My Observations

Recently, on July 24th, I had an unplanned but excellent session with my 8" telescope. It happened like this: a potential customer woke me up at 1:00 am to ask some really stupid questions. It was a complete waste of time. Angry and frustrated, I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep so I made coffee and decided to set up my big 'scope in the backyard. I relaxed and sipped coffee for a bit and by 2:30 am I was all set up and ready to observe.

I had only one very important target in mind, but before I tried that I looked around to see what was up. I was winging it. I saw that the great square of Pegasus was high enough in the sky that I could get a good view of the Andromeda Galaxy. Using my favorite eyepiece, a 15mm that gives me 80x magnification with this telescope, I easily found M31, Andromeda. Looking nearby I was also able to observe both of it's satellite galaxies; M32 and M110.

Next I tried M33, which is in the neighborhood. The Triangulum Galaxy is a hard target. It has low surface brightness and it's spread out over a large area. You're not likely to see this from a big city. You need a dark sky and good transparency. I was able to see it that morning, dim but beautiful. I was all smiles. (Some nights I can't see it. Conditions are important.)

Next up was the target I was most excited about: M73. This would be my second attempt. I had tried and failed to see it a few weeks ago with my 90mm refractor. So why was I so excited? Is M73 some really cool looking deep sky object? No. In fact, it's one of the stupidest objects in the Messier catalog. It's four dim stars. Nobody knows why it's even in the catalog.

So why was it so important to me? Because in March 2014 I set out to view all 110 objects in the Messier catalog. I've logged every observation since then with the date, time, identifier, and a short description. And I had viewed 109 of the objects. M73 was my last one! If I observed this one I will have completed the whole catalog.

I pointed my 'scope at the area. It wasn't looking good. The southern horizon from my backyard has the worst light pollution, and that's where my target was. I searched for a while and was unsuccessful. Then I stumbled across the Saturn Nebula (NGC 7009). I've never seen that one but recognized it and knew it was in the same area as M73. I was a little bit off course...

I left my 'scope pointed at that nebula and ran in the house to plot my star hop from there to M73 using Stellarium. I ran back outside and moments later I had those four stupid stars centered in my eyepiece. SUCCESS! YAY! I have now observed every object in the Messier catalog.

I took a look around the sky to see if anything else was up. I saw the constellation Lyra. I couldn't pass up an opportunity to view the Ring Nebula. I switched to my 8mm EP (150x) and got a great view of M57. 

I took a quick peak at Alberio, that beautiful double star in the head of the swan, aka Cygnus.

Then I noticed Sagitta, one of my favorite constellations. I pointed my scope and star hopped to my last observation of that morning: M27, the Dumbbell Nebula.

It was a very enjoyable session.

The attached kmz has bare bones placemarks for my session, in the order that I observed them.


Observations 07242015 230am-345am.kmz (1.56 KB)

It sounds like a great night of observing. I have never heard of the Saturn Nebula. Maybe I'll give it a try this week when I head up to the local mountains to look for Perseids. I should be about as dark as it can get around here since it is a new moon night. 

Whenever I look at the Ring Nebula, I also travel over to Epsilon Lyrae, the beautiful double double star at the other end of Lyra . It's always worth a look with my telescope. 

You told me about the double double a few years ago, Hill, and I have viewed it with my 8" dob a few times. I use my 6mm EP which gives me 200x magnification. That splits them quite nicely!