Most enjoyable observations of 2013

Good evening, all. As I mentioned a few days ago, how about reminiscing our favourite observable events of 2013? All contributions are very welcome.
I shall start off with my top 10, and in reverse order.

10. August 16: Nova Delphini -the 1st nova I have ever witnessed -@ 40X.
9. July 26: Lambda Cygni- tightest double star in my life -split at 320X. Separation: 0.9".
8. April 5: Tegmine (Zeta Cancri) -Triple star split @ 225X. A and B were just 1.1" apart.
7. May 27: Triple planetary conjunction -Venus, Mercury and Jupiter -all fitted in 4.5 degree field of view in guidescope @ 15X. Location: at the Sugarloaf.
6. May 10: pushing the magnification to 320X on the Great Globular Cluster M13 in Hercules -count the stars!
5. June 8: My 1st observation of the Noctilucent Clouds and looking through the guidescope at them at 11X.
4. October 12: @ 167X, observation of the triple shadow transit on Jupiter @ 6 o'clock in the morning! For the record, the moons were Callisto, Europa and Io. An event that hasn't happened for 9 years.
3. January 3: Ganymede and Io's shadows on Jupiter (double transit) and double star Bu 87 at the same time; all in @ 225X!
2. September 14: Using image projection, Valerie and I saw the ISS transiting our Sun. I could make out the solar panels! Now when will that ever happen again over Dublin?
And finally:
1. November 3: Total Solar Eclipse in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean -my 8th. Through my 9X63 binoculars -I saw 2 Diamond Rings and the inner corona.

What was also amazing was that I achieved 50 observing occasions in a single year -a 1st time for me!

Of course, anyone else can include naked eye or any optical instrument on their favourite observations.

Aubrey.

Hi Aubrey, one of my highlights of the year was splitting Pi Aquila
in the 150mm reflector at 275x on a beautiful night in July.
Seperation 1.4" and mags. of 6.3 6.8. I was so excited I forget to
note the colours.
Happy new year everyone.

Pat.

Since 2013 was the year of my first proper scope, pretty much all my favourite observations are from the past 12 months :laugh:

Can't quite match your list Aubrey but here goes with my top 5:

5. Partial Lunar eclipse (without scope!); April moon rising amongst distant branches with narrow but noticeable slice eaten from the northwest corner, a lovely sight

4. Rings of Saturn - enough said

3. M109 - not very spectacular you may say but to think that light entering the eyepiece left this galaxy at a time not long removed from when dinosaurs ruled the Earth - awesome.

Co-2nd. THREE significant comets :ohmy: PanStarrs (with M31 in same FOV), Lovejoy (with M44 in same FOV) and some other one whose name escapes me all 3 bright in binos, all 3 hovering at naked-eye visibility...

1. The Wild Duck Cluster, M11 through the 8se @130X; quite literally breathtaking, a sparkling mass of jewels embedded on a dark velvet canvas, spectacularly emphasising the beauty of the heavens and also a sure-fire cause of aperture fever :laugh:

Happy new year!

Oh yes, Pat. I do like Pi Aquilae. I did split him in 2013 on October 10. Lovely at 167X.
And how about that, Fermidox? I never saw a comet this year! But I do love Saturn and M11. Great description!
Happy 2014, everyone!!

Aubrey.

What an interesting topic. Hard to tell as I feel that any night out is enjoyable. However checking my notes this is the one for me.
For me it was the first nights observation of Jupiter with a 2 Barlow (200 New F4.5 in an 8mm Eyepiece) I was clearly able to see the bands and color.
However the best crack was on the Camino with fellow peligrinos. It was the first night out from Burgus in early September in a tiny private Albuerge actually in the middle of no where. No electricity just candle light, so easy to dark adapt. Best dark sky and view of the Milky way.
Regards
Donal

It hasn't been a great yesr for me, lots of poor weather, and especially an almost totally lost autumn.

But three highlights

1. Finally spotting Comet Panstarrs in my binoculars on the fourth night of trying.

2. Comet Panstarrs in the 10" dob seen at Bragan in County Monaghan a few days later. Breathtaking view.

3. The view of M13 in a Meade 5.5mm UWA eyepiece, again in my dob. This eyepiece belonged to a mate, and the view was totally superb, with the globular completely filling the field of view, and thousands of pinpoint stars. If felt as if I was being slowly drawn into the globular, an amazing sight.
I immediately started to hunt for one of these eyepieces myself. It has been unavailable for months, but I finally got one on Astronomy Buy and Sell about three weeks ago. I used it last Saturday night, in heavy light pollution, to view Beta Mon, Sigma Orionis, and a few other double and multiple stars. I would thoroughly recommend this eyepiece (and the 8.8mm, which my mate also has) to all of you, if you can find one.