Observing Report for 02 September 2021 - swimming with dim little fishies

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kt4hx United States of America
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Observing Report for 02 September 2021 - swimming with dim little fishies

#1

Post by kt4hx »


A trip to the dark site house in order to meet an HVAC guy to take a look at our system there coincided with some clear skies, which had been in short supply of late. With the passage of the remnants of hurricane Ida a high pressure system took over the region. The forecast was a mixture of above average to average transparency and poor seeing. One factor I had not accounted for was the fact that the local county fair was in progress in town a little over a mile northeast of the house, so I had more sky glow in that direction than usual, plus the traffic going past the house after that evening’s festivities concluded. Oh well, the sky was still clear and the Milky Way, while not as robust as I’ve seen it, was still nicely structured across most of the sky.

I had to stop several times as groups of vehicles passed the house after they departed the fairgrounds. In those cases I would simply sit back in my chair and close my eyes for a bit or turn my back to the road until they passed. The traffic was more than normal, but eventually subsided sometime after 2300 hours, and the light from the fairgrounds also dropped off as they shut down for the night. The temperature was around 62° F when I began, and when I stopped about four hours later it was down to a chilly 48° F. Dew was heavy, which necessitated dew heaters on the finders and secondary. Overall, the general sense I had was the transparency was about average and seeing was indeed on the weak side, though it did seem to stabilize a bit later on. Regardless, it was time to start my foray into the night sky.

After getting set up, it was after 2130 hours and full astronomical darkness was in place. My goal for the session was work on some galaxies in both Aquarius and Pisces that are plotted on charts 102 in Uranometria. Magnitude 2.9 Alpha Aquarii (Sadalmelik) was just out from behind the trees to the east, so I started there. This necessitated moving to the left side of chart 103 to begin with until enough of the sky east of the star cleared the tree enabling me to move onto chart 102. It was now time to start my favorite pastime, galaxy hunting.


(Equipment used)

17.5 inch f/4.5 dobsonian
Ethos 13mm (152x, 0.7° TFOV, 2.9mm exit pupil)
XW 10mm (199x, 0.4° TFOV, 2.2mm exit pupil)
XW 7mm (283x, 0.2° TFOV, 1.6mm exit pupil)

NGC 7198 (Aquarius, lenticular galaxy, mag=13.3, size=1.5’x1.0’, SBr=13.6):
About 21’ SSW from Sadalmelik my first target of the evening was picked up using 152x as a small and dim oval with a suspected stellar core at its center. Viewed with both 199x and 283x it remained weak in the field, but the stellar core was confirmed. The weak seeing was definitely impacting the visual punch of the galaxy. Though transparency is more important for galaxy observing, seeing is also a factor. Also, the glare from Sadalmelik was bothersome unless I moved it out of the field of view. (New)

NGC 7215 (Aquarius, lenticular galaxy, mag=13.9, size=1.0’x0.4’, SBr=12.7):
This lenticular was found using 152x and presented a small and dim oval that was homogeneous in appearance. Viewing with 199x and 283x it remained dim, but was not especially difficult to see its small diffuse oval disk. (New)

NGC 7189 (Aquarius, barred spiral galaxy, mag=13.5, size=1.0’x0.7’, SBr=12.9):
Swept up with 152x, this barred spiral presented a small fat oval disk that was evenly illuminated across its dimension. Using 199x and 283x it remained dim, but not a difficult object. During moments of steady seeing, at 283x I was picking up sporadic flashes of a very dim field star at the southeastern end of the disk. Checking afterwards in Sky Tools 4 it appears to have been a magnitude 16.3 star at that position. (New)

NGC 7182 (Aquarius, lenticular galaxy, mag=14.3, size=0.9’x0.4’, SBr=13.0):
A little over 2° southwest of Sadalmelik I picked up this very weak dust mote at 152x. Observed with 199x and 283x it remained fairly dim and small, but was not difficult to confirm. (New)

