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A two hour slot and a break in the clouds!


Smithysteve

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It's been a couple of weeks since I went in my dome, so I have been itching to get out and see stuff! I have a list of objects as long as my arm, well 46! 20 of which are Messier objects I cannot remember seeing before.

I have been studying clouds and the weather impatiently waiting for a chance!


Last night the weather forecast said clear skies, I did not believe it, but went out at 11.00pm, it was cloudy, but high and intermittent, there were a few gaps with bright twinkly things glinting at me and Jupiter was low and about to disappear into some distant trees. so I thought go for it.

 

Grabbed my 2 cases of lenses, told the missus I was going out for ten minutes or so and disappeared into the dome for two and a half hours ☺️


First thing I noted was Jupiter had not only disappeared behind the trees but sadly had significantly moved on from last time I saw it! Things don't stop moving because it is cloudy and It will soon be gone until next year!
Also the moon was well below the horizon at this point so I made a start on Saturn, it was faint due to cloud and elevation, but studying it for a few minutes allowed clouds to move and a few moons to show too.


I moved on to M57, Ring Neb, The night sky was still not dark and the ring was faint due to cloud, but as I watched, it grew in brightness as clouds moved on and it then stood out like a sore thumb! Then it faded... This theme of watching stuff appear like magic and then fade away continued for the next hour. It was different and interesting to wait and see how, or even if, the object would appear when the clouds rolled away! Voilà, here I am!!! ?

 

I knocked off six Messier's on my not seen list ?
Nearer the southern horizon...
M21, OC, 
M22, GC, I noted this as large and bright?
M25, OC, 
Whilst in the area of Cygnus... By now the clouds had mostly dispersed!
M29, OC, 
M39, OC, 
M14, GC, a huge glob and great to look at in Ophiuchus, near M10 & M12 globs, at mag +7.59


A meteor streaked across the sky ?


I then noticed the area around Cygnus was clear of cloud so I had another look at the Ring Neb.
Then M27, The Dumbbell Neb. This looked fab! And the first view of it this year!


I then thought why not try and see the Western Veil, NGC 6960, with 52 Cygni star embedded in it!
I have never been able to see the veil without a UHC or OIII filter, but I tried again tonight!

52 Cyg was there but the sky was light and I could not see the veil, so I put my 2" OIII on my 40 mm, ES lens and out it popped!

Faint, but obvious with averted vision.

 

I was well satisfied by now! And the moon was now up, though behind cloud! ☁️?


So I called it a wrap! Still amazed what can be seen at this time of year, given half a chance!
Thanks for looking ???

Edited by Smithysteve
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Nice report.

I am envious beyond belief .

Clear skies ????

Just about forgotten what they are. :rofl:

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11 minutes ago, Graham said:

Nice report.

I am envious beyond belief .

Clear skies ????

Just about forgotten what they are. :rofl:

☁️ I had Graham!

So frustrating, but it gives you a bit of time to get ready for that brief window!

 

if I only ate chocolate on cloudless nights I would be slim as a rake! 

 

The skies were definitely not clear last night! I had to cloud dodge but got some great results ?

 

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Great to hear someone else getting to see some clear skies. Last night was there first night in weeks I had the chance to see anything twinkly in the sky. 20 mins with the binoculars was lovely before bed time. 

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On 25 June 2016 at 18:26, banners said:

Great to hear someone else getting to see some clear skies. Last night was there first night in weeks I had the chance to see anything twinkly in the sky. 20 mins with the binoculars was lovely before bed time. 

 

Glad you also had a viewing session Steve. ?

Chances are few and far between at the moment! What bins do you have and what did you get to see? ??

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3 hours ago, Smithysteve said:

 

Glad you also had a viewing session Steve. ?

Chances are few and far between at the moment! What bins do you have and what did you get to see? ??

 

I picked up some 8x40 Olympus bins for cloud dodging moments that happen upon us! I think I saw a flash of something but didn't quite catch what it was - I'll be honest I'd had a wee tipple (or 3 ;) )

Playing about with Stellarium, it may have been a meteor from the June Scutids but being a green behind the ear newbie and in a heavy light polluted area I couldn't be sure. I watched 2 satellites cross paths and then the moon had come into view so sat back in a garden chair and had a 10 minutes before deciding it was late - and I was a worse for wear lol.

 

I hope July will be better for us than June has been, I'd had the telescope for a few weeks before this horrid weather so I'm not accepting the blame!

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Funny you should mention M22. First of all you answered my question as to whether it is visible from East Midlands. Secondly, I agree it seems more bright than the published magnitude and is easier to see than M13.

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8 hours ago, Sunny Phil said:

Funny you should mention M22. First of all you answered my question as to whether it is visible from East Midlands. Secondly, I agree it seems more bright than the published magnitude and is easier to see than M13.

Yes Philip, I was surprised to see how bright it was considering its altitude.

I have this info on it... 'Messier 22 in Sagittarius, also known as NGC 6656, is one of the brightest in the sky, at mag +5.09'

?

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