Octember Session!

[Nightspore]

Last October was not very conducive to astronomy, but the year before that I actually got Ed out sixteen times in October. Twice in fact exactly two years ago to the day, once early in the morning, and a later session in the evening. ‘Ed’ aka my 72mm ED SkyWatcher Evostar usually gets more use annually than any of my other scopes. A possible reason for this is that I usually deploy an Altair RDF on Ed.The red LED isn’t as bright as most generic RDF finders and there is no provision to switch to a green LED. The upside to this is that the Altair RDF is much better, with far less glare, for nocturnal astronomy. Not unlike a Rigel QuickFinder sight’s comparative range. The downside is, like the Rigel, it’s not easy to use or calibrate in white or crepuscular light. 

 

 

According to the occasionally mendacious, sorry, I mean occasionally inaccurate, Met Office’s crystal ball, the perpetual cloud that usually plagues the ‘Octember’ time of the year would most likely disappear around 22:00 to 00:00 BST. Ed probably gets out so much because the set-up is lightweight and convenient for me. I took four eyepieces and a Barlow element giving me 17.5x to a potential 210x (4.1mm to a tight 0.34mm exit pupil). Although 168x is the usual ‘very high’ magnification (0.43mm exit pupil). Ed is perfectly capable of a decent 168x, which is only really 24x above the assumed maximum magnification for a 72mm aperture. I usually achieve this with a 4mm TMB clone or an orthoscopic combined with a Barlow element.

 

 

On Tuesday the third of October I did a preliminary naked eye reconnaissance around 21:00 and amazingly I could see stars! Notwithstanding a bright rising Jupiter and a Saturn nearing Transit. A rising low Moon (Taurus) could also be seen at 31.2 arc minutes diameter and around 76% illuminated. I was set-up by about 21:45 only to discover that there was now a large ominous blanket of cloud covering most of the sky. A fuzzy but relatively bright Jupiter could occasionally make an appearance in the east and I could see the light of the Moon. I decided to wait it out.

 

 

Overall conditions were slightly above average and it was surprisingly warm for the time of the year. The inopportune cloud blanket did indeed eventually dissipate somewhat. Allowing me to view Saturn along with its attendant moon; Titan. Plus Jupiter accompanied by its Galilean moons at 105x. The Ring Nebula could be observed at 70x, although a broadband OIII filter helped and I also witnessed a lot of starfields at 17.5x. The Double Cluster was nice although not particularly spectacular. I couldn't find the Andromeda Galaxy, probably due to the Moon’s proximity. I was quite happy at splitting a well defined i Cass at 105x and even 168x. The serpentine Melotte 20 was pretty impressive at 17.5x (24mm Panoptic). As the Moon got higher it became the more logical target.

 

 

The floor of the Catherina lunar crater, situated between the Rupes Altai and Mare Nectaris, displayed a fair amount of detail at both 105x and 168x. The nearby Theophilus crater also revealed its terraced rim and central mountain detail remarkably well.

 

 

By this time I had swapped the steadfast Tele Vue ‘Enhanced Aluminum’ mirror (which is actually constructed from very shiny aluminium) for a slightly modified William Optics Amici prism. I have a TV dielectric, but apparently ‘aluminum’ mirrors show less scatter than dielectrics; reputedly anyway.  

 

 

The WO diffraction spike isn’t actually visible to me while lunar viewing, although it definitely showed on Jupiter when I searched for the now visible GRS. I have a Baader-Zeiss Amici but it is a tad heavy for Ed mounted on the AZ5. So the WO is just so much more convenient. At around midnight the clouds were starting to reappear, so I switched back to the TV ‘aluminum’ mirror and had a last look at the Summer Triangle, now becoming lower in the west. I decided on some scanning at 17.5x with the 24mm Panoptic.

 

 

To my great delight I found the ‘Coathanger’ asterism for the first time this year. Which was a great note to end on. Predictably, by 00:20 the cloud blanket was back, and besides, there was a mug of Cadbury’s drinking chocolate with my name on it waiting for me in the house.