NGC 7181 (Aquarius, lenticular galaxy, mag=14.0, size=0.9’x0.8’, SBr=13.4):
About 14’ north of the previous object I also located this galaxy using 152x. I appeared as a small and dim homogeneous thick oval. Also observed with 199x and 283x it remained a dim object but not particularly difficult. With 283x I noticed a very dim field star (mag 15.3) to its southeast. (New)

NGC 7239 (Aquarius, lenticular galaxy, mag=14.0, size=1.1’x0.7’, SBr=13.6):
The sky had shifted a bit by now and I moved over to the right side of chart 102 in Uranometria as I continued my slow movement eastward in search of some dim galaxies. Located 37’ northwest of 44 Aquarii (mag 5.7), this little dim little fuzzy was just discerned at 152x. Using 199x it was confirmed as a small and dim homogeneous oval. Even at 283x it remained a weak and diffuse little thick oval glow. (New)

NGC 7288 (Aquarius, lenticular galaxy, mag=13.0, size=2.3’x1.5’, SBr=14.2):
Next up was this lenticular, founding using 152x it appeared as a small and slightly dim oval. I was picking up some subtle non-stellar core brightness. When observed at 199x, the core appeared more stellar and this was confirmed at 283x. Overall the galaxy was a little dim, but easily discerned. (New)

NGC 7260 (Aquarius, barred spiral galaxy, mag=12.9, size=2.0’x1.4’, SBr=13.9):
This barred spiral has a secondary identifier is also sometimes listed as NGC 7257. Albert Marth’s original position (in 1864) was poorly derived and there is nothing where he indicated. Credit is therefore given to Édouard Stephan who discovered it in 1876 and he plotted its position accurately. I located this barred spiral using 152x and it appeared as a small and just slightly dim evenly illuminated oval. Using 199x its center displayed a broad brightness. Viewing at 283x, its core definitely displayed a broader brightness and the galaxy was very easy to pick up. (New)

NGC 7266 (Aquarius, spiral galaxy, mag=13.4, size=0.8’x0.6’, SBr=12.4):
Slightly dim and small, this rounded glow was easily found using 152x. An intermittent stellar core was glimpsed. Viewing with 199x and 283x it was very easy to see. It remained a small rounded glow that displayed an obvious stellar core. (New)

NGC 7344 (Aquarius, spiral galaxy, mag=13.7, size=1.5x0.8’, SBr=13.6):
This small oval was dim and evenly illuminated at 152x. Observing with 199x and 283x, it remained dim and homogeneous, but not particularly difficult to see. (New)

NGC 7351 (Aquarius, lenticular galaxy, mag=12.9, size=1.8’x1.0’, SBr=13.4):
Picked up with 152x, this lenticular presented a slightly bright and small oval. Evenly illuminated across its disk it was somewhat bright at 199x. Seen with 283x it was very obvious in the view, and now displayed a non-stellar small concentrated core. (New)

NGC 7416 (Aquarius, barred spiral galaxy, mag=12.4, size=3.2’x0.7’’, SBr=13.1):
Easily seen using 152x, this barred spiral was fairly bright and slightly large in the major axis. A thin oval in appearance it was evenly illuminated across is narrow disk. Viewed at 199x and 283x it was very obvious in the field and remained a homogeneous thin oval. (New)

NGC 7393 (Aquarius, barred spiral galaxy, mag=12.9, size=2.0’x0.9’, SBr=13.3):
This galaxy is also known as Arp 15 from Dr. Halton Arp’s Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies, where it appears in the category of “galaxies with detached segments.” Found using 152x, I found it a homogeneous small and slightly bright oval. Observing with 199x and 283x it remained small buy very obvious in the field, with a concentrated non-stellar brightness in its core. I however could not discern the detached segment that is evident in images and why it appears in Arp’s catalogue. (New)

