Gary: It sounds like you have a good start in this hobby. The practice at home will make things much easier when you finally go to dark site. This time of year though we are subject to heavy dew or even frost and that can require some extra gear like a 110volt hair drier to clear up the frosted corrector plate of a Schmidt-Cass. Good dark sites seldome have 110 volt outlets. This time of year I like to use just 10x50 binoculars. I wear them on a strap around my neck and when they become frosted, I just stick them inside my coat for 5 minutes until they are clear. There are club members who have seen all of the Messier objects with 10x50s. Plus there is very little set up and take down in the cold and dark. DT --- On Mon, 12/8/08, Gary Bulk <garybulk@the-logans.net> wrote:
From: Gary Bulk <garybulk@the-logans.net> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] How dim of objects can I see? To: utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com Date: Monday, December 8, 2008, 7:08 PM Some more questions from a novice... As I have begun looking at the sky from South Jordan, with no moon, in the light polluted Salt Lake Valley, I seem to be able to see:
- Mag. 4.15 - with the unaided eye, I can see the dim star of Cassiopeia - N2599. (I haven't been able to see the dim star of the little dipper HP79822 Mag. 4.95) - Mag. 9.5 - with my 300mm Nikon telephoto (cheap optics version with noticeable chromatic aberration) - via an up to 20 sec. exposure on my digital camera and a barn door tracker.
So a few questions: - Do the above 4.15 & 9.5 Magnitudes sound in the ballpark? - What would be an expected 'seeable' Magnitude? for dark sky unaided eye ... If I went to some good Southern Utah spot. - What Magnitude should expect I be able to see with a 8" Schmidt-Cass. in town? All the planets? (Pluto is 14.9). I just borrowed a Celestron C8 from a friend who was letting his collect dust. I'm dusting it for him for the next couple months. - And, what kind of difference will I get with the C8 if I go to a dark sky site?
On my first night out with the scope last weekend (in the moonlight), I had a difficult time finding things. I could find the Orion Nebula. I couldn't find the Andromeda Galaxy, there were no eyeball visible stars close enough for me to successfully to hop from.
Also the upside-down & left-to-right reversed guide scope was different than the upside-right but left-to-right reversed main scope, which continually confused me about which direction I was moving as I switched between them. I am wondering if getting a guide scope that reverses things (or not) in the same way as your main scope would help. And/or perhaps a lower power main eyepiece for finding things, then switching to a higher power eyepiece. - Anyone have preferred methods/techniques they would pass along?
I figure I will continue in my backyard until I can find more objects. Then maybe go to the (5 Mile Canyon) close-by area mentioned in another thread for an evening with a little more darkness after I believe I can better find my way in the dark. It looks like a should have a list before I go out away from home in the dark, so I'm not fumbling for "what do I look at now, and where is it?"
This is great fun. Gary Logan - Gary@The-Logans.net <mailto:Gary@The-Logans.net> _____
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