Sometimes you just have to see it.

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Don Quixote
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Sometimes you just have to see it.

#1

Post by Don Quixote »


There are times when visual observation reveals something the fine astro photograph will not.

The Striking example of this to me is the open cluster, Stock 2.

For about 2 hours last night's sky carried the highest transparency I have witnessed in over 12 months. The seeing was supposed to be retched. And although the seeing was very bad it, in fact, was not as horrendous as I had been lead to believe.

The spur of agitation and the desire for catharsis moved me to gather my tripod, my chairs, my Oberwerk 25X100 binoculars, and my sorry behind and load everything into my Sienna.

At my local dark site the sky was black velvet, strewn with a million sequins of starlight. I did not notice the twinkling untill I had them under the glass.

Relaxation in the darkness was my goal. The 50°night air was still. I was comfortable in my light down jacket. And as my eyes settled into the darkness the ringing in my ears that never ceases seemed to change pitch and dampen a bit.

I mounted the binos on the tripod, but this was not comfortable. I stretched the ZG recliner beside the road and leaned back with the big glass, now dismounted, in my hands with the objectives resting on my folded knees.

The seven sisters beckoned. For about 10 minutes I lay back and enjoyed their beauty. Progressively the nebulosities involved themselves in my view.

Auriga lay East by Northeast and I took in the Starfish and Pinwheel clusters as well as M37.

Stretching out further in the recliner a passed through the myriad star fields of Cassiopeia and eventually came to rest on the double clusters, NGC869 and NGC884. The 2.4° field of my binoculars compassed them perfectly.
The clusters were brimming over into each other, but there remained many unresolved stars in the denser cores that gave a visual sense of mild nebulosity.

And then a slid west about 4° or so to center on Stock 2. It had been a while since I had viewed Stock 2... that first time, in 2017, remains a benchmark for me.
Stock 2 is a large and well populated open cluster. In this population, under certain sky conditions, the asterism of the "Muscle man" is often obscured. And I have never seen an astrophoto in which this asterism is prominent enough in the population to stand out as it does for me on a good night visually. The upreaching arms, the torso, and the long widespread legs of stars did not disappoint me.

I have spoken with many observers who do not see it as I see it. They have never "seen" the muscle man. But I assure you "he" is there.

You just have to see it!

After I dwelt here for some time, sliding back and forth from the double clusters to stock 2 the sky began to cloud over.
I knew from the prognostication tools I use that I was sitting under a thin swath of high transparency so I was expecting the cloud intrusion and was not disappointed.

I had taken the medicine I needed. 😊

This morning the thick cloud cover reminds me if snow.

Peace and clear skies to you all.
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Re: Sometimes you just have to see it.

#2

Post by pakarinen »


Agree - Stock 2 is a nice one.
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Re: Sometimes you just have to see it.

#3

Post by Bigzmey »


Excellent session and narrative Mark! How far is your dark site from home?
Scopes: Stellarvue: SV102ED; Celestron: 9.25" EdgeHD, 8" SCT, 150ST, Onyx 80ED; iOptron: Hankmeister 6" Mak; SW: 7" Mak; Meade: 80ST.
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Re: Sometimes you just have to see it.

#4

Post by j.gardavsky »


Hello Mark,

that's the sort of observing session, I feel I badly need.

Thank you for the refreshing report,
JG
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Re: Sometimes you just have to see it.

#5

Post by Don Quixote »


Bigzmey wrote: Tue Oct 22, 2019 6:17 pm Excellent session and narrative Mark! How far is your dark site from home?
Thank you JG. I hope you have a nice opportunity soon !

Thank you Andrey.
This is my home base dark site. This is where it began for me. It is just outside of the woods where I live,1/4 mile west, between two bean fields. It is still pretty good although the neighbor across the field has added barnyard lights that are a little overbright. It makes for an easy quick outing. 😊
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Re: Sometimes you just have to see it.

#6

Post by Bigzmey »


Don Quixote wrote: Tue Oct 22, 2019 6:56 pm
Bigzmey wrote: Tue Oct 22, 2019 6:17 pm Excellent session and narrative Mark! How far is your dark site from home?
Thank you JG. I hope you have a nice opportunity soon !

Thank you Andrey.
This is my home base dark site. This is where it began for me. It is just outside of the woods where I live,1/4 mile west, between two bean fields. It is still pretty good although the neighbor across the field has added barnyard lights that are a little overbright. It makes for an easy quick outing. 😊
This is great and convenient! :)
Scopes: Stellarvue: SV102ED; Celestron: 9.25" EdgeHD, 8" SCT, 150ST, Onyx 80ED; iOptron: Hankmeister 6" Mak; SW: 7" Mak; Meade: 80ST.
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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: Sometimes you just have to see it.

#7

Post by John Baars »


Thanks for your nice story and report , Mark!
A nice session with the big bino's. I admire you and JG often holding such a heavy instrument in nothing but bare hands. You must be Muscle-men yourselves!
Stock 2 is always on my list when I come near Perseus. It is a really quite prominent open cluster and should be more famous if it had not its very competitive NGC869 an 884 neighbors. A bit like M92 and M13. I always call him "little Hercules" or as I read some years ago as "Archie, the man of Steel" ( a comic in my younger years)
I was quite impressed when I first saw him. I still remember, it was with my olde orange C90 in the previous century. Seen many times thereafter, but there was no such thing as the first time. I agree that astro-pics never do justice to the real thing!
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Re: Sometimes you just have to see it.