NGC 7434 (Pisces, lenticular galaxy, mag=15.1, size=0.6’x0.3’, SBr=13.0):
I now moved into southwestern Pisces to continue my foraging. Not knowing how dim this galaxy truly was beforehand, I struggled to find it at 152x, but eventually did get a suspicion of it in moments of clarity. Dropping in the 10mm (199x) I was able to confirm its presence in the field at a very small and woefully dim little out of round dust bunny. Trying with 283x it of course remained weak in visual presences, but was consistently seen as a small diffuse and slightly out of round glow. (New)

NGC 7428 (Pisces, barred spiral galaxy, mag=12.5, size=2.4’x1.4’, SBr=13.6):
My observing eye was happy to have something a little brighter to pursue when I located this next object. Picked easily at 152x, it presented a fairly bright homogeneous small oval. (New)


I next targeted a scattered grouping of 13 NGC galaxies about 5.5° south of Gamma Piscium (mag 3.7) and just north of the Pisces-Aquarius border. The galaxies are strewn out in a field a little over 1° in diameter, but don’t seem to be associated with a galaxy cluster..


NGC 7530 (Pisces, lenticular galaxy, mag=14.6, size=0.9’x0.5’, SBr=13.5):
This lenticular was one of three galaxies in the same field of view. Found with 152x, it was a small and very dim oval. Evenly illuminated across its dimension, it remained dim at 199x and 283x, but it did reveal a stellar core. (New)

NGC 7532 (Pisces, barred lenticular galaxy, mag=13.8, size=1.4’x0.7’, SBr=13.5):
About 4’ to the northeast of the previous galaxy I also spotted this small homogeneous oval smudge. Fairly dim to the eye, it was not difficult however. It remained an even smooth oval disk at 199x and 283x, and a bit more obvious. (New)

NGC 7534 (Pisces, barred irregular galaxy, mag=14.5, size=1.2’x0.8’, SBr=14.2):
Only about 2’ northeast of the previous object and in the same of view as the previous two I pulled down little barred irregular (Magellanic type) galaxy. Picked up with 152x, it appeared as a small and pretty dim homogeneous oval. Using 199x ad 283x it remained fairly dim and evenly illuminated, but not supremely difficult. (New)

NGC 7556 (Pisces, lenticular galaxy, mag=12.7, size=2.5’x1.6’, SBr=13.9):
This lenticular forms a close duo with NGC 7554 to its west and both were in the same field of view with NGC 7566 about 13.5’ to their ENE. Picked up easily at 152x this one was slightly bright and homogeneous. The small diffuse oval was readily visible. At both 199x and 283x it was very obvious and remained an evenly illuminated diffuse oval disk. (New)

NGC 7554 (Pisces, elliptical galaxy, mag=14.9, size=0.4’x0.4’, SBr=12.6):
Only about 48” west of the previous object I was able to spot this very dim and very small round dust bunny using 152x. Looking with both 199x and 283x it remained a homogeneous little round glow that was held steadily despite remaining fairly dim. (New)

NGC 7566 (Pisces, spiral galaxy, mag=13.3, size=1.4’x0.7’, SBr=13.0):
This galaxy was also in the field, 13.5’ to the ENE of the previous pair. Easily seen at 152x, it was a small and slightly bright oval that was smooth and even across its envelope. At 199x and 283x it was easy, sitting in a triangle of three field stars (12th and 13th mag). It remained a homogeneous small oval. (New)

NGC 7546 (Pisces, spiral galaxy, mag=15.1, size=1.1’x0.9’, SBr=14.8):
Just over 10’ WNW of the NGC 7554/7556 pair, I studied the field for this very dim spiral. At 152x I caught a very dim suspicion of a small diffuse object just northwest of a 12th mag field star, but was not satisfied that I did see it. Going ahead to 199x I was able to confirm its presence as a very small evenly illuminated fat oval glow. Using 283x it remained weak but held steadily as a pretty dim homogenous oval. (New)