 

 

 

[Nightspore]

Octember?

 

 

[+Glafnazur]

Another great report Dave. I was hoping to get out, but the blanket of high cloud and an earlier deluge which turned my back garden into a swamp put me off. I don't know why but viewing the 'Coathanger' always makes me smile 🙂 

[+Glafnazur]

8 minutes ago, Nightspore said:

Octember?

 

 

You can't beat Laurel and Hardy.

[Nightspore]

31 minutes ago, Glafnazur said:

Another great report Dave. I was hoping to get out, but the blanket of high cloud and an earlier deluge which turned my back garden into a swamp put me off. I don't know why but viewing the 'Coathanger' always makes me smile 🙂 

 

Thanks. It was oddly warm until way past midnight, no real rain either. Since I've started observing again I keep forgetting about certain objects, the Coathanger being one of them, until last night.

[Nightspore]

32 minutes ago, Glafnazur said:

You can't beat Laurel and Hardy.

 

I always preferred the Marx brothers, or am I thinking of the Brothers Karamazov? 

 

 

The Shatner is almost as funny!

[Nightspore]

I mean, dig that wig, baby lol!

[+Glafnazur]

Seeing Richard Basehart always makes me think of Voyage to the bottom of the Sea

[Nightspore]

1 hour ago, Glafnazur said:

Seeing Richard Basehart always makes me think of Voyage to the bottom of the Sea

 

Yeah, where's the flying sub? lol

[Nightspore]

Looks like the Russians found it.

 

[Sojourneyer]

Hide and seek with the clouds... an astronomer's dream.

Glad you got to spend some time out there a few days back.  When is the Mak going to attack the skies?

 

[Nightspore]

2 hours ago, Sojourneyer said:

Hide and seek with the clouds... an astronomer's dream.

Glad you got to spend some time out there a few days back.  When is the Mak going to attack the skies?

 

 

Hopefully I'll get the Big Mak out for the Jupiter Opposition, or the November Moon. Unless I wimp out and take Middle Mak.

 

 

or

 

 

or even 

 

 

Who knows?

 

 

Either way, I'm ready to go!

 

 

[Nightspore]

4mm TS Optics 'Planetary HR' converted to 2.5mm with Barlow element. I have a 2.5mm TMB clone but this is lighter in weight than carrying an extra eyepiece.

 

[Sojourneyer]

11 hours ago, Nightspore said:

4mm TS Optics 'Planetary HR' converted to 2.5mm with Barlow element. I have a 2.5mm TMB clone but this is lighter in weight than carrying an extra eyepiece.

 

what happened to the Shorty Barlow... I remember that moniker!!

Edited October 6, 2023 by Sojourneyer

[Nightspore]

7 hours ago, Sojourneyer said:

what happened to the Shorty Barlow... I remember that moniker!!

 

I hear he was abducted by Zeta Reticulans. Serves him right if you ask me. 

 

 

This is what happens if you hang out with entities like Indrid Cold and the Mothman. Shorty's probably being probed as we speak. Those Greys are a PITA!

[Sojourneyer]

I guess your streak has ended for a few days. Let us hope the skies clear out for all of us.

I had the 80ED out and believe views of the planets are better with it than my Starmax 90

[Nightspore]

2 hours ago, Sojourneyer said:

I guess your streak has ended for a few days. Let us hope the skies clear out for all of us.

I had the 80ED out and believe views of the planets are better with it than my Starmax 90

 

Yeah, it's unnaturally (Soylent Green) warm though, so you never know. The jet stream has shifted in my favour. Unlike last October when I didn't get out once. Saturday might be good. The 80ED will always outclass a Mak', in fact my 80ED rivals, if not betters, my 127mm Mak' for planetary. Only my 235mm SCT or 150mm Newtonian comes close. Even then I would ideally go with my 102mm ED Altair Starwave. You'll never beat a good 'frac', especially with good glass.

 

 

 

Don't get me started about dew control though ....

 

 

Or I might get Chuck Heston mad!