Location: home,
Equipment:
EPs: TV Delites set, TV Plossl 32mm, Baader Aspheric 36mm.
Daytime Observing
11:30. I needed to adjust tension on the AZMP mount altitude gear. It is best done under good light on the mount which is tracking and under load. Crescent Moon was setting in the afternoon on Friday, which provided nice opportunity. I did a couple small adjustments while checking smoothness of tracking on the Moon. The view was sharp and enjoyable with blue background, but the contrast was reduced. Baader 2” Aspheric 36mm
Next, I wanted to see a star in daylight. I recalled that Arcturus is the second brightest star after Sirius but did not manage to find it. Maybe the
Satisfied with the results I have powered the mount down until the evening.
Jupiter
I have started evening session at 18:30. Used Jupiter to confirm scopes and mount alignments and was surprised how sharp it looked even at 84x. I knew immediately that this session will be special. I have played with EPs and filters and the best views were delivered with TV Delite 13mm (208x) with Baader Moon and Sky Glow/Contrast Booster filters combo in 7” Mak, and TV Delite 3mm (238x) with Baader Moon and Sky Glow filter in SV102ED. Both scopes produced sharp and well resolved views, but this evening 7” Mak did better job showing fine details.
Both North and South Polar Regions were well defined by shading, South South Temperate Belt was darker sharp band on the edge of the South Polar Region. South Temperate Belt was another thin dark sharp band above and separated from South South Temperate Belt by lighter South Temperate Zone. Main South Equatorial Belt was rich in details with multiple festoons protruding. It was separated from the South Temperate Belt by lighter South Temperate Zone.
Main North Equatorial Belt was resolved in two sub-belts on the right side. In the central portion of it three dark oval storms formed a 3-link chain with long thin curved festoons protruding from them at the top and bottom. There was also a dark oval storm at the lower edge of the North Polar Region. I believe, I saw the view as detailed last time a few years ago. Too bad there was no moon or
19:10. The view of Saturn was softer than last session, but with good level of details. North Polar Region and North Temperate Zone were seen as shadings on the globe. North Equatorial Belt was a thin dark line at the lower edge of the North Temperate Zone. Portion of the Ring C was visible as a dark band across the globe and the shadows of the rings were observed on the globe above and below the rings. Cassini division was soft but traceable, and the shadow of the globe on the rings was dark and sharp. The best views (with similar level of details) were achieved with TV Delite 11mm (245x) in 7” Mak and TV Delite 3mm (238x) in SV102ED. Filters did not help this time.
19:25. Cetus Doubles (all observed with 7” Mak).
As last week, Cetus resided in the optimal location for observing from my back yard, and I have continued were I left.
HO 320 – 8.8, 11, 2.2” – I have failed this double in the past, but since the seeing was good this evening I have managed a touching split. Gray fuzzy dot of faint secondary picked at the moments of better seeing next to the larger and brighter yellow airy disk of the main (386x).
AC 2 AB – 5.6, 8.0, 1.2” – also previous fail. This time yellow airy disk of prime clearly became elongated at 540x - partial split.
STT 45 – 7.4, 8.9, 0.8” – another partial split of a tough double. Yellow elongated airy disk at 540x.
STF 276 – 9.6, 9.6, 1.8”, yellowish pair, split by hair at 300x.
AB Cet – 5.9, 9.1, 10.5, ab12.1”, ac109.6” – neat triple. Bright white main with faint slivery sidekick next to it and another one a distance away. The triple forms right narrow triangle in empty field (84x).
HJ 2140 – 8.0, 10.4, 10.9”, pale yellow, bluish (84x).
STF 266 – 9.1, 9.3, 7.7”, yellowish pair (84x).
STF 265 – 9.1, 9.6, 12.2”, yellow pair (84x).
B 1918 – 8.9, 9.8, 5.4”, orange, silver (84x).
BU 8 – 8.0, 9.2, 1.5”, yellow pair, split by hair (245x).
STF 247 – 11.5, 11.5, 7.7”, gray pair, split with some space (148x).
BU 437 – 7.8, 11.4, 7.5” – grayish fuzzy dot of secondary was resolved next to the bright golden prime with averted vision (245x, 300x).
HTG 1 – 8.5, 9.3, 1.9” – partial split, yellow elongated airy disk at 386x.
STF 231 – 5.7, 7.7, 11.5, ab16.9”, ac147” – bright lemon-colored prime flanked on two sides by bluish secondary and faint grayish tertiary (84x).
STF 218 – 7.6, 9.2, 4.9”, yellow, silver (84x).
STF 209 – 9.7, 9.9, 39.8”, cream-colored pair (84x).
STF 186 – 6.8, 6.8, 0.7” - partial split, yellow elongated airy disk at 386x.
BU 183 – 8.8, 9.8, 2.6”, yellow, silver, clean split at 245x.
BU 259 – 8.6, 10.4, 4.8”, yellow, silver (148x).
STF 166 – 9.3, 11, 7.8”, pale yellow, silver (84x).
HJ 3456 AB – 8.3, 10.3, 14.9”, yellow, orange (84x).
SEE 15 – 8.7, 10.5, 3.1”, white, silver (245x).
Mars
By 22:14 Mars finally cleared huge ash tree in the neighbor’s backyard, so for the first time this opposition I have managed to observe it with my main rig. The views were fantastic in both scopes with similar level of details resolved. After playing with EPs and filters the best resolution was achieved using Baader Contrast Booster filter in both scopes and TV Delite 11mm (245x) in 7” Mak and TV Delite 3mm (238x) in SV102ED.
North Polar ice cap was clearly identifiable by its white color. Right below it was dark patch of Mare Acidalium with Nilokeras to the right. In the southern hemisphere a chain of dark features stretched from one disk edge to another: Sinus Meridiani, Margaritifer Sinus, Aurorae Sinus and Solis Lacus, with Mare Erythraeum below them. At the moments of better seeing Mars surface details were sharp, I would say as sharp (if not sharper) than good quality photos. I am looking to reproduce this experience but realize that nights of such good seeing could be far in between.