NGC 7544 (Pisces, lenticular galaxy, mag=15.1, size=0.8’x0.3’, SBr=13.3):
Nearly 8’ NNW of the previous object I studied the field just west of a north-south curving line of four 13th magnitude field stars. Try as I might, I just could not seem to discern the galaxy at 152x, which surprised me just a little. Not deterred I moved on to 199x where I had an intermittent suspicion of a tiny diffuse out of round dust bunny. Taking a look at 283x I confirmed without a doubt its presence in the field, but I found that as seeing shifted, it seemed to drift in and out of view. It remained pretty dim and homogeneous. I suspected conditions might be worsening based on my results with this object versus the previous one and vastly different surface brightness levels between them. (New)

NGC 7533 (Pisces, lenticular galaxy, mag=14.5, size=0.7’x0.3’, SBr=12.5):
Just over 13’ to the northwest of the previous galaxy I looked for my next one. Using 152x I studied the field inside of a scalene triangle of three field stars (9th and 10th mag). I picked up a very weak suspicion of a very small diffuse glow, but was uncertain. Moving to 199x I was able to confirm its presence as a small and very dim homogeneous oval. Even at 283x it remained fairly weak visually, but clearly seen. (New)

NGC 7521 (Pisces, barred lenticular galaxy, mag=13.9, size=0.6’x0.5’, SBr=12.3):
Nearly 21’ NNW of the previous object I located a pair of galaxies. This barred lenticular was the western most of the east-west pair and at 152x it presented a very small rounded glow that was subtly bright and contained a stellar core. Also observed at 199x and 283x where it was easily seen, but remained a small and round disk with a noticeable stellar core. (New)

NGC 7524 (Pisces, lenticular galaxy, mag=14.7, size=0.9’x0.3’, SBr=13.0):
Less than 3’ to the east and in the same field of view was this lenticular. At 152x I found it very difficult to discern, being more of a suspected threshold object. I confirmed its presence at 199x but it remained weak as a small out of round homogeneous dust mote. It remained visually poor at 283x, but was held steadily and remained small and diffuse. (New)

NGC 7506 (Pisces, lenticular galaxy, mag=12.9, size=1.7’x1.1’, SBr=13.3):
Next up was this lenticular, just over 38’ southwest of the previous duo. Easily picked up at 152x it was a small but somewhat bright oval glow that exhibited concentrated non-stellar core brightness. Very obvious at 199x, its core now became more stellar I appearance. Then at 283x the galaxy clearly dominated the field of view, and its core now revealed an inner lens of brightness, with the stellar core set within. (New)

NGC 7517 (Pisces, elliptical galaxy, mag=14.4, size=0.6’x0.3’, SBr=12.3):
About 22.5’ ENE of the previous galaxy, I went looking for this small elliptical and last of the grouping of 13. Interestingly at 152x I was not picking up any trace of it. Then at 199x I picked up a suspected diffuse mote just east of a 13th magnitude field star. Moving up to 283x, it was now more apparent as a small, extended homogeneous glow. (New)

NGC 7603 (Pisces, spiral galaxy, mag=13.2, size=1.6’x1.0’, SBr=13.4):
After spending a while ferreting out that scattered grouping, I was heading into the home stretch for this session. Next up was this spiral, a Seyfert galaxy, found a little over 2° southwest of mag 4.9 Kappa Piscium. Easily found at 152x as a small but slightly bright oval displaying a stellar core. At 199x and 283x it was very obvious within the view, and its stellar core was very strong. This galaxy is part of Arp 93 with PGC 71041, but this tiny mag 15.8 background galaxy was not seen. (New)

NGC 7589 (Pisces, spiral galaxy, mag=14.1, size=1.1’x0.7’, SBr=13.6):
About 10’ west of the previous galaxy and in the same field of view, I suspected this spiral just west of an 11th mag field star using 152x. It was intermittently confirmed at 199x as a small homogeneous oval. It was more obvious and held steadily at 283x, but remained a smooth oval disk. (New)


