, 2011 2:17:52 AM
(1) Ceres
(Asteroid in Cetus)
Observed: Aug 27, 2011 3:00:55 AM
Orion Nebula - Messier 42
(Bright Nebula in Orion)
Observed: Aug 27, 2011 3:30:48 AM
"Stayed up and out late enough to see."
Mars
(Planet in Gemini)
Observed: Aug 27, 2011 3:20:27 AM
"Very small."
I ended the night looking at Neptune, M42, and Jupiter again through the big scope Paulie was manning. Great night last night, thanks for coming out Paulie and Hillary!