Posts Made By: Dave Mitsky

Greetings,

Here are my DSO lists for this month.

Dave Mitsky

Seventy-five deep-sky objects for October: NGC 7640, NGC 7662, NGC 7686 (Andromeda); NGC 7180, NGC 7183, NGC 7184, NGC 7293, NGC 7392, NGC 7585, NGC 7606, NGC 7721, NGC 7723, NGC 7727 (Aquarius); Cz43, K12, M52, NGC 7635, NGC 7788, NGC 7789, NGC 7790, St12 (Cassiopeia); B171, B173-4, IC 1454, IC 1470, K10, Mrk50, NGC 7235, NGC 7261, NGC 7354, NGC 7380, NGC 7419, NGC 7510 (Cepheus); IC 1434, IC 5217, NGC 7209, NGC 7223, NGC 7243, NGC 7245 (Lacerta); NGC 7177, NGC 7217, NGC 7320 (the brightest galaxy in Stephan's Quintet), NGC 7331, NGC 7332, NGC 7339, NGC 7448, NGC 7454, NGC 7479, NGC 7619 (the brightest member of Pegasus I), NGC 7626, NGC 7678, NGC 7742, NGC 7769 (Pegasus); NGC 7541, NGC 7562, NGC 7611 (Pisces); IC 5156, IC 5269, IC 5271, NGC 7172, NGC 7173, NGC 7174, NGC 7176, NGC 7201, NGC 7203, NGC 7214, NGC 7221, NGC 7229, NGC 7314, NGC 7361 (Piscis Austrinus); NGC 7507, NGC 7513, NGC 7713, NGC 7755, NGC 7793 (Sculptor)

Top ten binocular deep-sky objects for October: M52, NGC 7209, NGC 7235, NGC 7243, NGC 7293, NGC 7510, NGC 7686, NGC 7789, NGC 7790, St12

Top ten deep-sky objects for October: K12, M52, NGC 7209, NGC 7293, NGC 7331, NGC 7332, NGC 7339, NGC 7640, NGC 7662, NGC 7789

Challenge deep-sky object for October: Jones 1 (PK104-29.1) (Pegasus)

The objects listed above are located between 22:00 and 24:00 hours of right ascension.

My brand-new 10" f/5 Sky-Watcher Collapsible Dob saw first light from my front yard on Wednesday night. I purchased the Sky-Watcher in order to have an easy-to-transport, moderately large aperture that I could use in conjunction with my 101mm Tele Vue refractor while observing from local dark sites. Despite the less-than-excellent transparency and seeing, local light pollution, limited horizons, and bright moonlight (and having to rely on a right-angle 50mm finder scope), I was able to locate and observe a number of celestial objects, including Jupiter, the Moon, Albireo, Eta Cassiopeiae, Gamma Andromedae, Gamma Arietis, M15, M31, M34, M39, M45, M103, NGC 457, the Double Cluster, and Stock 2.

I used a 35mm Tele Vue Panoptic, the 25mm (the eyepiece was labeled 26mm) Plössl supplied with the scope, a 19mm Tele Vue Panoptic, a 13mm Tele Vue Ethos, the 10mm Plössl supplied with the scope, an 8.8mm Meade UWA, a 5mm Tele Vue Nagler T6, a 4mm BO/TMB Planetary, and a 2.5x Powermate. Images were about what one would expect from a fast 10" Newtonian, given the conditions.

Collimation was a bit off out of the box. I tweaked it somewhat using a laser collimator but due to the high profile focuser I couldn't see exactly where the return beam was hitting. Mechanically, the scope worked quite well. Movements in altitude and azimuth were fairly smooth and the altitude lock was able to handle the weight of my 35mm Panoptic when viewing close to the horizon. I didn't much care for the adapter necessary for bringing 2" eyepieces to focus but I can learn to live with it.

All in all, the 10" f/5 Sky-Watcher Collapsible Dob is quite a bargain at its current sale price of $495.

Dave Mitsky

The Lunar X, also known as the Purbach or Werner Cross, an X-shaped illumination effect involving various rims and ridges between the craters La Caille, Blanchinus, and Purbach, was predicted to occur today at 19:00 UT. I've been observing it with a 6" f/8 Orion XT6 Dob. The terminator is well past the X at this time.

Dave Mitsky

Zhumell is now selling 100 degree eyepieces.

http://www.telescopes.com/telescope-eyepieces/2-inch-eyepieces/zhumellz1...

http://www.telescopes.com/telescope-eyepieces/2-inch-eyepieces/zhumellz1...

Dave Mitsky

Greetings,

Here are my DSO lists for this month.

Dave Mitsky

Seventy deep-sky objects for November: M31, M32, M110, NGC 252, NGC 404, NGC 752 (Andromeda); NGC 680, NGC 691, NGC 697, NGC 772 (Aries); Cr 463, IC 1747, K14, M103, NGC 129, NGC 133, NGC 146, NGC 185, NGC 225, NGC 281, NGC 278, NGC 381, NGC 436, NGC 457, NGC 559, NGC 637, NGC 654, NGC 659, NGC 663, Tr 1 (Cassiopeia); NGC 40, NGC 188 (Cepheus); NGC 151, NGC 175, NGC 178, NGC 210, NGC 227, NGC 245, NGC 246, NGC 247, NGC 274, NGC 337, NGC 578, NGC 584, NGC 596, NGC 615, NGC 636, NGC 681, NGC 720, NGC 779 (Cetus); NGC 7814 (Pegasus); M76, St 4 (Perseus); M74, NGC 128, NGC 194, NGC 488, NGC 524 (Pisces); NGC 24, NGC 55, NGC 134, NGC 150, NGC 253, NGC 254, NGC 288, NGC 289, NGC 439, NGC 613 (Sculptor); M33, NGC 672 (Triangulum)

Top ten binocular deep-sky objects for November: M31, M33, M103, NGC 225, NGC 288, NGC 253, NGC 457, NGC 654, NGC 663, NGC 752

Top ten deep-sky objects for November: M31, M32, M33, M76, M103, M110, NGC 40, NGC 253, NGC 457, NGC 752

Challenge deep-sky object for November: IC 59 (Cassiopeia)

The objects listed above are located between 0:00 and 2:00 hours of right ascension.

