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Date: 23 Apr 2007 13:31:09
From: laura halliday
Subject: Grab-and-go insomniac stargazing
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I found myself awake at 0130 this morning (biology, y'know),
and seeing that it was clear outside, took a telescope out
to the back yard and had a look.
My skies aren't great at the best of times, and I had a
minor transparency issue, one of those nights where the
sky is awfully bright for no apparent reason. Undaunted
(and already awake :-), I had a look at a whole bunch
of globulars (M3, M5, M10, M12, M13, M53, M92) and a
couple of planetary nebulae (M27, M57).
I find M27 to be an excellent advertisement for nebula
filters. The unfiltered grey blur turns in to a filtered apple
core. All the objects showed how more magnification
enhanced contrast. M13 always looks like a piece of
modern art to me, a sparkling toy hanging in space...
The Moon was still up, but setting behind a building.
Under my skies Virgo Cluster galaxies are challenge
objects, but I still bagged M64. By this time Jupiter was
showing through a gap in the trees so I had a look,
but it was a bit low and had too much competition from
the trees for any serious observing. I ended with Epsilon
Lyrae and Albireo.
The scope: my grab-and-go Celestron Celestar 8 on
its original fork mount. Not the best optics, jiggles if
you breathe on it, but I can set it up in 2 minutes.
Lumicon DSCs with their little Sky Vector 1 computer.
Very handy!
I got back to bed at 0300. Yawn.
Laura Halliday VE7LDH "Que les nuages soient notre
Grid: CN89mg pied a terre..."
ICBM: 49 16.05 N 122 56.92 W - Hospital/Shafte
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Date: 23 Apr 2007 16:17:15
From: Ben
Subject: Re: Grab-and-go insomniac stargazing
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On Apr 23, 5:33 pm, "Dennis Woos" <dpw...@gmavt.net > wrote:
> > I find M27 to be an excellent advertisement for nebula
> > filters. The unfiltered grey blur turns in to a filtered apple
> > core.
>
> Our skies are pushing mag 6, and so maybe darker than yours. However, M27
> is an object which I prefer without filters. Nebula filters fill in the
> hour-glass shape too much, giving it a footballl shape. However, my younger
> son prefers the Omega Nebula unfiltered, while I do like to enhance it with
> a UHC or OIII. I really enjoy star parties, where one can view stuff based
> on other's preferences for mag, framing, filters, etc.
>
> Dennis
I tend to throw a "filter parade" at M27 and one that I get
a lot of mileage from is the Meade Broadband in a zoom
EP. The combo darkens the background effectively and I
can bring up some details with my 10.
Ben
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Date: 23 Apr 2007 18:33:24
From: Dennis Woos
Subject: Re: Grab-and-go insomniac stargazing
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> I find M27 to be an excellent advertisement for nebula
> filters. The unfiltered grey blur turns in to a filtered apple
> core.
Our skies are pushing mag 6, and so maybe darker than yours. However, M27
is an object which I prefer without filters. Nebula filters fill in the
hour-glass shape too much, giving it a footballl shape. However, my younger
son prefers the Omega Nebula unfiltered, while I do like to enhance it with
a UHC or OIII. I really enjoy star parties, where one can view stuff based
on other's preferences for mag, framing, filters, etc.
Dennis
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