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Posts Made By: Dave Mitsky

February 8, 2007 02:47 PM Forum: Deep Sky Observing

Puppis cluster, NGC2477

Posted By Dave Mitsky
Inge,

NGC 2477 is one of my favorite open clusters. It's visible from Pennsylvania but is a bit too low to really "shine". I first observed it at the Winter Star Party in the Florida Keys.

NGC 2477 and the nearby coarse cluster NGC 2451 bear a strong resemblence to M46 and M47. Both pairs are fine objects through binoculars and telescopes alike.

Dave Mitsky

February 12, 2007 05:56 PM Forum: Reflectors

portaball/lightbridge?

Posted By Dave Mitsky
The Portaball is one great, albeit expensive, telescope.

Dave Mitsky

February 22, 2007 08:19 AM Forum: Reflectors

New Telescope Curse? What New Telescope Curse?

Posted By Dave Mitsky
Here's a photo of my "new" telescope.

Dave Mitsky

February 23, 2007 02:15 AM Forum: Deep Sky Observing

Any visual observations of IC2118?

Posted By Dave Mitsky
I observed the Witch Head Nebula on an exceptionally transparent night two years ago using a 101mm f/5.4 Tele Vue refractor and a 35mm Tele Vue Panoptic. IIRC, a broadband filter did improve the view somewhat.

http://www.astropix.com/HTML/B_WINTER/IC2118.HTM

Dave Mitsky

March 1, 2007 01:44 PM Forum: Deep Sky Observing

Features in some selected diffuse nebulae

Posted By Dave Mitsky
Off the top of my head, I believe I've observed all of these objects with the exception of the Rosette's Bok globules. I can't offer any details, however, at this time.

BTW, NGC 2245 is located in Monoceros.

Dave Mitsky

March 19, 2007 06:38 AM Forum: Beginning Astronomy?

Just how big are those Deep Sky Objects?

Posted By Dave Mitsky
Peter,

Your collage is very striking indeed. However, I believe that M31 has been measured to be some 5 degrees, or 10 lunar diameters, in extent, which is much larger than indicated. Its apparent size is typically 6 lunar diameters or more.

"Under "normal" viewing conditions, the apparent size of the visible Andromeda Galaxy is about 3 x 1 degrees (our acurate value, given above, is 178x63 arc minutes, while NED gives 190x60'). Careful estimates of its angular diameter, performed with 2-inch binoculars, by the French astronomer Robert Jonckhere in 1952-1953, revealed an extension of 5.2 times 1.1 degrees (reported by Mallas), corresponding to a disk diameter of over 250,000 light years at its distance of 2.9 million light years, so that this galaxy is more than double as large as our own Milky Way galaxy!"

http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m031.html

Dave Mitsky

March 21, 2007 04:16 PM Forum: Deep Sky Observing

Messier Perfect Master?

Posted By Dave Mitsky
This is what is known as a Messier Memory Marathon or M-Cubed. Comet hunter Don Machholz was the first to complete a 110 object M^3 in 2004.

Stephen Saber has been conducting a variation of the M-Cubed that requires the memorization of the search sequence as well.

Dave Mitsky

March 26, 2007 07:23 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Dealing w/ a classical Cass's long focal length

Posted By Dave Mitsky
I've used a 17" f/15 classical Cassegrain at the ASH Naylor Observatory for many years. The focal length is a whopping 6477mm and the maximum true field of view using a 55mm Ploessl or a 40mm U.O. MK-70 is only about 26 arc minutes. However, since the vast majority of deep-sky objects are even smaller in apparent size I've been able to observe many hundreds of them with this scope. The problem nowadays is that the skies at the observatory are growing more light polluted by the minute.

Dave Mitsky

March 31, 2007 12:07 AM Forum: After Dark

NEO "Flyby" Tonight

Posted By Dave Mitsky
Finder charts are available at http://skytonight.com/observing/home/2006VV2.html

Dave Mitsky

April 6, 2007 05:49 PM Forum: Deep Sky Observing

DSO guide book recommendation

Posted By Dave Mitsky
The NSOG as others have said is the one to purchase. It does have a few flaws but it is by far the most useful DSO observing guide currently available.

Dave Mitsky

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