Hot Cocoa observing....

[RobCos]

Hi all, this is my first observation report so be kind

As usual, I get home late from work(8pm) and wrestle with going out and observing or eating dinner and being lazy.

The stars are clear and steady out there so I opt for a Honeycomb Cereal dinner (hey, it's fast).... and head outside!

My goals are the Auriga Clusters, M1, Orion, Andromeda&M33, and finally to finish with Saturn.

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M1:

I aim the telrad in the general direction of M1 and lo and behold I hit it right on the spot! Can't see it in the finder, but there it is in my 2" 30mm GSO. It's faint and fuzzy as expected.

I pop in the UO 16mm Konig and at 62x it's looking much better with more definition-a definite Oval shape and darker in the middle. I really really wish I had a nebula filter!!!

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M37:

This cluster is gorgeous. The 25mm UO Erfle shows nice clear pinpoint stars. Great contrast with the sky.

Pop in the Konig and again, the view was even more impressive. All stars resolved with a dark lane passing through the cluster. Very Nice!

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I'm freezing now, so I better move on....in fact...time for some hot cocoa! Bust out that thermos!....Mmmmm....much better.

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M38:

A very nice cluster that rivals M37. Why? Because it looks like one that I could attempt sketching someday. At 111x there really is that X shape passing through the cluster that others have noticed.

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I realize that Andromeda is now passing behind my trees so I figure i'd best move onto Orion and Saturn. Besides, my fingers are beginning to freeze up-and my writing shows it(it looks like I wrote with broken fingers at this point).

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M42:

Again, I wish I had a nebula filter, although the seeing is so great tonight it doesn't seem to matter all that much. More importantly, my neighbors have their lights off.

Wonderful sight as usual and at 40x with the Erfle, the trapezium resolves. Nebulosity is extended almost end to end in the eyepiece. This has to be one of my best views-other than when I viewed through Paul's Lumicon UHC. Pop in the Konig again and it only gets better.

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HOT COCOA TIME! Okay, i'm getting really really cold now. Dropping my gloves when switching eyepieces etc. My pen is freezing up(couldn't find my pencil tonight) and i'm thinking that my cheeks are inanimate objects glued to my face......

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Saturn:

Never disappoints when the seeing is great as it is tonight. Clear as day-nice contrast. There isn't any noticeable fringing from my optics so I can thank my Fringe Killer filter. Cassini's division is visible no problem all the way around the rings at 62x.

At 142x, there is obvious banding across the equator and maybe another just below -close to the rings. Awesome! Cassini stands out nicely.

I wish I had more power. Time to buy a 5mm Ortho from Mark........

Conclusions:

I need to buy a UHC Nebula Filter
I need to buy a 5mm Ortho giving me 200x in the scope.
Make more hot cocoa next time.

Shorten my future observation reports???

Th-th-th-that's all folks!

[Pete]

It's important to log your observing Rob. Without a written log everything just runs together in a confused pile in that part of your mind where stuff is stored. Thanks for the enjoyable post.

Pete

[RobCos]

I have been wanting to do this for quite some time Pete. After almost 2 years of observing, i'm really starting to get the hang of things(finding objects and noticing the finer details).

Up to this point, my notes have been a mess from session to session with no real clarity. There's alot of Messier's i've found and observed-but never kept a record of. This is my attempt at doing so. How can I say i've found all of them-if I have no record?

[Paul D]

Gratz Rob,

Its great to see a post from you finally and I know how hard it is to want to keep notes and observe at the same time especially when finding objects for us non goto guys can take us up to a half hour. But anyway I know you have another log coming so I cant wait to read it.

Paul....