Friday, January 23, 2009

1/23/09 Observing Log

New eyepieces arrived today! Orion 8mm Stratus (gives 150x with my scope) and Orion 5mm Stratus (gives 240x with my scope).

The Sky & Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas is great for star-hopping for me at this location, since the limiting magnitude in the atlas is close to the limiting magnitude I see through my finderscope. I also really like that the book is sipral-bound, so it opens flat on a table and can be easily opened to a particular page and held within my left hand while I'm looking through the telescope, comparing star fields, and adjusting the focuser with my right hand.

Observed these objects tonight:

  • M42, M43 (Orion Nebula) - Observed with new eyepieces and also with UltraBlock filter.
  • Rigel - Observed with new eyepieces.
  • M44 - First sighting. Easy star-hop from Aldebaran
  • M67 - First sighting. Had to carefully star-hop from stars in the head of Hydra. Pretty happy I was able to find it.
  • Saturn - Nice view using new eyepieces. but the eyepieces are so big and heavy in the focuser, they drag the telescope down. I'll have to rig up a counterweight for the other side. Saw three moons: Tethys, Titan, Rhea.

1 comment:

  1. Hi Joe, I have seen some pictures of yours that look like they are across Lake Michigan, and I assume it is Chicago skyline in the background? Can you tell me where it was taken from, and using what equipment etc...?
    Would love to hear
    Mike

    ReplyDelete