by Jeffrey Gortatowsky
I love winter nights don't you? You can start observing at 5:30pm LMT, pack it in 8 hours later and be in bed by 2:30am LMT. Is that not just the cat's meow? All that and temps in the 40's (Fahrenheit). I mean does it get better than that? :)
Only problem is if you have things to do during the day and you like to get to your site to play with the collimation of your APO in the daylight, you have to start out fairly early in the afternoon. Darkness waits for no man. That means get up. Have some coffee, surf the net at the kitchen table, sift through Sky and Telescope and Astronomy articles one's copied, and planning your night. (As an aside: 802.11b wireless in a laptop at the table is the height of decadence! LOL! I swear! My wife and I can IM each other from 2 feet away! LOL!)
Okay, so Santa made a slight mistake and I had to get on down to Oceanside Photo and Telescope to correct it. Mike Fowler, one of the OPT guys is just a wonderful person and I love spending money with him. Santa brought me a Tunable Top for my Paracorr but being the butt head I am, I had already bought one. LOL! So I packed the truck with the AP 900GTO, TMB-180 Triplet, and the Teleport 180 compact newt, and headed out early so as to be able to make the round about trip to Oceanside, then inland to Temecula, and on out to Anza north of Palomar Mountain. Turns out the new digital camera adaptors from Uncle Al have not arrived yet so I have store credit at OPT as there was nothing else I needed right this moment. Mike Fowler at OPT and Mike Beiler (SP?) at Astronomics must be the nicest Mike's in the astronomy business.
By 4pm LMT I was assembling the AP900GTO under the waning yellow-orange glow of the sun. I slowly came to realized I was gonna have one hell of a time mounting the 50 pounds of essential counterweights the big TMB triplet demands without the counterweight shaft! OOOOOOPPPPSSSS. Darn!!! (that's not the word I used lol!) What an idiot I am! That's a first for me folks. Well they day the mind is the second thing to go!! LOL!
Thank God I had taken the diminutive Teleport 7 with me or it would have been a pretty short night. I didn't even have my binocular mount, nor a photo tripod, so without the Teleport I'd have been relegated to calling it a night, mooching photons (no one else was there at the time!), or 10x50s lying on my back on the ground. LOL. So I packed away the 900GTO for another day and gathered up four cinderblocks to raise up the little Teleport 30cm or so off the ground, broke out my new observing chair and waited for nightfall (all the while cursing my stupidity).
When all was said and done, I had a very enjoyable 8 hours under the stars with the self-contained little Newtonian. The Zambuto mirror gave stunning (I am not exaggerating here at all, I mean stunning) views of the shadow transit of Europa across the face of Jupiter and the SEB. Folks it's not hyperbole. This is one great mirror. And this from an APO lover.
For planning my 'observing program' for the night I used Binocular Highlights by Gary Seronik from recent and not so recent S&T's. I decided this evening to try again my 12x60 cheapy Gary Russel binos. They are 'okay'. No Fujinon's for sure, but 'fair'. I used Small Scope Sampler's from recent and not so recent Sue French articles as published also S&T. I was going to used Tom Polkis(SP?) article on Canis Major from Astronomy but the clouds and haze had moved in by then. Since haze portended 'not too bad seeing' I grabbed Sissy Haas' Uneven Doubles article from the 1/2002 issue of S&T whcih I had fortuitously brought with me. I mean you buy these magazines, why not use the articles as observing lists?
