View Report (was: "anything interesting for me tonight?)

Atreju wrote in
:

Starting from Altair, going in a "3-o'clock" direction, there is an
arrangement of stars that resembles a mirrored, italicized h.

I will attempt to ascii draw it he

0
0
0
0 0
0 0 0

What were we looking at?
My friend (and I, subsequently) are curious to know.

It is "Brocchi's Cluster," also known as the "Coathanger Cluster" because
it resembles a coathanger.

I only use a chart to get a general idea of what prominent items will
be in view. I don't own a goto, nor do I intend to.

Thanks again.


---Atreju---


Thats good...

IMHO I think its a good idea to NOT use a goto IFFFFFFFFF

1 You are ABLE to find objects in the first place....not everyone can,
particularly when starting out, and I know some "long term/serious astronomers"
who just dont seem to have the "finder chart" gene....

2 Your are finding enough objects FAST/EASY enough to keep you happy...

3 You are not doing some kind of serious observing/photgraphic/scientific astro
project where time "wasted" getting to the object (vs using a goto and
"observing" the object) is just that, time wasted....

4 You actually at least somewhat enjoy the process of finding the object
itself....

I dont have a goto, heck I dont even have a drive for my scope and am
happy....but a change in #3 for me could certainly change that!

In any case, do with the scope what you did with the binocs every now and then,
just scan the sky (at one of the scopes lower powers) and you'll "discover"
some neat stuff....scanning along the milkyway region is your best hunting
grounds, though you can run across stuff NOT along the milky way...

A few years ago, my friend decided he was just gonna scan the sky, 8 inch F5
dob (with probably a mostly spherical mirror made by me) at a nice dark
observing site...

He runs across something pretty odd, but its neat looking....He and I both take
a pretty good look at it....eventually we figure its most likely a VERY edge on
galaxy....takes awhile to figure out where the scope is pointing (this process
is significantly harder that the opposite of going from chart to sky...or at
least I think so, particularly if you LOOSE it without a drive, things might
get ugly

Finally track it down...it was NGC 891? and by golly the catalouge described
it as probably the best and brightest (and most edge one) examples of an edge
on galaxy.....

That was alot of fun, and probably more fun than if we had used a chart to find
it....

take care

Blll

On 24 Aug 2004 14:40:09 GMT, (BllFs6) wrote:

I only use a chart to get a general idea of what prominent items will
be in view. I don't own a goto, nor do I intend to.

Thanks again.


---Atreju---


Thats good...

IMHO I think its a good idea to NOT use a goto IFFFFFFFFF

1 You are ABLE to find objects in the first place....not everyone can,
particularly when starting out, and I know some "long term/serious astronomers"
who just dont seem to have the "finder chart" gene....

I enjoy a good challenge, no matter how hard it is.

2 Your are finding enough objects FAST/EASY enough to keep you happy...

Agreed. However, I don't expect to find things easy or fast at first,
or maybe ever. Part of pursuing it is the challenge. Getting a GoTo
out of frustration would be giving up.


3 You are not doing some kind of serious observing/photgraphic/scientific astro
project where time "wasted" getting to the object (vs using a goto and
"observing" the object) is just that, time wasted....

I don't do photography.... yet.


4 You actually at least somewhat enjoy the process of finding the object
itself....

I somewhat do


I dont have a goto, heck I dont even have a drive for my scope and am
happy....but a change in #3 for me could certainly change that!

In any case, do with the scope what you did with the binocs every now and then,
just scan the sky (at one of the scopes lower powers) and you'll "discover"
some neat stuff....scanning along the milkyway region is your best hunting
grounds, though you can run across stuff NOT along the milky way...

A few years ago, my friend decided he was just gonna scan the sky, 8 inch F5
dob (with probably a mostly spherical mirror made by me) at a nice dark
observing site...

He runs across something pretty odd, but its neat looking....He and I both take
a pretty good look at it....eventually we figure its most likely a VERY edge on
galaxy....takes awhile to figure out where the scope is pointing (this process
is significantly harder that the opposite of going from chart to sky...or at
least I think so, particularly if you LOOSE it without a drive, things might
get ugly

Finally track it down...it was NGC 891? and by golly the catalouge described
it as probably the best and brightest (and most edge one) examples of an edge
on galaxy.....

That was alot of fun, and probably more fun than if we had used a chart to find
it....

take care

Blll

Yes. The only problem I face is that I am in New York. And I'm using
an ETX 90. Bad combination. The problem is that it is a huge deal to
make a trip out of NY. I am actually planning on an outing far away
hopefully within the next couple of months... I want to wait until the
Winter because I love the sights that are visible then.

The reason for an ETX 90 is because I simply don't have the capacity
to shlep anything much larger. One day I will buy myself a nice Dob
light bucket, but traveling with it will be difficult.

Thus I am not likely to find anything as grand as a galaxy (or am I?).
I can barely see anything as it is with the 10000000000000000000000
watts of light shooting up from Manhattan.




---Atreju---