26th and 27th July

At last the skies are starting to get dark enough to see again. Even from last night you can notice the difference. I've been really putting the scope through it's paces testing the GOTO since re-greasing the gears so last night I tried the deep sky stuff:

26/07/2006 10:10 UT - 12:30 UT
M56 visible with averted
M71 not sure if I really got this
C37 not sure if I really got this
M57 beautiful as always
M81 with averted but very dim
M82 with averted but very dim
C13 nice
C10 nice
M31 smudge
M32 ok
M103

Tonight 27th I decided to try for more visible objects so I went after the asterisms 10:00 UT to 11:15 UT.
Coathanger - always good in binos but looks great in a low power eyepiece.
Spiral Cluster
Crown cluster
W cluster - looks more like an M to me.
Mini coathanger
Ring Cluster
Horshoe cluster - definitely interesting
Number 7 cluster
Arrow cluster
Finished off with the double Albireo before being clouded out.

Stargazing in a tee-shirt certainly is a pleasure, now if only someone would switch out the lights!

Sounds like a few good nights john.

I have not heard of a lot of your asterisms...Is there a website/resource where I can find out more about them. Its always nice to see asterisms

Good to see you got clear skies John, i a good list of targets, it was overcast here last night.


Sometimes I feel that the scope is an ornament and not something you can use, since I cant use it anything near as often as I want.

I have not heard of a lot of your asterisms...Is there a website/resource where I can find out more about them. Its always nice to see asterisms

I used the list of Asterisms on the Celestron hand controller, so some maybe Americanisms.

Glad you got to use the scope again John. You should list your scope each time you give a description of its use here, because that forces me each time to ask what's your scope again? each time you don't!

How did it perform since the greasing up?

It wasn't me that was having the scope problems that was someone else with a CG5 GT mount.

How did it perform since the greasing up?

Smoother, less backlash and more accurate GOTO, and it seems longer tracking - I won't really get to test this though until I use the webcam again, and with all the planets so low in the sky I gotta wait for the moon.

You should list your scope each time you give a description of its use here, because that forces me each time to ask what's your scope again? each time you don't

I've only got the one scope I'm afraid and it's pictured in my avatar. Celestron NexStar 102SLT. But you're quite right whats an observation without the detail - Will do the necessaries on the next post here.