Location: home,
Equipment:
EPs:
TV Plossl 32mm, 50 deg (84x, 2.2mm exit pupil, 0.59 deg TFV)
TV Delite 9mm, 60 deg (300x, 0.6 exit pupil, 0.21 deg TFV)
TV Delite 7mm, 60 deg (386x, 0.5 exit pupil, 0.16 deg TFV)
TV Delite 5mm, 60 deg (540x, 0.3 exit pupil, 0.11 deg TFV)
Two weathers apps I typically use have shown a solid window of several hours of clear sky before next set of clouds rolls in. It was still clear when I have deployed the scope and started observing around 18:00.
I have picked where I left last week in Cepheus.
CEPHEUS DOUBLES
The session has started on a high note. One of my personal goals is to observe (or at least attempt) all Struve doubles. It is like
On paper my first target looked hopeless:STT 32 (8.2, 12.5, 5.6”). Nevertheless, I gave it a shot. To my surprise, with averted vision I was able to steadily hold a faint fuzzy dot next to the bright white main. I have tested two powers (300x and 386x) to make sure it stays in place and then estimated PA. Yep, it is where it supposes to be according to WDS.
Next, another tough target which eluded me previously:
STF 2 (6.7, 6.9, 0.9”) – white pair, partial split at 386x and split by hair at 540x. At 540x I was able to steadily hold two tween stars separated by a thin black fracture.
I realized that I have something special – a night of excellent seeing – a rare beast for my desert location. To capitalized on that I went after another difficult double:
STT 6 AB (7.5, 8.8, 0.7”) – partial split, but I was able to discriminate the colors: white for the main and orange for the dimmer and smaller secondary (386x, 540x).
And then my 30 minutes of fame ended. I have failed a few doubles in a row. First could not understand what was happening, and then realized that the high clouds have moved in a few hours earlier. Most of the sky was already covered but there was a window containing Perseus.
PERSEUS DOUBLES
STF 139 (9.9, 10.3, 10.9, ab9.2”, ac114.6”) – all white (84x).
ARG 6 (aka WAL 14, 8.2, 10, 9.7, ab14.9”, ac66.5”) – white, blue, silver, nice colors (84x).
SKF 1383 (8.3, 9.8, 54.3”) – white, silver (84x).
And then the clouds caught up with me. All sky was covered. However, 20 minutes later, when I have finished taking things down and brought everything back home, the sky cleared up considerably with a few large cloud-free areas. But I knew that the clouds were just screwing with me.
If I try to bring the scope out again they would be back, so the wise thing was to call it a night.
Member of the RASC
From my experience it reaches as far as at least 6" reflector.