| Saturn | 1/6/2002 2:02:00 | Teleport 7 | 6mm Nagler Zoom | 168x |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As usual at this aperture it's easy to see Tethys, Dione, and Rhea. And of course Titan. Mimas and Encleadus are still elusive even thought both are well placed for viewing according to Skymap Pro. Seeing is only fair right now with Cassini's division easy to see and the A, B, and C rings as well. The SEB is prominent and is a light but distinct burnt orange color. | ||||
| NGC 457 | 1/6/2002 2:28:00 UT | Vista 12x60 | ||
| Lying on my back I could make out the cluster without too much difficulty. It has two bright stars that are Phi and HIP6629 (or H23). I was not able to hold the 12x binoculars quite steady enough to resolve any other shape or stars other than this sort of a nebulous region spreading to the northwest. | ||||
| M 31 | 1/6/2002 2:28 | Vista 12x60 | ||
| Of course very easy to see. Very big and bright. It's easy to trace this large thin galaxy as I ly on my back and it rides almost overhead. I must look darn funny lying on my back on concrete pad! M31's large companion M110 to the southwest is also easy to pick up. I did not see the smaller and dimmer M32. Te size of M31 is apparent when you get brief moments where the binoculars are steadied. I seems then I can detect the northeast end's dimmer arms and dust structure. Not distinctly, but more an impression. Then M31 seems to have a size of at least 4 plus degrees, | ||||
| NGC 457 | 1/6/2002 2:44UT | Teleport 7 | 16mm Nagler Type 5 | 63x |
| Beautiful open cluster! Two obviously brighter stars in the southeast corner with the rest of the cluster to the northwest. From the two bright stars (phi and h23) a stick of stars heads northwest with two branches of stars sticking out at either side to the northeast and the southwest. This central stick ends in a tripod like shape of four stars oriented northeast to southwest. | ||||
| Mel 20 - Alpha Persei Assoc. | 1/6/2002 2:57 | Vista 12x60 | ||
| Beautiful huge splash of stars. At least 20 of them though some may not belong. Big loose cluster filling at least 4 degrees of the 5 degree field of view. Reminds me a bit of the constellation draco. The head starts southeast of Mirfak (Alpha Persei) as a triangle of stars, then the body snakes further southeast of the head but then curves west and then northwest. Then it curves back again and continues to the southeast ending at the distinctly orangeish sigma persei and the wide double star (Otto Struve) STT56. | ||||
| sigma Persei | 1/6/2002 3:10UT | Teleport 7 | 16mm Nagler Type 5 | 63x |
| Confirmed the impressions I got through the 12x60s. This star seemed distinctly orange in color when viewed thorough the binoculars. In the scope however the color seems to be a more golden hue. Wide double STT56 is nearby in same FOV. | ||||
| STT 56 | 1/6/2002 3:13UT | Teleport 7 | 16mm Nagler Type 5 | 63x |
| This wide double is easily split even at this low magnification. Much dimmer secondary. Widely separated with a PA of about zero. | ||||
| M 79 | 1/6/2002 3:20 | Vista 12x60 | ||
| It was pretty easy to spot this smaller soft glow nestled between TYC6479-01782-1 and TYC6476-00659-1 which was one of three stars making a triangle to the east of this cluster. | ||||
| BU 536 | 1/6/2002 4:30UT | Vista 12x60 | ||
| When I could hold the binoculars steady enough I could just make this double star in the center of the 'dipper' of the Pleiades. I could tell that the two stars ran parallel to the top of the asterism's 'bowl' and estimated a PA of 225 which was actually well off of the real figure of 300. Oh well, can't win them all. | ||||
| theta1 Tauri | 1/6/2002 4:30UT | Teleport 7 | 16mm Nagler Type 5 | 63x |
| Very nice wide double pair with Theta 2. This star has a gold or light orange hue whereas theta2 is a blue/white star. | ||||
| NGC 1647 | 1/6/2002 5:05UT | Teleport 7 | 16mm Nagler Type 5 | 63x |
| Big loose cluster with 40-50 or more stars that almost fills the FOV. Two brighter stars on the southern edge. Two pairs of doubles are near the center. | ||||
| NGC 1746 | 1/6/2002 5:12UT | Teleport 7 | 16mm Nagler Type 5 | 63x |
| Large loose cluster that is at least 1/2 to 3/4 of a degree in size. Seems to have an east-west bias with five of the brightest stars on the east side making a W like asterism the reminds me of Cassiopeia. Middle star of the W asterism is light orange. Many many dimmer members. More the 50. There are 2 neat pairs of doubles on the western edge of the cluster that seem to make an entry gateway that guided all the other members in to the cluster's bounds. | ||||
| Saturn | 1/6/2002 5:20UT | Teleport 7 | 5mm Nagler Zoom | 201x |
| Score! Mimas and Enceladus! I caught them both. Mimas at the eastern edge of the rings and Enceladus on the northwestern edge. Both were plainly visible for a few moments. Then, poof, gone. I waited and waited and occasionally, especially when moving the telescope to reposition the FOV I'd think I glimpsed one or the other. But I was never able to be so sure as I was the first few moments I looked. Weird huh? For the rest of the evening I would return again and again to Saturn, but sky transparency would get worse as moonrise approached with high thin haze, then thin clouds and never got a better opportunity or look. | ||||
| Jupiter | 1/6/2002 5:31UT | Teleport 7 | 5mm Nagler Zoom | 201x |
| Europa is a little cream colored or maybe light gold pimple on the eastern
edge of Jupiter. It is a distinct round dot not a stellar object. It's just
touching the main disc of the planet. It's transit looks like it will take
place right along the center of the split SEB. About midway in the NEB,
virtually on the central meridian, is a dark area in the NEB.
