TheSkySearchers

Hello all,

this have been the first reasonably clear skies over the Middle Franken since September,
and I have been one of those enthusiasts, grabbing the binoculars to freeze fingers in the night.

The warm-up and dark adaptation phase of the observing session has been a sweep through:
Planetary nebulae M27 and M57,
my standard path through the Cygnus: M27, NGC 6871 open clusters,
the nebulae: the bright North America and Pelican, and the fainter Elephant Trunk,
in Cepheus the obligatory Wolf-Rayet Sh2-157.

Starting Cassiopeia with the M52, and the Caroline’s NGC 7789, crossing the bright Pacman NGC 281, and moving through the Owl NGC 457 to stay for a minute in the Double Cluster.

Hoping for a good dark adaptation already achieved, I have followed the Nick’s Cascade to the Muscleman Cluster, and been incredibly curious what I can see in the Valentin’s Heart Nebula Sh2-190. Its brightest area has been the southern arc, and The Fish Head NGC 896, abd finally followed by the IC 1805 central condensation around the Mel 15 cluster.

And after the Valentin’s Soul Sh2-199, I have decided to try something new:
The Sh2-202 makes the third nebular field aligned in a row with the Valentin’s Heart and Soul. It’s brightest condensation is located south of the bright Pazmino’s Cluster St23.
It has not required much time spent with moving the binoculars around the Pazmino’s Cluster to see a condensed brightening about 50 arcseconds across, south of the cluster, and to keep it even without the averted vision. The other condensations have been still uncertain.

The rest of the observing session has been spent with the easy obejcts:
Mel 20, NGC 1528, The Pleiades,
the California Nebula IC 1499 has been even too big for the AFOV of the 15x85 binoculars, but comfortably bright.
And then, Auriga down to the rising Gemini:
IC 405 Flaming Star Nebula, IC 410 Tadpoles Nebula with the Mel 31 between the both,
M38, M36, M37, and finally M35 in Gemini.

Before some haze rising, I have made a short visit to the NGC 752 with the Golf Putter, the M31- M32-M110 galaxies, and finally the bright M33.

Date and time: 30th November, 2019, 20:15 – 21:30 local time
Place: Backyard in Erlanger Oberland
Binoculars: Hand held 15x85 with the Baader blue(RGB)CCD filters mounted into the EP barrels
Observing conditions: Double Cluster and Mel 20 Alpha Persei Moving group faint with unaided eyes, M31 core seen with averted vision, Milky Way faint and without structures

Thank you for reading,
JG

Wonderful session JG - congrats!

Amazing session with a 15X85!
I have written down your objects and called it J.Gardavski's Voyage of discovery. At least half of them fall in the category "to be discovered in my LP skies"
Great work, well done, thanks for your report!

M33.....bright......

Thank you Michael, and John!

John,
I am preparing a list of the binocular Sharpless and Lynd's nebulae, as soon as ready, I will put it here for the Sky Searchers,
JG

j.gardavsky wrote: ↑Mon Dec 02, 2019 7:09 pm Thank you Michael, and John!

John,
I am preparing a list of the binocular Sharpless and Lynd's nebulae, as soon as ready, I will put it here for the Sky Searchers,
JG

Great session! Thanks for providing such a valuable list.

Another great session JG, thank you for posting it.
I too have a observing list I compile from your reports.

Lady Fraktor wrote: ↑Mon Dec 02, 2019 7:35 pm Another great session JG, thank you for posting it.
I too have a observing list I compile from your reports.

Hi, hi, hi, hi, ha, ha, ha, ha
I love you, Gabby,
JG

Excellent session JG! We had rain most of Thanksgiving and couple more storms coming this week.

How do you mount filters? Do your binoculars accept 1.25" EPs?

Bigzmey wrote: ↑Mon Dec 02, 2019 8:08 pm Excellent session JG! We had rain most of Thanksgiving and couple more storms coming this week.

How do you mount filters? Do your binoculars accept 1.25" EPs?

Hello Andrey,

the 15x85 have 1.25" filter threads in the EP barrels, sitting on the eye lens.
These 15x85 BA8 seem to be discontinued, as the new more expensive ED big binoculars are coming (APM), and otherwise the HR (high resolution) big binoculars are coming as well, https://www.optik-pro.de/geraete/omegon ... r_2_select

The problem of these new shorter and lighter big binoculars (ED and HR) may be the shorter eye relief and no filter threads. The BA8 have also simpler EPs, they look like (1 - 1 - 2) Bertele, which transmit more light and eventually offer more contrast than the China remakes of Astroplan or of Köhler.

The old Marines are still available at https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/pr ... oured.html

Best,
JG

Thank you JG.
It is always a highlight to read a report from you.
Thank you again !

j.gardavsky wrote: ↑Mon Dec 02, 2019 10:00 pm

Bigzmey wrote: ↑Mon Dec 02, 2019 8:08 pm Excellent session JG! We had rain most of Thanksgiving and couple more storms coming this week.

How do you mount filters? Do your binoculars accept 1.25" EPs?

Hello Andrey,

the 15x85 have 1.25" filter threads in the EP barrels, sitting on the eye lens.
These 15x85 BA8 seem to be discontinued, as the new more expensive ED big binoculars are coming (APM), and otherwise the HR (high resolution) big binoculars are coming as well, https://www.optik-pro.de/geraete/omegon ... r_2_select

The problem of these new shorter and lighter big binoculars (ED and HR) may be the shorter eye relief and no filter threads. The BA8 have also simpler EPs, they look like (1 - 1 - 2) Bertele, which transmit more light and eventually offer more contrast than the China remakes of Astroplan or of Köhler.

The old Marines are still available at https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/pr ... oured.html

Best,
JG

Do I understand correctly that the "old Marines" have filter threads? It doesn't explicitly say so on the link..... Thanks in advance for clarification!

Hi JG! Thanks for the excellent report. I too print out your reports for my future Binocular sessions! All the best my friend!

Great session JG and thanks for sharing! Keep those bino reports coming

Abb

A very nice binocular tour despite the freezing fingers, JG!

In my Sky Safari, I have had for a few years now a list called "JG Challenge List". It is here that I add these objects from your observing reports.

Thanks JG! A good night out! If you can do that by hand-holding the binos, I wonder what you can do with a mount?

The Heart and Soul and the other nearby nebulae sound very interesting, but they are too far north for me (35°S). I'll just have to stay content with my wonderful Southern sky...

Keep up the great work and good luck with those cold fingers.

All the best,

Dean

Nice report of your Binocular session JG.
Thank you for sharing your session.

Wow, JG, what a session!

You have the wonderful combination of nice skies, fine bino’s, and keen experience.

I don't have nice skies (not horrible either) or fine bino’s, I just need to work on the experience!

Thanks for s great report sir!

Jim

Excellent report! Thumbs up all-round!

I too was out Thanksgiving night but had to cut it short as I had to work the next day.....my day starts at 0300. But it was nice to be out with the scope and binos for the first time in a couple of months!