Location: home,
Equipment:
EPs: TV Delites set, TV Plossl 32mm.
I love starting observing at 6 pm! Conditions (other than
Planets
As planetary season advances, the views of planets improve. This time I was able to push productively 7” Mak to 180x on Jupiter and 245x on Saturn, and SV102ED to 238x on both Jupiter and Saturn. Again, same level of details was seen in both scopes.
18:18. Jupiter – this time I was able to detect reddish-brown color of Jupiter belts. South Equatorial Belt was resolved in two portions and South Temperate Belt was well defined. North Equatorial Belt was not resolved in two sub-belts, but fine structure was evident. Multiple festoons were resolved in both main equatorial belts.
Saturn - Cassini division was well defined. Shadows of the rings on the globe and the globe on the rings were dark and sharp. North Equatorial Belt and North North Temperate Belt were thin dark sharp lines across the globe and North Polar Region was evident as shaded area.
18:53. Aquila Doubles
STF 2428 – 8.2, 10.3, 11.1, ab6.7”, ac61.3” – yellow prime with two faint silvery companions, one near, another wide apart. 7” Mak (84x).
STF 2426 AB – 7.5, 9.0, 16.6”, copper, greenish – nice colors, SV102 (39x), 7” Mak (84x).
STF 2425 – 7.9, 8.6, 29.4”, orange, white, SV102 (39x), 7” Mak (84x).
STF 2432 AB – 6.8, 10.4, 14.8”, white, dark silver – nice contrast, 7” Mak (84x).
STF 2436 – 8.6, 9.3, 10.6, ab30.3”, ac134”, orange, white, white, 7” Mak (84x).
STF 2435 AC – 10.6, 12.9, 10.8”, white, gray, 7” Mak (180x).
STF 2434 A,BC – 8.4, 8.9, 27.7”, yellow pair, 7” Mak (84x).
STF 2442 – 8.5, 9.8, 10.6’, orange, dark blue, 7” Mak (84x).
STF 2443 – 8.9, 9.3, 6.9”, yellow pair, 7” Mak (84x).
STF 2439 – 8.6, 9.9, 22.1”, white, silver, SV102 (39x).
BU 466 – 9.0, 9.6, 2” – uneven white pair, clean split with 7” Mak (300x).
STF 2446 – 7.0, 8.9, 11.2, ab9.4”, ac36”, snow-white, beige, silver, 7” Mak (180x).
20:22. Aquila was getting low to the murk in the West, so I turned my attention to the east where Cetus was getting higher.
Cetus Doubles
STF 106 – 9.8, 9.9, 4.6”, yellow pair, 7” Mak (84x).
STF 103 – 8.6, 11.2, 5.5”, yellow, silver, 7” Mak (180x).
STF 110 – 8.8, 9.2, 7.4”, uneven yellow pair, 7” Mak (84x).
STF 111 – 9.4, 10.6, 20.8”, yellow, silver, 7” Mak (84x).
HJ 2035 – 8.6, 10.5, 35.5”, yellow, silver, 7” Mak (180x).
STF 113 – 6.5, 7.0, 1.6”, uneven yellow pair, tight clean split with 7” Mak (300x).
HJ 2036 – 7.4, 7.6, 2.4”, yellow pair, tight clean split with 7” Mak (245x).
STF 120 – 6.8, 10.0, 7.4”, yellow, blue, nice colors, 7” Mak (84x).
STF 124 – 8.4, 9.6, 7.2”, pale yellow, pale blue, 7” Mak (84x).
HJ 641 – 8.6, 10.1, 5.8”, yellow, beige, 7” Mak (84x).
STF 144 – 9.4, 11.9, 15.7”, yellow, silver, 7” Mak (84x).
STF 150 – 7.7, 8.2, 35.8”, white pair, 7” Mak (84x).
Mars
There is a huge ash tree in the neighbor’s back yard blocking a big chank of north-eastern sky. Unfortunately, Mars has been rising right behind that tree this season. Eventually, it should clear it, but I got tired of waiting and decided to try something different. This evening in addition to my main rig I have brought out Onyx 80mm
21:30. After having a good share of doubles I took that grab-and-go and walked the property until I found a spot with clear view to Mars. Behold, the first Mars view this opposition! The seeing was good enough to step up to the shortest