During moments of good seeing I can see the NEB's northern edge is not linear at all but has shallow long round curves into the NTrZ bulging the NEB in some spots and thinning the NEB in others. Then the thin NTB is visible followed by a unevenly colored NNTz. During fleeting moments I can see slight shaded areas from the southern edge of the NEB into the EZn but they seem contiguous or solid areas and not hook shaped or swirled like festoons might be. More like valances hung from the NEB. | ||||
| M 1 | 1/6/2002 5:50 | Teleport 7 | 16mm Nagler Type 5 | 63x |
| Very easy to spot. Bright. Oriented roughly southeast to northwest. Sort of rectangular in shape but with the shorter sides rough and not straight and seem to vanish into the dark instead of having a well defined boundary. Brighter central area that is grayish green hued. | ||||
| M 1 | 1/6/2002 5:55UT | Teleport 7 | 6mm Nagler Zoom | 168x |
| Some hint of irregular structure mostly on the southeastern end. | ||||
| theta1 Orionis | 1/6/2002 6:00UT | Teleport 7 | 6mm Nagler Zoom | 168x |
| When seeing steadies it's pretty darn easy to see 6 stars. | ||||
| Jupiter | 1/6/2002 6:02UT | Teleport 7 | 6mm Nagler Zoom | 168x |
| Wow. Seeing is pretty good right now. Europa's shadow is a jet black distinctive dot having followed the moon on to the face of the planet. I find it difficult now to actually see the moon. The shadow is projected right onto the SEB split or perhaps just onto the northern split. | ||||
| STF 737 | 1/6/2002 7:08UT | Teleport 7 | 16mm Nagler Type 5 | 63x |
| This wide pair lies in M36. Easy to split even at this low magnification.
Even magnitude pair with a PA of about 290.
SEI 355 1/6/2002 7:10UT Teleport 7 5mm Nagler Zoom 201x The pair lies in M36 and seems to me to be a even pair with a PA of about 260 | ||||
| Jupiter | 1/6/2002 7:21UT | Teleport 7 | 5mm Nagler Zoom | 201x |
| Seeing has settled way down but with it has come a high haze layer and even some high wispy cirrus clouds which has lowered transparency for sure. Europa's shadow is just past the CM. The portion of the SEB trailing the shadow appears to be actually split into three belts not two. The EZn appears to have several areas of gray protruding from the south edge of the NEB. The NEB's northern edge appears to have round areas or maybe they are loops of material. Hard to tell. | ||||
| beta Orionis | 1/6/2002 7:52UT | Teleport 7 | 4mm Nagler Zoom | 251x |
| Really had no problem seeing and splitting this uneven pair. The tiny little secondary is at a PA of about 225 | ||||
| zeta Orionis | 1/6/2002 8:00UT | Teleport 7 | 4mm Nagler Zoom | 251x |
| Very tough to keep steady. Looks like there might be a pretty bright companion tucked up close in the first or second diffraction ring at a PA of 180. | ||||
| mu Canis Majoris | 1/6/2002 8:08UT | Teleport 7 | 6mm Nagler Zoom | 168x |
| An orange primary and an easy to split secondary art a PA of about 340. | ||||
| Jupiter | 1/6/2002 8:15UT | Teleport 7 | 4mm Nagler Zoom | 251x |
| This is very cool indeed. Europa is just getting ready to exit the face of the planet with the shadow projected onto it. It's an amazing three dimensional effect. The GRS is rotated in to view on the eastern side. Proceed the GRS but in the NEB is dark oval. Then directly under the GRS, but also in the NEB is another dark oval. The cyclonic circle of darker clouds is visible completely around the GRS with the light cream colored gap that is the boundary layer. The GRS itself is a light pink or salmon color with just a hint of even lighter shading in the center. All in all an amazing view. The teleport has performed exceptionally well tonight. | ||||
Posted on calastro Jan 06, 2002 17:30:54 PT
Converted by report.pm 1.4 Mar 21, 2006 20:23:21 PT
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