Location: home,
Equipment:
Our Christmas plans were derailed by the flu going around. However, the weather was nice, and I have set the scopes out for another night of observing.
After diner with my wife, I went out around 18:30. SV102ED was set with binoviewers for planets, and I wanted to use Mak to split a few doubles.
JUPITER
I started with Jupiter. The views in both scopes were nice and sharp with similar level of details. Four major belts and both polar zones were well defined. However, binoviewers have provided 3D effect which I love: Jupiter appeared as a glob, not as a flat disk. 7” Mak/Delite 18.2mm (148x). SV102ED with BVs, OPC and pair of Vixen 9mm SLVs (142x).
Next, I wanted to split some doubles, but noticed that AZMP mount has developed some slack in azimuth axes. Adjusting tension on the worm gear did not help. Since there was no easy fix on the spot I had to switch the mount. Brought AZMP back home and pulled
Finally, ~20:15 I was set to go. Orion was rising in the darker portion of the sky, so I picked it for the evening.ORION DOUBLES with SV102ED
HJ 702 – 8.5, 9.4, 23.9”, yellow, bluish (39x).
HJ 2268 – 6.8, 10.2, 25.7”, orange, dark blue (48x).
STF 724 – 9.3, 10.6, 6.8”, yellow, white (143x).
STF 728 – 4.4, 5.8, 1.2” – white elongated airy disk with Delite 3mm (238x). Barlowing 3mm with Baader 2.25x barlow (536x) resolved yellow airy disk of secondary picking on the side of white airy disk of main. I was lucky that seeing cooperated.
STF 731 AB – 8.6, 9.2, 4.9”, white pair (143x).
ENG 21 – 8.2, 9.3, 44.9”, white pair (48x).
STF 741 – 7.1, 10.0, 10”, snow white, light blue – pretty colors (48x).
STF 751 – 8.0, 9.0, 15.4”, white, bluish (48x).
STF 756 – 8.7, 10.0, 12.1, ab23.7”, ac56.2”. AB – wide pair of yellow and blue stars (48x), C – faint silvery spec at 143x.
We had plans with my wife to watch a movie, so I finished up around 21:00. Not a bad session to finish the year.