It was after 0100 hours and I was getting chilled and quite frankly tired. I had some issues from time to time with the muscles around my observing eye starting to twitch a little necessitating my taking a break to let me face relax. Hunting dim galaxies does take a toll after a while, what with the intense concentration. :)


NGC 7483 (Pisces, barred spiral galaxy, mag=13.0, size=1.6’x1.1’, SBr=13.4):
To finish out the session I headed to mag 4.5 Beta Piscium. This galaxy was located just over half a degree southeast of Beta using 152x. It presented a small and slightly dim oval that was punctuated by a stellar core. At 199x and 283x it was more obvious but still a little weak overall, but its stellar core was very obvious within the disk. (New)

NGC 7482 (Pisces, elliptical galaxy, mag=13.6, size=0.6’x0.4’, SBr=11.8):
About 29’ south of the last galaxy, I pinned down this elliptical. Picked up using 152x, it revealed a stellar core in its center plus a very dim star involved in the halo at its southwester side. Viewing with 199x and 283x it remained a little dim overall, but not difficult. This object carries a second identifier of NGC 7472 due to a positional error by Otto Struve who independently discovered the galaxy over a year after Albert Marth. So Marth is given discovery credit and the identifier nod with NGC 7482. (New)

NGC 7480 (Pisces, lenticular galaxy, mag=14.0, size=1.3’x0.3’, SBr=12.7):
An additional 29’ SSW of NGC 7482 I scooped up my final object for the evening. Picked up at 152x, it revealed a dim and small slender homogeneous envelope. Also observed using 199x and 283x it was obvious within the field, though not particularly strong. It remained evenly illuminated across its dimension. I also tried for NGC 7478 just 4.5’ WNW of NGC 7480, but I was unable to pick up this dim mag 15.4 spiral. (New)


It was now after 0130 and to be honest I was done in due to the cooling air and the roughly four hours of hunting what were mostly dimmer galaxies. The conditions weren’t supreme, but they also weren’t horrible either. So I was thankful for that, and also for another opportunity to pursue my favorite targets – galaxies. It always gives me a thrill. It is a tiring endeavor, but infinitely satisfying for me. Thanks for following along on this journey and I hope to see you out there again soon.
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)
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Re: Observing Report for 02 September 2021 - swimming with dim little fishies

#2

Post by notFritzArgelander »


Nice haul and a productive evening in the face of the county fair and traffic. Most of our nights here are smoky still. Tonight was better so I had a quick Jupiter session. It was nice.
Scopes: Refs: Orion ST80, SV 80EDA f7, TS 102ED f11 Newts: AWB 130mm, f5, Z12 f5; Cats: VMC110L, Intes MK66,VMC200L f9.75 EPs: KK Fujiyama Orthoscopics, 2x Vixen NPLs (40-6mm) and BCOs, Baader Mark IV zooms, TV Panoptics, Delos, Plossl 32-8mm. Mixed brand Masuyama/Astroplans Binoculars: Nikon Aculon 10x50, Celestron 15x70, Baader Maxbright. Mounts: Star Seeker IV, Vixen Porta II, Celestron CG5
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Re: Observing Report for 02 September 2021 - swimming with dim little fishies

#3

Post by Piero »


That's a superb list of reports, Alan.
So much to learn from you!
16" f/4 home made reflector with Lightholder optics, 12" f/6 redesigned reflector with Nichol optics, Takahashi FC-100FT f/7.4, Tele Vue-60 f/6
22mm TV Nagler T4, 12.5mm Docter, 9-7-4.77mm APM XWA
24mm TV Panoptic, 9 mm TV Nagler T6, 21-9mm Nikon MC1 zoom, modded VIP Barlow
30mm APM UFF, 25.1-6.7mm Zeiss DiaScope Vario zoom
AOKswiss AYO II on Berlebach UNI 19, Hawke Frontier ED X 8x32
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Re: Observing Report for 02 September 2021 - swimming with dim little fishies

