Sunday 20th December 2009

Hi all

Two planetaries and a galaxy were on the list for tonight, the air was crisp and clear, the seeing very good, despite the annoying streetlights.

Here's what I have, I hope you like them.

M77



The core to M77 was very sharp, the surrounding nebulosity was of a uniform appearance.

M76 The Little Dumbbell



This looked a little like a mushroom to me, I could see the gap between the two lobes with ease.

NGC 7662 The Blue Snowball



There was a subtle blue colour, it looked ice blue to my eyes.

Thanks for looking.

Merry Christmas to all.

Paul

Very nice drawings Paul,

Michael.

Fantastic Paul!

I'm blown away with what you are achieving with your mark I eyeballs, mark I fingers, a few pencils and the XT12i : cheer: . I think one of the best mods to that scope was the flocking and Dew/Lightshield. It really helps with the contrast when viewing in the same direction as a streetlight. I've done the same on my Lightbridge. When I did my 30 minute test back in January '09 with the unmodded LB16 viewing an object 45º away from a street light, the skybackground was orange!! Did the same the other night with the flocked and lightshield equipped LB16 and viewed M42 about 10º from a streetlight. Jet black sky background!

For those viewing away from direct light pollution, flocking and lightshielding certainly can't hurt but the cost/benefit analysis might tip it towards 'not worth it for the small improvement'.
For the likes of us though that have to contend with streetlights in our FOV of the sky, the benefits can be much more pronounced.

Interesting to note based on all the sketches you've posted in the last few months that your sketching work rate seems to be weather limited rather than, "Do I have the energy to get the big 12" dob out' limited :laugh:

Not alone do I feel embarressed and ashamed that I never put that scope while I had it to the kind of productive use that you have in the last few months but I am ashamed that I have put the LB16 to virtually no use in the last year!! 30 minute test in January '09, 2 hour session up in Ballyremon in late Jan '09 and 1 hour in the back garden of the rented house last week before the wind drove me back inside. Pathetic. A combination of too busy with the house moves and renovation planning, scope apart 75% of the time being modded, lousy weather and lazyness. :blush: I plan to rectify that in the new year. I hope to iron out the remaining kinks in my other mods, fit the servocat drive and collimate it to within an inch of its life :laugh: I look back now at this time last year when I reckoned I would have the Lightbridge ready for Cosmos '09. LMFAO! :laugh: Here's hopin it'll be ready for Cosmos 2010!

Oh dear, started to ramble on again :blush:

Just to re-iterate. I'm blown away by your sketching work rate with the Orion. Jeff has major competition! : cheer: