Observing report 7th July 2004

Observing Report 7th July 2004
Equipment: Orion Optics Europa 250 ('Mini-Hubble')
Objects: Murphy's Variable Nebula in the direction of M57
Murphy's Variable Nebula in the direction of M81/M82
Murphy's Variable Nebula in the direction of M13

Conditions: Slight wind, gusting to about 70knts, some moisture
in the air. Visibility poor, seeing poor.
Transparency poor.

Set up at about 2100hrs to allow cool down and to let M57 get to
a sensible height. Started observing at about 2145.

M57: Slewed the 'scope to the correct coordinates but M57 was not
clearly visible - some fogging of the e/p (25mm Plossl) no doubt.
M57 is normally a 'smoky donut', but tonight it appeared as a
roiling, boiling mass of grey. Very hard to get any clear definition,
even with the UHC filter threaded. Kept at it for about 30mins but
M57 must simply not have been high enough.

M81/M82: My personal favourite galaxies, always clear and well defined.
Except tonight.
Tonight they appeared very similar to M57, a boiling, churning mass of
grey and black. I've never noticed the similarity to M57 before but
tonight it was very apparent. The stability of the image left a bit
to be desired, not helped by next door's garden table landing on my
head.

Time was now approx. 2230. I had to pause in my observing briefly, in
order to retrieve my 'scope from a tree. Once reseated, decided to try
for M13.

M13: Was unable to clearly resolve any single star in this globular,
despite various magnifications, my blue filter, and shouted
encouragement from the neighbours along the lines of "What is the
madman doing?"

Decided to check for dew on the main mirror - and there was! Roughly
4" of dew was sitting at the bottom of the OTA. After tipping this out
M13 resolved slightly clearer, but still no clearly defined stars. In
fact, M13 again resembled both M57, M81 and M82, sharing that grey
boiling appearance. Thought I could detect a little scintilation,
coincidentally around the same time that a tree nearby burst into
flames (which is something you don't see very often). I wonder if
the scintilation might have been the initial forming of some new
nebula within the globular? Must revist in the future.


Packed up at 2315.

Jim
--
Find me at http://www.ursaMinorBeta.co.uk
"Brace yourself, this might make your eyes water."

In article , Pete Lawrence wrote:
On Thu, 8 Jul 2004 11:01:07 +0100, Jim
wrote:

snip

Decided to check for dew on the main mirror - and there was! Roughly
4" of dew was sitting at the bottom of the OTA. After tipping this out
M13 resolved slightly clearer, but still no clearly defined stars. In
fact, M13 again resembled both M57, M81 and M82, sharing that grey
boiling appearance. Thought I could detect a little scintilation,
coincidentally around the same time that a tree nearby burst into
flames (which is something you don't see very often). I wonder if
the scintilation might have been the initial forming of some new
nebula within the globular? Must revist in the future.

Packed up at 2315.

I feel depressed now ;-)

Why did the tree catch fire?


Lightning, only, er, it didn't, really.

Dramatic licence..:-)

Jim
--
Find me at http://www.ursaMinorBeta.co.uk
"Brace yourself, this might make your eyes water."

On Thu, 8 Jul 2004 11:01:07 +0100, Jim
wrote:

snip

Decided to check for dew on the main mirror - and there was! Roughly
4" of dew was sitting at the bottom of the OTA. After tipping this out
M13 resolved slightly clearer, but still no clearly defined stars. In
fact, M13 again resembled both M57, M81 and M82, sharing that grey
boiling appearance. Thought I could detect a little scintilation,
coincidentally around the same time that a tree nearby burst into
flames (which is something you don't see very often). I wonder if
the scintilation might have been the initial forming of some new
nebula within the globular? Must revist in the future.

Packed up at 2315.

I feel depressed now ;-)

Why did the tree catch fire?

--
Pete Lawrence
http://www.pbl33.co.uk
Most recent images http://www.pbl33.fast24.co.uk/recent_images.html

On Thu, 8 Jul 2004 11:18:22 +0100, Jim
wrote:

Why did the tree catch fire?


Lightning, only, er, it didn't, really.

Dramatic licence..:-)

You can't be trusted anymore ;-)

--
Pete Lawrence
http://www.pbl33.co.uk
Most recent images http://www.pbl33.fast24.co.uk/recent_images.html

In article , Pete Lawrence wrote:
On Thu, 8 Jul 2004 11:18:22 +0100, Jim
wrote:

Why did the tree catch fire?


Lightning, only, er, it didn't, really.

Dramatic licence..:-)

You can't be trusted anymore ;-)


Well, there may have been a teensy-weensy bit of, um, fibbing yes.

It's a fair cop, I made it up :-)

Jim
--
Find me at http://www.ursaMinorBeta.co.uk
"Brace yourself, this might make your eyes water."

Pete Lawrence wrote:

On Thu, 8 Jul 2004 11:18:22 +0100, Jim
wrote:

Why did the tree catch fire?


Lightning, only, er, it didn't, really.

Dramatic licence..:-)

You can't be trusted anymore ;-)

He's already got 6 points on his dramatic licence. 2 more and he'll be
upstaged.

--
Martin Frey
http://www.hadastro.org.uk
N 51 02 E 0 47

Martin Frey wrote:

Dramatic licence..:-)

You can't be trusted anymore ;-)

He's already got 6 points on his dramatic licence. 2 more and he'll be
upstaged.

Well yeah, but the first three points were for going too fast through an
irony camera.

Jim
--
AIM/iSight:JCAndrew2 - Log in and say 'hi'
"We deal in the moral equivalent of black holes, where the normal
laws of right and wrong break down; beyond those metaphysical
event horizons there exist ... special circumstances" - Use Of Weapons