#4

Post by John Baars »


Great haul again!
Coming as deep as 15.1 must be breathtaking, at least that is what I think.
Thanks for your fine observations!
Refractors in frequency of use : *SW Evostar 120ED F/7.5 (all round ), * Vixen 102ED F/9 (vintage), both on Vixen GPDX.
GrabnGo on Alt/AZ : *SW Startravel 102 F/5 refractor( widefield, Sun, push-to), *OMC140 Maksutov F/14.3 ( planets).
Most used Eyepieces: *Panoptic 24, *Morpheus 14, *Leica ASPH zoom, *Zeiss barlow, *Pentax XO5.
Commonly used bino's : *Jena 10X50 , * Canon 10X30 IS, *Swarovski Habicht 7X42, * Celestron 15X70, *Kasai 2.3X40
Rijswijk Public Observatory: * Astro-Physics Starfire 130 f/8, * 6 inch Newton, * C9.25, * Meade 14 inch LX600 ACF, *Lunt.
Amateur astronomer since 1970.
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Re: Observing Report for 02 September 2021 - swimming with dim little fishies

#5

Post by turboscrew »


Quite a list! Despite of getting a bit chilly.
- Juha

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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
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Re: Observing Report for 02 September 2021 - swimming with dim little fishies

#6

Post by kt4hx »


notFritzArgelander wrote: Sun Sep 05, 2021 5:51 am Nice haul and a productive evening in the face of the county fair and traffic. Most of our nights here are smoky still. Tonight was better so I had a quick Jupiter session. It was nice.

Thank you nFA. Hopefully that smoke situation will settle down sometime soon, as its been going on for quite a while. Glad you got a chance to observe Jupiter for a bit, as its always a fine sight. :)

Piero wrote: Sun Sep 05, 2021 6:13 am That's a superb list of reports, Alan.
So much to learn from you!
Thank you Piero. Glad you enjoyed reading through the list. There certainly is a lot up there to see, be it big or little, bright or small! :)

John Baars wrote: Sun Sep 05, 2021 9:33 am Great haul again!
Coming as deep as 15.1 must be breathtaking, at least that is what I think.
Thanks for your fine observations!

Thank you John. I also think it is special, and challenging, to dig out things at that magnitude level. Of course, I also take magnitude ratings of smaller and dimmer galaxies with at least a little dose of skepticism. I've seen inconsistencies before, and so I don't put total faith in the numbers as a rule. But it is still nice to contemplate. :)

turboscrew wrote: Sun Sep 05, 2021 10:22 am Quite a list! Despite of getting a bit chilly.

Thank you Juha. It was indeed a bit chilly after we'd had such a hot summer here. I was wearing a t-shirt and a very lightl jacket with sweat pants and tennis shoes. While I was fine initially, over the four hours, as the air cooled and I grew more tired, I did feel chilled. Taking the gear back into the garage was nice as it was warmer in there. :)
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
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
"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)
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Re: Observing Report for 02 September 2021 - swimming with dim little fishies

#7

Post by Bigzmey »


Excellent aquatic session Alan! :)

I applaud your drive and stamina. I did a bit of aquatic hunting myself. Report will follow.
Scopes: Stellarvue: SV102ED; Celestron: 9.25" EdgeHD, 8" SCT, 150ST, Onyx 80ED; iOptron: Hankmeister 6" Mak; SW: 7" Mak; Meade: 80ST.
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
Binos: APM: 100-90 APO; Canon: IS 15x50; Orion: Binoviewer, LG II 15x70, WV 10x50, Nikon: AE 16x50, 10x50, 8x40.
EPs: Pentax: XWs & XFs; TeleVue: Delites, Panoptic & Plossls; ES: 68, 62; Vixen: SLVs; Baader: BCOs, Aspherics, Mark IV.
Diagonals: Baader: BBHS mirror, Zeiss Spec T2 prism, Clicklock dielectric; TeleVue: Evebrite dielectric; AltairAstro: 2" prism.
Filters: Lumicon: DeepSky, UHC, OIII, H-beta; Baader: Moon & SkyGlow, Contrast Booster, UHC-S, 6-color set; Astronomik: UHC.

