Observing Report 06/30/03
Equipment: Heep ('umble 4.5" DS Newtonian on EQ mount, 900mm, f/8), 16x50 bino's
Eyepeices: 20mm, 10mm, 6.7mm Meade Plossls
Location: Vallentyne, Ont. (approx. 44n, 79w)
Time: 0230 - 0500 UT
=======================================================
Yeah, I know this is late, but I've been swamped. Should have gotten to this much earlier, but work comes first.
The York Simcoe Amateur Astronomers held an impromptu observing session at the home of one of its members on
the evening of June 30, due to the fact that July 1st is a national holiday here in Canada, and no one had to
be up early for work. The skies at this location are extremely dark, as there is no ther source of light for
five miles.
I set up Heep and tuned up on Jupiter, which was, unfortunately, swimming in the twilight haze. Did a half-assed
polar alignment when Polaris became visible. Several other members showed up, one sporting a pair of tripod
mounted 20x80 bino's, and one with a long (f/6 or f/7) focal length 10" Meade Newt on a G11 - first time I'd
seen one of those monsters.
This night, I my focus was on DSO's. I wanted to take advantage of the dark skies to seek out objects that
just wouldn't be visible from my back yard. But you know what they say about the best laid plans. So I ended
up taking part in an informal observing test: the double-double. I was able to separate them cleanly at 135X.
This compared well with two 8" scopes, one of which barely resolved the two pairs. Heep and I also got our
first glimpse of Albireo: absolutely stunning, showing a vivid, beautiful colour contrast between the golden
yellow primary and the deep blue of the secondary.
Another highlight of the night was seeing M13 through the 10" at 275X. It was resolved right to the core,
showing at least 200 stars. And the mount was rock-steady. Also, using a really wide-field eyepeice in the same scope, I got my first view of the Veil, like sinuous tendrils of smoke, throughout the field of view. What a sight!
(Coninued in second post)
Equipment: Heep ('umble 4.5" DS Newtonian on EQ mount, 900mm, f/8), 16x50 bino's
Eyepeices: 20mm, 10mm, 6.7mm Meade Plossls
Location: Vallentyne, Ont. (approx. 44n, 79w)
Time: 0230 - 0500 UT
=======================================================
Yeah, I know this is late, but I've been swamped. Should have gotten to this much earlier, but work comes first.
The York Simcoe Amateur Astronomers held an impromptu observing session at the home of one of its members on
the evening of June 30, due to the fact that July 1st is a national holiday here in Canada, and no one had to
be up early for work. The skies at this location are extremely dark, as there is no ther source of light for
five miles.
I set up Heep and tuned up on Jupiter, which was, unfortunately, swimming in the twilight haze. Did a half-assed
polar alignment when Polaris became visible. Several other members showed up, one sporting a pair of tripod
mounted 20x80 bino's, and one with a long (f/6 or f/7) focal length 10" Meade Newt on a G11 - first time I'd
seen one of those monsters.
This night, I my focus was on DSO's. I wanted to take advantage of the dark skies to seek out objects that
just wouldn't be visible from my back yard. But you know what they say about the best laid plans. So I ended
up taking part in an informal observing test: the double-double. I was able to separate them cleanly at 135X.
This compared well with two 8" scopes, one of which barely resolved the two pairs. Heep and I also got our
first glimpse of Albireo: absolutely stunning, showing a vivid, beautiful colour contrast between the golden
yellow primary and the deep blue of the secondary.
Another highlight of the night was seeing M13 through the 10" at 275X. It was resolved right to the core,
showing at least 200 stars. And the mount was rock-steady. Also, using a really wide-field eyepeice in the same scope, I got my first view of the Veil, like sinuous tendrils of smoke, throughout the field of view. What a sight!
(Coninued in second post)