#8

Post by Don Quixote »


John Baars wrote: Tue Oct 22, 2019 9:43 pm Thanks for your nice story and report , Mark!
A nice session with the big bino's. I admire you and JG often holding such a heavy instrument in nothing but bare hands. You must be Muscle-men yourselves!
Stock 2 is always on my list when I come near Perseus. It is a really quite prominent open cluster and should be more famous if it had not its very competitive NGC869 an 884 neighbors. A bit like M92 and M13. I always call him "little Hercules" or as I read some years ago as "Archie, the man of Steel" ( a comic in my younger years)
I was quite impressed when I first saw him. I still remember, it was with my olde orange C90 in the previous century. Seen many times thereafter, but there was no such thing as the first time. I agree that astro-pics never do justice to the real thing!
No muscles needed John.
It is all in the recumbant fetal position I take in the recliner. 😊
I am sure it looks odd, but it works.
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Re: Sometimes you just have to see it.

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Post by 10538 »


Excellent report Mark! Thanks for taking us along on your great session! :Astronomer1:
Ed :Astronomer1:
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Re: Sometimes you just have to see it.

#10

Post by Don Quixote »


10538 wrote: Tue Oct 22, 2019 11:20 pm Excellent report Mark! Thanks for taking us along on your great session! :Astronomer1:
Thank you Ed. It is my pleasure to share these outings.
I hope to get back out there tonight.
Cheers!
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Re: Sometimes you just have to see it.

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Post by 10538 »


Hi Mark! I enjoyed your report so much I read it to my wife! I hope you can have another great session tonight! Rain for us tonight but I’m getting geared up for tomorrow night!
Ed :Astronomer1:
Scopes: Orion 14 inch f/4.6 Dobsonian w/MoonLite focuser. Meade LX200 Classic 10”w/AudioStar and MoonLite focuser, Criterion RV6, Orion ST80A w/2” GSO micro focuser.
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Re: Sometimes you just have to see it.

#12

Post by Don Quixote »


10538 wrote: Tue Oct 22, 2019 11:55 pm Hi Mark! I enjoyed your report so much I read it to my wife! I hope you can have another great session tonight! Rain for us tonight but I’m getting geared up for tomorrow night!
Unfortunately my sky has not turned out well. If I wait until 1 am maybe...not tonight. 😊

Your sky looks good for tomorrow, especially transparency. Seeing not as good but it should be a fine visual night. 👍
Does your wife accompany you under the stars?
I hope to read a report from you, Ed !
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Re: Sometimes you just have to see it.

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Post by bladekeeper »


Nice evening, Mark. Not too complicated or fancy, just good astronomical zen. That's the best kind. :)
Bryan
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Re: Sometimes you just have to see it.

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Post by Don Quixote »


bladekeeper wrote: Wed Oct 23, 2019 5:02 am Nice evening, Mark. Not too complicated or fancy, just good astronomical zen. That's the best kind. :)
Thanks Bryan.
Yea. I like uncomplicated. 😊
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Post by OzEclipse »


Thanks Mark,

Great read!!!

Cheers
Joe
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Re: Sometimes you just have to see it.

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Post by Falcon 63 »


Sounds like my kind of night.

Congrats
Mark.
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Re: Sometimes you just have to see it.

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Post by terrynak »


Beautiful observing session, Mark! I have only seen Stock 2 from my urban sky front driveway.

This is a good case for having to re-observe many of the asterisms I've logged from urban skies to darker semi-rural or rural skies. I had a taste of this when I was binocular observing at RTMC 2019.
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Re: Sometimes you just have to see it.

#18

Post by Don Quixote »


terrynak wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2019 11:36 pm Beautiful observing session, Mark! I have only seen Stock 2 from my urban sky front driveway.

This is a good case for having to re-observe many of the asterisms I've logged from urban skies to darker semi-rural or rural skies. I had a taste of this when I was binocular observing at RTMC 2019.
Thank you, Terry.

I really hope you get the opportunities, Terry !
I am sure you would enjoy rehearsing the old targets from the countryside. It would not be like looking at the same things over again.
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Re: Sometimes you just have to see it.

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Post by terrynak »


Don Quixote wrote: Mon Oct 28, 2019 12:05 am Thank you, Terry.

I really hope you get the opportunities, Terry !
I am sure you would enjoy rehearsing the old targets from the countryside. It would not be like looking at the same things over again.
Mark, I'll be doing this as I get into binocular observing more and more, when I'm away from the city.

As for urban observing, the trend for me is to use bigger scopes to cut through the light pollution and pull out the dimmer stuff.
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Re: Sometimes you just have to see it.

#20

Post by Don Quixote »


terrynak wrote: Mon Oct 28, 2019 12:12 am
Don Quixote wrote: Mon Oct 28, 2019 12:05 am Thank you, Terry.

I really hope you get the opportunities, Terry !
I am sure you would enjoy rehearsing the old targets from the countryside. It would not be like looking at the same things over again.
Mark, I'll be doing this as I get into binocular observing more and more, when I'm away from the city.

As for urban observing, the trend for me is to use bigger scopes to cut through the light pollution and pull out the dimmer stuff.
Yes, of course.
I have enjoyed learning how you observe from Urban areas.
I once visited my brother in Elgin, Ill and set up my 80mm thinking of "showing him around" up there.
I Was lost, literally !
I had no point of reference...a spoiled country observer.
I respect very much the observing reports from the urban brothers and sisters here.

Clear skies to you, Terry.
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