Observing: DSOs: 3106 (Completed: Messier, Herschel 1, 2, 3. In progress: H2,500: 2180, S110: 77). Doubles: 2382, Comets: 34, Asteroids: 255
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Re: Observing Report for 02 September 2021 - swimming with dim little fishies

#8

Post by kt4hx »


Bigzmey wrote: Sun Sep 05, 2021 6:33 pm Excellent aquatic session Alan! :)

I applaud your drive and stamina. I did a bit of aquatic hunting myself. Report will follow.
Thank you Andrey. I appreciate the applause, but I do pay for it later! The late nights, chilly weather and the intense concentration that comes with pursuit of feeble light sources takes its toll on me now at 67 yrs noticeably more than it used to. But its a good fatigue! :)

I look forward to your report as I know it will contain galaxies! :lol:
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
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
"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)
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Re: Observing Report for 02 September 2021 - swimming with dim little fishies

#9

Post by John Donne »


Such an encouraging outing Alan!
Thank you good Sir.
SCOPES :ES127 f7.5, SW100 f9 Evostar, ES80 F6, LXD75 8" f10 SCT, 2120 10" f10 SCT, ES152 f6.5.
MOUNTS: SW AZ/EQ5, MEADE LXD75, CELESTRON CG4, Farpoint Parallelogram.
BINOCULARS: CL 10X30, Pentax 8X43, 25X100 Oberwerks.
EP: Many.

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Re: Observing Report for 02 September 2021 - swimming with dim little fishies

#10

Post by MistrBadgr »


Thanks, Alan, for the nice trip! :) The picture in my mind of this one was sort of like a guided tour through a large flower garden, using magnifying glasses to show and describe desperately small flowers, while someone was holding a party a few doors down.
Bill Steen
Many small scopes, plus a Lightbridge 12, LX 70-8R,6R,6M
Many eyepieces, just not really expensive ones.
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Re: Observing Report for 02 September 2021 - swimming with dim little fishies

#11

Post by kt4hx »


John Donne wrote: Sun Sep 05, 2021 8:02 pm Such an encouraging outing Alan!
Thank you good Sir.

Thank you Mark. It was a fine time and I had the time of my life! :)

MistrBadgr wrote: Sun Sep 05, 2021 8:49 pm Thanks, Alan, for the nice trip! :) The picture in my mind of this one was sort of like a guided tour through a large flower garden, using magnifying glasses to show and describe desperately small flowers, while someone was holding a party a few doors down.

Thank you Bill, glad you enjoyed the journey. I do like your interpretations from a metaphoric optic. :)
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
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
"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)
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Re: Observing Report for 02 September 2021 - swimming with dim little fishies

#12

Post by KingNothing13 »


Good night Alan, congrats!

Do you observe at the dark sky house from the front? Necessitating turning or closing your eyes when cars pass?
-- Brett

Scope: Apertura AD10 with Nexus II with 8192/716000 Step Encoders
EPs: ES 82* 18mm, 11mm, 6.7mm; GSO 30mm
Celestron SkyMaster 15x70 Binoculars
List Counts: Messier: 75; Herschel 400: 30; Caldwell: 12; AL Carbon Star List: 16
Brett's Carbon Star Hunt

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Re: Observing Report for 02 September 2021 - swimming with dim little fishies

#13

Post by kt4hx »


KingNothing13 wrote: Sun Sep 05, 2021 9:38 pm Good night Alan, congrats!

