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Lots of fast moving cloud this morning, but I took out my ST80 to experiment with my point-and-shoot digicam on the moon. That didn't turn out so well, but the sky cleared long enough that I decided to take a look at M35 before hanging it up.
I was surprised to see a faint whiff of fuzz just off to the side of the cluster. Checked the location against SS and I was in the right place for 2158, so I increased the mag and was able to perceive a compact, faint cluster using averted vision that was fading in and out. Considering my LP and the moon, I decided to call that a win.
I didn't have time before it got cloudy again to grab my ST120 and switch tubes, but I'll try the 120 next time.
============================================================================= I drink tea, I read books, I look at stars when I'm not cursing clouds. It's what I do. =============================================================================
AT50, AT72EDII, ST80, ST102; Scopetech Zero, AZ-GTi, AZ Pronto; Innorel RT90C, Oberwerk 5000; Orion Giantview 15x70s, Vortex 8x42s, Navy surplus 7x50s, Nikon 10x50s
Great catch of NGC 2158 with the ST80 Olen! I don't know how much LP there is at your location, but probably still darker there mine (Bortle 8.5 - 9.0)
Scopes: Reflectors, refractors, and 1 catadioptric. Ranging in aperture from 50mm to 150mm.
Nice report Olen from October of last year. Congrats on winning the VROD for the day and I hope this encourages more members to go after NGC 2158, though like last year, one has the moon to contend with, that is unless you head out early in the morning to catch a peek of this cluster...
-Michael Refractors: ES AR152 f/6.5 Achromat on Twilight II, Celestron 102mm XLT f/9.8 on Celestron Heavy Duty Alt Az mount, KOWA 90mm spotting scope Binoculars: Celestron SkyMaster 15x70, Bushnell 10x50 Eyepieces: Various, GSO Superview, 9mm Plossl, Celestron 25mm Plossl Camera: ZWO ASI 120 Naked Eye: Two Eyeballs Latitude: 48.7229° N
Hi Olen. A very nice observing report of NGC 2158 in Gemini with the ST80 scope. This was a nice treat for you between the clouds and I hope you get a repeat opportunity with the ST120 scope soon. Thanks for your report Olen and congratulations on receiving the TSSVROD Award today.
Marshall
Sky-Watcher 90mm f/13.8 Maksutov-Cassegrain on motorized Multimount
Orion Astroview 120ST f/5 Refractor on EQ3 mount
Celestron Comet Catcher 140mm f/3.64 Schmidt-Newtonian on alt-az mount
Celestron Omni XLT150R f/5 Refractor on CG4 mount with dual axis drives.
Orion 180mm f/15 Maksutov-Cassegrain on CG5-GT Goto mount.
Orion XT12i 12" f/4.9 Dobsonian Intelliscope.
Kamakura 7x35 Binoculars and Celestron SkyMaster 15x70 Binoculars. ZWO ASI 120MC camera.
>)))))*>
Senior Embedded SW Designer
Telescope: OrionOptics XV12, Mount: CEM120, Tri-pier 360 and alternative dobson mount.
Grab 'n go: Omegon AC 102/660 on AZ-3 mount
Eyepieces: 26 mm Omegon SWAN 70°, 15 mm TV Plössl, 12.5 mm Baader Morpheus, 10 mm TV Delos, 6 mm Baader Classic Ortho, 5 mm TV DeLite, 4 mm and 3 mm TV Radians
Cameras: ZWO ASI 294MM Pro, Omegon veLOX 178C
OAG: TS-Optics TSOAG09, ZWO EFW 7 x 36 mm, ZWO filter sets: LRGB and Ha/OIII/SII
Explore Scientific HR 2" coma corrector, Meade x3 1.25" Barlow, TV PowerMate 4x 2"
Some filters (#80A, ND-96, ND-09, Astronomik UHC)
Laptop: Acer Enduro Urban N3 semi-rugged, Windows 11
LAT 61° 28' 10.9" N, Bortle 5
I don't suffer from insanity. I'm enjoying every minute of it.
"I am more than a sum of molecules.
I am more than a sum of memories or events.
I do not one day suddenly cease to be.
I am, before memory.
I am, before event.
I am"
Nice Olen and congrats on the VROD. I have always found NGC 2158 to be a special treat. I have seen it in instruments as small as 10x50 binoculars, where it was a very small and dim diffuse knot of light, In February of this year (2021), I observed M35 and NGC 2158 using my 17.5 inch at the dark site and found them inspiring. This is what I wrote of that experience:
Messier 35 / NGC 2168 (Gemini, open cluster, mag=5.1, size=25.0’, class=III2m): NGC 2158 (Gemini, open cluster, mag=8.6, size=5.0’, class=II3r):
Easily seen with the naked eye, I quickly aimed my scope at this beautiful cluster. This was the first time out for my new Ethos 21mm so I wanted to try it out on this nice cluster before beginning my hunt. Easily swept up, the cluster was a profusion of stars at 94x, dominating the 1.1° TFOV. Stars were many and tight, despite the poor seeing. Shifting the view just slightly to the southwest I easily picked up the small cluster NGC 2158 at the edge of the view. This diminutive beauty presented a wonderful counterpoise to M35 as I could keep most of the larger cluster within the view with NGC 2158 near the edge of the field. It was simply an amazing view in the Ethos and warmed my soul despite the frigid air and terrain surrounding me.
Alan
Scopes: Astro Sky 17.5 f/4.5 Dob || Apertura AD12 f/5 Dob || Zhumell Z10 f/4.9 Dob ||
ES AR127 f/6.5 || ES ED80 f/6 || Apertura 6" f/5 Newtonian
Mounts: ES Twilight-II and Twilight-I
EPs: AT 82° 28mm UWA || TV Ethos 100° 21mm and 13mm || Vixen LVW 65° 22mm ||
ES 82° 18mm || Pentax XW 70° 10mm, 7mm and 5mm || barlows
Filters (2 inch): DGM NPB || Orion Ultra Block, O-III and Sky Glow || Baader HaB
Primary Field Atlases: Uranometria All-Sky Edition and Interstellarum Deep Sky Atlas
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"Astronomers, we look into the past to see our future." (me)
"Seeing is in some respect an art, which must be learnt." (William Herschel)
"What we know is a drop, what we don't know is an ocean." (Sir Isaac Newton)
"No good deed goes unpunished." (various)
“Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking, don't you think?” (Scarecrow, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz)
