Posts Made By: Dave Mitsky

After a long stretch of bad weather, my friend Tony Donnagenlo and I attempted to observe Comet McNaught P1 from the ASH Naylor Observatory yesterday afternoon starting around 1:00 p.m. EST (18:00 UT).

Although we had no problem locating (using the mount's mechanical setting circles) and observing Venus with the 17-inch f/15 classical Cassegrain (stopped down to 10 and then 6 inches) at 162x (40mm University Optics MK-70) and its 5-inch f/5 finder scope, we could not find Comet McNaught, which was 13 degrees from the Sun and supposedly shining at approximately magnitude -2, after repeated searches. By 3:00 p.m. EST, the comet was getting pretty close to the horizon and we reluctantly gave up the search.

Sweeps conducted cautiously with Celestron 10x50 and 15x70 binoculars before noon from Tony's residence and later at the observatory proved fruitless as well. This was in all probability the last chance we'll ever have at seeing a comet during bright daylight.

Dave Mitsky

I watched the thin crescent Moon, only 1.8 days old, occult the magnitude 2.9 star Delta Capricorni (ZC3190) this evening from the Naylor Observatory. It was truly a beautiful sight, one of the best occultations I've observed in some time.

Prior to the event, the 4% illuminated Moon hung low in the southwestern sky, with brilliant Venus about a degree to its lower right. Venus, the Moon, and Delta Cap were visible simultaneously through a Barska 15x70 binocular and the 17" f/15 classical Cassegrain's 5" f/5 finder scope. The Old Moon in the New Moon's Arms was highlighted by a fine display of Earthshine.

Through the 17" at 162x (40mm University Optics MK-70) Venus and Delta Cap, to a lesser extent, exhibited the classic symptoms of atmospheric prismatic dispersion as they flashed a series of different colors.

As the Moon grew close to Delta, I kept track of the time. At approximately 6:20:46 p.m. EST (23:20:46 UT), I watched the star wink out through the 17" classical Cassegrain. The Moon set before it reappeared.

Dave Mitsky

It seems that astronauts are human after all.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/05/space.love/index.html

Dave Mitsky

Here's my list of extended deep-sky objects for February. I am now including a "top ten" list of my personal favorites with each monthly list. As always, these lists are based on a two hour swath of right ascension that is appropriate for evening observing.

Dave Mitsky

Fifty deep-sky objects for February: NGC 2146, NGC 2403 (Camelopardalis); M41, NGC 2345, NGC 2359, NGC 2360, NGC 2362, NGC 2367, NGC 2383 (Canis Major); M35, NGC 2129, NGC 2158, NGC 2266, NGC 2355, NGC 2371-72, NGC 2392, NGC 2420 (Gemini); NGC 2419 (Lynx); M50, NGC 2232, NGC 2237, NGC 2238, NGC 2244, NGC 2245, NGC 2251, NGC 2261, NGC 2264, NGC 2286, NGC 2301, NGC 2311, NGC 2324, NGC 2335, NGC 2345, NGC 2346, NGC 2353 (Monoceros); NGC 2169, NGC 2174, NGC 2194 (Orion); M46, M47, M93, Mel 71, NGC 2421, NGC 2423, NGC 2438, NGC 2439, NGC 2440, NGC 2467, NGC 2506, NGC 2509 (Puppis)

Top ten deep-sky objects for February: M35, M41, M46, M47, M50, M93, NGC 2169, NGC 2362, NGC 2392, NGC 2403

Challenge deep-sky object for February: IC 443 (Gemini)

I observed Venus and Mercury with the naked-eye and a binocular yesterday evening and also took a few telephoto shots of the pair. Mercury was 9 degrees to the lower bright of the brilliant Venus.

From my February AstroCalendar:

Mercury undergoes one of its best evening apparitions of the year during the first half of this month. When it reaches maximum eastern elongation on February 7, Mercury shines at magnitude -0.7 and is located 7 degrees to the lower right of Venus. It subtends 7", with a 53% illuminated disk, and is visible for more than 1.5 hours after the sunset. Mercury’s apparent size increases by 1" as its phase decreases from 78% to 56% during the first week of February. A week later Mercury shrinks to a crescent and dims to magnitude 0.8. Not long afterwards the speedy planet disappears into the Sun’s glare.