Do you observe at the dark sky house from the front? Necessitating turning or closing your eyes when cars pass?
Thank you Brett. Well, the house faces a two-lane US highway and sits back about 116 ft from the road. While the whole property is about 2.7 acres, the backyard is not particularly conducive to observing as it slopes up fairly steeply with the back of the properly being wooded. I keep the 17.5 inch assembled in the garage and simply roll it out and I set up off that end of the house (NNE) and use the house and a Rhododendron bush to block lights coming up from the southern direction. To block traffic light coming from the northern direction (from town), I drape a tarp over my vehicle and park it strategically.

In this instance, the traffic was much more prevalent than is typical because of the county fair. This is in the least populated county in the state (under 2,300 population), with the town being of less than 150 population. So it is about the darkest place in the state and one of the darkest east of the Mississippi. So typically I don't have to worry about that much traffic, but there is always a little bit of distracting light when vehicles pass in front of the house, but usually that is only one or two vehicles that are infrequent for the most part. In this case, there were a lot of vehicles, sometimes in groups of five to ten streaming by at a time, which was bothersome. But again, this was not the norm.
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
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
"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)
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Re: Observing Report for 02 September 2021 - swimming with dim little fishies

#14

Post by helicon »


Congratulations Alan on a fabulous (or indeed fabled) report and on winning the TSS VROD for the day!
-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
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Re: Observing Report for 02 September 2021 - swimming with dim little fishies

#15

Post by Makuser »


Hi Alan. A great observing report from you on your journey through Aquarius and Pisces. And, you really grabbed a large collection of the various galaxy types in your session too. Thanks for another enjoyable and well written report Alan, and congratulations on receiving another TSS VROD 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.
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Re: Observing Report for 02 September 2021 - swimming with dim little fishies

#16

Post by kt4hx »


helicon wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 1:13 pm Congratulations Alan on a fabulous (or indeed fabled) report and on winning the TSS VROD for the day!

Thank you Michael, its very much appreciated.

Makuser wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 2:52 pm Hi Alan. A great observing report from you on your journey through Aquarius and Pisces. And, you really grabbed a large collection of the various galaxy types in your session too. Thanks for another enjoyable and well written report Alan, and congratulations on receiving another TSS VROD Award today.

Thank you Marshall. It was a fun journey. Tiring, but fun! :)
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
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
"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)
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Re: Observing Report for 02 September 2021 - swimming with dim little fishies

#17

Post by Unitron48 »


OMG! A two cups of coffee read!! Nice haul, Alan!! Congrats on the VROD!!

Dave
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"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." Albert Einstein
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Re: Observing Report for 02 September 2021 - swimming with dim little fishies

#18

Post by kt4hx »


Unitron48 wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 5:38 pm OMG! A two cups of coffee read!! Nice haul, Alan!! Congrats on the VROD!!

Dave

Thank you Dave. Glad you enjoyed reading along while sipping coffee. :)
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
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
"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)
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Re: Observing Report for 02 September 2021 - swimming with dim little fishies

#19

Post by John Baars »


Congratulations on the VROD!
Refractors in frequency of use : *SW Evostar 120ED F/7.5 (all round ), * Vixen 102ED F/9 (vintage), both on Vixen GPDX.
GrabnGo on Alt/AZ : *SW Startravel 102 F/5 refractor( widefield, Sun, push-to), *OMC140 Maksutov F/14.3 ( planets).
Most used Eyepieces: *Panoptic 24, *Morpheus 14, *Leica ASPH zoom, *Zeiss barlow, *Pentax XO5.
Commonly used bino's : *Jena 10X50 , * Canon 10X30 IS, *Swarovski Habicht 7X42, * Celestron 15X70, *Kasai 2.3X40
Rijswijk Public Observatory: * Astro-Physics Starfire 130 f/8, * 6 inch Newton, * C9.25, * Meade 14 inch LX600 ACF, *Lunt.
Amateur astronomer since 1970.
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Re: Observing Report for 02 September 2021 - swimming with dim little fishies

#20

Post by kt4hx »


John Baars wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 9:56 pm Congratulations on the VROD!
Thank you John.
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
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
"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)
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