Observing Report - Preliminary and a question

It is 3 am and I just got done putting all of the equipment away so
I'm just giving a preliminary.

I almost didn't go out, in fact it was clouded over when I left home
and when I set up my telescope at a local "dark sky" site. Others
were ready to leave but I convinced most to stay since I'd looked at
the satellite images and expected things to be clearing up by 2000.
It turned out to be a good night.

I found 4 things I hadn't seen before (M51, M101 (Jon, you were right,
that is tough even in dark skies), M13, and M92), revisited some old
friends (M44, 2001Q4, Jupiter, M3), and generally had a good time.

Now, a quick question before bed:

I observed for about 4 hours and looked at 6 things in detail (Jupiter
was a "couple of minutes at each end"). I figured that even including
the time it took for me to find the things I looked at, I averaged 30
minutes looking at each (M51 and M13 were both longer, M101 a lot
shorter). The 3 people around me that I could hear talkiing each went
through at LEAST twice that many items. Now, 2 of them were using
GoTo scopes so they didn't spend any time finding what they wanted to
see (I have a GoTo scope as well, but I like finding the objects on my
own), but it still seemed that they didn't spend much time actually
observing what they found.

How long do you spend observing objects? I know it varies by mood and
what you are looking at but, on average, how long do you observe each
object? I'm not planning on changing my habits. Heck, I'm enjoying
the heck out of myself. I'm just curious.

Now, off to bed. Tomorrow your "star" pupil will turn in his
observing report.

Mark Smith wrote:

How long do you spend observing objects? I know it varies by mood and
what you are looking at but, on average, how long do you observe each
object? I'm not planning on changing my habits. Heck, I'm enjoying
the heck out of myself. I'm just curious.

15-30mins, depending on whether or not it's a new object to me.
Sometimes I'll spend much, much longer though. As you say, it varies by
mood, by whether or not it's the 'key' object you're after that night,
or whatever.

Jim
--
Find me at http://www.ursaminorbeta.co.uk AIM/iChatAV: JCAndrew2
"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

How long do you spend observing objects? I know it varies by mood and
what you are looking at but, on average, how long do you observe each
object?

It really depends as you say on mood, the object, the conditions etc.

I tend though look at more objects by far than you and spend less time with
each but I repeat looking at them several times through out the night. Part of
that is that many of them are targets I have seen before so I am just checking
in with old friends. Some nights I would say that I spend 30 minutes looking
at a favorite target, especially if there is not a lot more to see. When I
first "discover" a new target I will spend quite of bit of time relocating it
and viewing it.

Last night I was up on the Sunrise highway. The comets tail is becoming more
evident. I had lots of nice views, m35-38, the comet with M44, great views of
the galaxy clusters in Leo-Virgo-CB plus the sombero and the other stuff in
Corvus. Then onto the stuff around Ursa Major, M51 was looking quite spiral.
I hit the owl nebula and the rest and then tried to find the little cluster of
galaxies that includes NGC-5350. Unfortunately my memory failed me. The first
night I found this group I spent over an hour observing it.

Between objects I would check on the progress of the comet.

About 10pm thin clouds started moving in, I had planned on a short evening
because I was alone and would be driving home alone and my wife who is away
prefers I don't do this. So I packed up but just as I had everything put away
a car pulled up with a young threesome stargazing with a single pair of
binoculars.

I walked over and their enthusiam was infectious. I showed them a few
binocular objects, the comet, M4 which was up at the time and finally pulled
the scope back out and gave them a tour for an hour or so.
Of course the Comet was a impressive as was Jupiter, the inexperienced eyes did
not find the bright targets like M65-M66 so bright nor was M104 so impressive.
But M4, which had been difficult for them with the 10x50s was of course a
beautiful sight. Hit the Lagoon Nebula and a few others in showed em the
dumbbell and the ring, checked out the Wild duck for myself. Around mid night
they were ready to go, I took a quick last look, loaded up and was home and
unloaded by 1am.

A nice night...

Bottom line: There is no right or wrong in observing, we are not doing
science, we are enjoying the view the night sky with a telescope as a
companion. Its a Sunday drive at night...

Best wishes, glad you found M101 and keep up the good work.

jon

Last night I was up on the Sunrise highway.

snip

About 10pm thin clouds started moving in, I had planned on a short evening
because I was alone and would be driving home alone and my wife who is away
prefers I don't do this.

I went to TDS primarily because I knew there would be people to help
me out if I needed it (not with the telescope, with
finding/identifying things) and because I didn't know of any other
place. I wouldn't mind making plans to meet you up off Sunrise
Highway some Saturday night. It could solve two problems:

1. I get to find alternate viewing sites.

2. Your wife doesn't need to worry about you as much.

On Sun, 16 May 2004 10:19:35 GMT, Mark Smith
wrote:

How long do you spend observing objects?

It's variable. Sometimes I go out with binoculars or a small
wide-field scope and quickly jump from object to object -- though I
wouldn't really call that "observing". I often end my more "serious"
observing sessions in that manner. When I'm severely pressed for time
such "observing" may be all I have time for.

When it comes to actual observing I take my time. I tend to observe
an object for several minutes before beginning a sketch. The actual
sketching can take anywhere from a minute or two up to an hour or two
depending on the object and on how careful I feel like being. On rare
occasions I've started a sketch on one night and continued it on
another night.

Prior to beginning a sketch some of my time may be spent swapping
eyepieces in and out. Sometimes I'll experiment a bit with various
filters. Once I've settled on which eyepiece to use and which (if
any) filter to use I spend several minutes studying the object,
looking for 'hidden' details before beginning a sketch.

I don't always make sketches when I observe; but when I do I look upon
sketching as a more meticulous or intense aspect of observing. I see
more and remember it better when I make a sketch -- even if I never
look at the sketch again.

Quick looks can fade rapidly from memory. Lengthy observing sessions
devoted to a single object can be remembered for a lifetime. What a
person gets out of an observation depends upon how much effort has
been put into the observation. (...and it never hurts to have a
permanent written record and/or sketch to aid our unreliable human
memories.)

Sketcher
To sketch is to see.

I wouldn't mind making plans to meet you up off Sunrise
Highway some Saturday night. It could solve two problems:

1. I get to find alternate viewing sites.

2. Your wife doesn't need to worry about you as much.

Sounds good to me. Normally my wife goes with me but right now she is out of
town visiting the grandson. :-)

I am sure that TDS is normally a better site. On the other hand its probably
another 30 minutes down the road and is pretty much an all nighter whereas the
Sunrise highway is close enough it can be done as quickie.

Jon