A stunning new HST image of M83 has been posted at http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2009/29/image/b/

Dave Mitsky

The video featuring Park Manager Chip Harrison, fellow ASH members Tony Donnangelo and Doug Grove, and Ron Burrows of Michigan that was recorded at this year's BFSP is now posted at http://greenlifepenn.org/?p=264

I was just off-camera when Tony was interviewed. There's a very brief shot of my 101mm Tele Vue refractor in the video.

For more on astronomy at Cherry Springs State Park, see http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/cherrysprings/cherrysprings_darkskies.aspx

Dave Mitsky

Greetings,

Here are my lists of deep-sky objects for this month.

Dave Mitsky

One hundred deep-sky objects for December: NGC 891 (Andromeda); IC 342, K6, St23, Tom 5 (Camelopardalis); Be65, IC 1848, K4, Mel15, NGC 896, NGC 1027, St2, Tr3 (Cassiopeia); M77, NGC 788, NGC 835, NGC 864, NGC 908, NGC 936, NGC 955, NGC 958, NGC 1015, NGC 1016, NGC 1022, NGC 1042, NGC 1052, NGC 1055, NGC 1087, NGC 1094 (Cetus); IC 2006, NGC 1084, NGC 1140, NGC 1187, NGC 1199, NGC 1209, NGC 1232, NGC 1291, NGC 1300, NGC 1309, NGC 1332, NGC 1337, NGC 1353, NGC 1357, NGC 1395, NGC 1400, NGC 1407, NGC 1421, NGC 1426, NGC 1440, NGC 1452, NGC 1453, NGC 1461 (Eridanus); NGC 1079, NGC 1097, NGC 1201, NGC 1292, NGC 1316 (Fornax I Galaxy Cluster), NGC 1317, NGC 1326, NGC 1344, NGC 1350, NGC 1360, NGC 1365, NGC 1371, NGC 1374, NGC 1379, NGC 1380, NGC 1381, NGC 1387, NGC 1398, NGC 1404, NGC 1406, NGC 1425 (Fornax); Bas10, Cz8, IC 351, IC 2003, K5, Mel 20, M34, NGC 869, NGC 884, NGC 957, NGC 1023, NGC 1058, NGC 1161, NGC 1245, NGC 1275 (Perseus I Galaxy Cluster), NGC 1333, NGC 1342, NGC 1444, Tr2 (Perseus); M45 (Taurus); NGC 777, NGC 784, NGC 890, NGC 925, NGC 949, NGC 959, NGC 978A/B (Triangulum)

Top ten binocular deep-sky objects for December: M34, M45, Mel15, Mel20, NGC 869, NGC 884, NGC 1027, NGC 1232, St2, St23

Top ten deep-sky objects for December: M34, M45, M77, NGC 869, NGC 884, NGC 891, NGC 1023, NGC 1232, NGC 1332, NGC 1360

Challenge deep-sky object for December: vdB14 (Camelopardalis)

The objects listed above are located between 2:00 and 4:00 hours of right ascension.

Shortly after 1:00 p.m. EST today I noticed a very prominent display of the 22 degree solar halo, parhelia (sundogs), and the upper tangent arc. The circumzenithal arc was visible as well.

For more on these phenomena, see http://www.atoptics.co.uk/halo/common.htm

Dave Mitsky

This photo shows the 22 degree solar halo, parhelia, and the upper tangent arc.

Greetings,

Here are my DSO lists for next month.

Have a Happy New Year!

Dave Mitsky

Seventy deep-sky objects for January: B26-28, B29, M36, M37, M38, NGC 1664, NGC 1778, NGC 1857, NGC 1893, NGC 1907, NGC 1931 (Auriga); IC 361, Kemble 1 (Kemble’s Cascade asterism), NGC 1501, NGC 1502, NGC 1530, NGC 1569 (Camelopardalis); NGC 1507, NGC 1518, NGC 1531, NGC 1532, NGC 1535, NGC 1537, NGC 1600, NGC 1637, NGC 1659, NGC 1700 (Eridanus); IC 418, M79, NGC 1832, NGC 1888, NGC 1964 (Lepus); B33, Cr65, Cr69, Cr70, IC 434, M42, M43, M78, NGC 1662, NGC 1973-75-77, NGC 1981, NGC 1999, NGC 2022, NGC 2023, NGC 2024, NGC 2112 (Orion); Be11, NGC 1491, NGC 1496, NGC 1499, NGC 1513, NGC 1528, NGC 1545, NGC 1548, NGC 1579, NGC 1582, NGC 1605, NGC 1624 (Perseus); DoDz3, DoDz4, M1, Mel 25, NGC 1514, NGC 1587, NGC 1647, NGC 1746, NGC 1807, NGC 1817 (Taurus)

Top ten binocular deep-sky objects for January: Kemble 1, M36, M37, M38, M42, NGC 1528, NGC 1647, NGC 1746, NGC 1981

Top ten deep-sky objects for January: M1, M36, M37, M38, M42, M43, M78, M79, NGC 1501, NGC 2024

Challenge deep-sky object for January: IC 2118 (Eridanus)

The objects listed above are located between 4:00 and 6:00 hours of right ascension.