Last night and this morning was my first time out since 30 August. I used the Celestron AVX mount and AstroTech 115 mm Apochromatic refractor to get reacquainted with familiar objects. However, for me the big win was a new target, Messier 30. M30 is likely an outside visitor. A globular cluster attracted away from a satellite galaxy, it moves retrograde through the Milky Way disk.
(This was originally a post in the Observation Log IV on Cloudy Nights.)
I also set up my Explore Scientific 102 mm doublet refractor on the Twilight 1 mount. This is something that I do for learning, so as not to be totally dependent on the computerized goto AVX. The AVX found M30. Then, I located it in that telescope's red dot and found it again in the manual mount. It took some panning and scanning but was worth it, of course. I spent about 20 minutes with Messier 30 and the two telescopes. Planning my night, I found it in Sue French's Celestial Sample and logged it as my first goal.
These were viewed with the 115 mm f/7 and a 14mm 82-degree Meade ocular:
14 October from 2130
(I re-ran the calibration because going from Vega to Altair, the mount wanted to drive the telescope into its own leg and I had to hit the power switch and start over. Never jog a robot without covering the E-stop.)
2208 - Dabih beta1,2 Capricorni
2214 - Algedi alpha 1,2(a,b) Capricorni
2225 - Epsilon Lyrae (Not split at 57X, I changed eyepieces to an AstroTech 5.5 mm Premium Flat for 151X and it was perfect. Also discernable at 102X with a 7 mm Tele Vue. I know that we all can achieve the double-double with less aperture and magnification, but a lot depends on the sky. My sky was good for the city, which is why I hauled out the AVX and AT-115 but it is very urban for a nominal suburb.)
2232 - M57 Ring Nebula. 5.5 mm. Large and almost colorful.
15 October 0550 AM
0556 - Messier 41
0607 - Venus almost first quarter, fuller crescent. Used 90% Moon filter.
0614 - Messier 31 Andromeda Galaxy - almost elliptical, large fuzzy patch over the hospital to my north.
0622 - Messier 1 Crab Nebula: many stars but no joy.
0628 - Messier 35 open cluster in the foot of Gemini
0634 - Rosette Nebula: many stars but no joy.
0642 - Castor - 14 mm (51X) not quite split. 7 mm split well.
PREVIOUSLY ON NECESSARY FACTS
Measuring Your Universe: Alan Hirshfeld’s Astronomy Activity Manual
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