Dave Mitsky

I now own a "pre-owned" 8" f/6 Starsplitter Tube Dob which brings my personal collection of telescopes to an even dozen. (A few of them are going to have to go now!) This scope, which is no longer available, features a 2" JMI Crayford focuser, a rotatable and flocked OTA, "virtual counterweight" springs, and a Carl Zambuto mirror with a 0.990 Strehl ratio and a 1/24 wave peak to valley wavefront error. I plan on adding an 8x50 finder scope. I picked it up at Skies Unlimited near Pottstown on Saturday afternoon and, despite the new telescope curse, spent six very chilly (13 degrees Fahrenheit) hours observing with it on Saturday night at a local dark sky site.

During that time I viewed dozens of deep-sky objects (including carbon stars, binary and multiple stars, asterisms, star clusters, reflection nebulae, emission nebulae, planetary nebulae, and galaxies) that night along with Saturn. M42 and its environs were quite beautiful through my 19 and 35mm Tele Vue Panoptics (64 and 35x respectively) and 13mm Tele Vue Nagler type 6 (94x) and even held up well at 243x (5mm Nagler type 6). Other favorite views of the night included M35 and NGC 2158, M46 (and NGC 2438) and M47, M51 and NGC 5195, M104, NGC 2903, NGC 3242 (the Ghost of Jupiter), and the Double Cluster (NGC 869 and 884) and Stock 2. The 35mm Panoptic provided me with an expansive, almost two degree true field of view.

Saturn looked better than I've ever seen it before through an 8" aperture with the outstanding exception of one of the few 206mm Astro-Physics Starfire EDF apochromats ever manufactured. The seeing was steady enough at one point to allow me to use 487x (the 5mm Nagler type 6 and a 2x Celestron Ultima Barlow lens). The image was more than acceptable at that high magnification. The Cassini division was obvious as were a couple of southern hemisphere cloud belts and the Crepe ring.

The Zambuto mirror appears to be a very good one indeed. I hope to use this scope in conjunction with the 80mm f/7.5 Vixen ED80Sf refractor that I purchased in December for a tune-up Messier marathon this month. Hopefully, the coming snow storm that's due to begin tomorrow won't throw a meterological monkey wrench into those plans.

Dave Mitsky

Here's a photo of my "new" 8" f/6 Starsplitter Tube Dob and myself that was taken when I picked it up at Skies Unlimited two weekends ago. This telescope features Appleply construction, a flocked and rotatable OTA, a 2" JMI DX-3 Crayford focuser, and a 1/24 wave Carl Zambuto primary mirror.

Dave Mitsky

Here is my list of deep-sky objects for the March two hour swath of right ascension.

Dave Mitsky

Thirty-five deep-sky objects for March: M44, M67, NGC 2775 (Cancer); Abell 33, M48, NGC 2610, NGC 2642, NGC 2811, NGC 2835, NGC 2855, NGC 2935, NGC 2992, NGC 3052, NGC 3078 (Hydra); NGC 2903, NGC 2916, NGC 2964, NGC 2968, NGC 3020 (Leo); NGC 2859, NGC 3003, NGC 3021 (Leo Minor); NGC 2683 (Lynx); NGC 2567, NGC 2571 (Puppis); M81, M82, NGC 2639, NGC 2654, NGC 2681, NGC 2685, NGC 2742, NGC 2768, NGC 2787, NGC 2841, NGC 2880, NGC 2950, NGC 2976, NGC 2985 (Ursa Major)

Top 10 deep-sky objects for March: M44, M48, M67, M81, M82, NGC 2654, NGC 2683, NGC 2835, NGC 2841, NGC 2903

Challenge deep-sky object for March: Abell 30 (Cancer)

I had to attend a meeting last night but was able to return in time to grab a few quick shots of the Moon and Venus from a nearby hilltop. This one was a 1.6 second exposure at ISO 400 using a Canon EOS Digital Rebel DSLR and a Canon EF 80-200mm zoom lens. The Moon set not too long afterwards.

Dave Mitsky

On Saturday, April 21, the Astronomical Society of Harrisburg (ASH) will participate in National Astronomy Day with displays and activities, including solar observing in white and H-alpha light if weather permits, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in Room A at the East Shore Library, 4501 Ethel Street (a right turn off of Colonial Road), Harrisburg. (The library is adjacent to the north parking lot of the Colonial Park Mall.) Call 652-9380 for directions.

That evening there will be a telescope clinic and open house beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the ASH Naylor Observatory, which is located at 670 Observatory Drive, 2 miles northwest of Lewisberry. If the skies are clear, an astronomical observing session will take place afterwards using the large telescopes at the observatory. For further information and directions, call 938-6041 or visit http://www.astrohbg.org/

Weather permitting, there will be another public observing session at the Naylor Observatory starting at 8:00 p.m. on the following Sunday night, April 22.

Dave Mitsky