Observing session this Saturday at sugar loaf

It was a calm mild night in Sugarloaf car park and Paul, Martin and I enjoyed a leisurely session until about 2.15am. However, although the weather was very pleasant, the observing conditions were not as good as earlier in the week. The seeing was very poor and the sky was hazy, especially below about 20°. Also, the crescent moon and the time of year meant that the sky never got very dark.

Martin conducted the first tests of his autoguider, with mixed results. It did not work well except when locked onto a bright star, so he may have to consider a wider field guidescope. Paul had planned to use his WO refractor to observe in the Scorpius/Saggitarius area, but the haze partly stymied his attempts. For once the technology worked well for me (though the scope probably needs collimation). Observed a series of galaxies in Virgo, which were not very impressive against the bright sky background. Then tried a few doubles only to find that the seeing was very poor and only wide (>2.5") ones could be split - there was no point in trying the difficult doubles that I had hoped to check out. Switched to red stars and observed ten of them, V CrB and SS Vir being the pick of the bunch. Turned to Scorpius where the globular M4 and the double β Sco impressed. Finally the globular M22 in Sagittarius was very striking despite being immersed in the haze close to the horizon.

All in all, a very satisfactory session and a nice way to finish before the Summer break. Already looking forward to the darker skies of Autumn.

Mike

Great report Mike,

Pity about the seeing. But if you don't try, you don't su(SEE)d. Erm, I'll get my coat...

Actually, its quite hot. I'll leave the coat.

Yeah, it was an enjoyable night, despite the seeing, the company more than makes up for that.

Of course the Sugarloaf car park is a popular spot for, how shall we say, couples in love, and a few cars pull in, see a couple of strange looking men with big instruments, pull a swift youey and speed out of the place. :laugh:

Astronomers, destroyers of romance. :whistle:

Paul