Posts Made By: Ron Bee

http://members.cox.net/ronby/Solar-System/Mars-083103-TV102.htm

Enjoy,
Ron B[ee]

My Light Cup and I have always fancied starting the tour of the NGC catalog with NGC 1. For the past two years and disappointment after disappointment trying to bag this mag 13 galaxy from my 4" TV-102 Light Cup from my backyard had turned NGC 1 into "Nemesis 1" ;-).

Well last night around 11:30pm, I finally caught it; alas not with the Light Cup but with my 8" Discovery light bucket Dob ;-). And that was quite tough under the LM of 5.8 even with extra 4-inch of extraneous aperture ;-)! No way, no how could I have seen it with my 4" from my backyard. The experience was near the limit similar to nearing the limit of my 4-incher with brighter galaxies. In fact, Mars' "high caloric magnification" diet has made me so out of "DSO shape" and it took me quite a while :-(. It formed a triangle with the star GSC 1735:1856 and GSC 1735:1840. Not seen at 40x, detected with a 12mm TV Radian (101x) but best view with the 8mm Radian (152x) (averted vision showed better). Extremely faint fuzzy, no core seen
but brightening against the background sky was definite. Consulting with Luginbuhl and Skiff Observing Handbook, NGC 1 has a surface brightnes of a grueling 13.9.

Umm, maybe the Light Cup might be able get this one with that 6000-ft "tripod" of mine reaching up to that dark mountain sky ;-).

Ron B[ee]

http://members.cox.net/ronby/Solar-System/Mars-090203-Deimos-TV102.htm

What do you think?

Thanks,
Ron B[ee]

http://members.cox.net/ronby/Solar-System/Mars-090603-TV102.htm

Enjoy,
Ron B[ee]

http://members.cox.net/ronby/Solar-System/Mars-090803-TV102.htm

Enjoy,
Ron B[ee]

It appears that there's a large dust cloud/storm that is brewing in Hellas and has gotten bigger than on 09/08.
http://members.cox.net/ronby/Solar-System/Mars-091403-TV102.htm

Enjoy,
Ron B[ee]

Well, the Light Cup and I finally moved from our country home to a constricted city home. Last night, my 4-inch TV-102 Light Cup and I decided for a citiscape DSOs "first light". Pollution condition? There're huge light domes to the west and the south. The neighbors have their 2nd floor window lights on, landscape lighting on, lights on in front of the house, cars entering/leaving the area with light reflected off the wall of the sides of the house. :-(. The hood trick and it helped a great deal.

First up was a challenging OC in Lacerta, NGC 7245, about 5' in size at mag 9.2 (mag 12.8 brightest star). So I knew it would be a challenge. What do you think happened? I spent 15 minutes trying to find Lacerta even though it was near the zenith, especially Beta Lacertae. I finally located the "diamond head" of the Lizard and had no problem HOP-TO NGC 7245 with my 40mm Pentax XL as finder eyepiece. Not seen at all at 22x, 44x (20mm TV Plossl). At 110x (8mm Radian), I thought I saw a very faint patch off from the mag 8.8 star HD 235771 with averted vision.

Next was NGC 7243, a much easier target, larger and brighter OC at mag 6.4. Easily found at 22x with gray sky background. Increasing the magnification to 44x was much more pleasing with the best view at 73x (12mm Radian). I counted about 40 loose stars. But what's this here? There seems to be tiny double star toward the dim side forming a diamond of spade shape with 3 other stars. I sketched it
and looked it up with my newly acquired (wonderful) SkyTool 2 software. It was Sturve 2890, a mag 9.2 and 9.5 double separated by 9.5". What a great software SkyTool is! Umm, the Light Cup just suggested that we may have discovered a funning "I SPY" kids game. How many other OCs have double stars hiding amongst the stars within the OCs? The naked eye limiting magnitude was only mag 5 (SAO 52436).

Onward to M31. While I couldn't see it with my naked eye as I easily could at my old, country home, I was relieved that I could easily find it with my 40mm Pentax XL (22x). However, it seemed to be a lot smaller in size as it fitted in the 3d FOV with much room to spare; whereas it could just barely fit at my country home. In additions, I couldn't see M32 and M110 :-(. 44x revealed M32 well enough but also seemed a lot smaller than I remember it from my old home. M110 was very, very dim but could be made out with direct vision as a faint puff. Backing down to 22x, I could now see all 3, M32 looked stellar which was not the case from my country home! Light pollution really marred these gems :-(.

Well, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be in the city. Star HOP-TO is much more difficult if the starting star near the object is too dim to see. An easy star hopping in the country sky turned into ardulous star
hopping in the city sky "jungle" :-(. Maybe the Light Cup DSO's short career needn't end just yet ;-).

Ron B[ee]

http://members.cox.net/ronby/Solar-System/Mars-092203-TV102.htm

If you know the answers to some of the questions my Light Cup is inquiring, we'd be most obliged to hear of your thoughts.

Enjoy,
Ron B[ee]

Hello there Robert,

I'm following your post with keen interest. One question. I noticed my TV-102 cools down very quickly. The AP being larger 130mm and 3 pieces of glass may need more time to cool down (especially in the Northeast where the fall leaf peeping season may have already started). Did it have more cooldown time? Did the AP star test well? You may also want to give Roland Christen a call.

Thanks,
Ron B[ee]

Hello there Dan,

How low you can split the double double, IMO, is entirely dependent upon quality of optics and seeing and possible the eye as well. Having said this, I've split the double double with my TV-102 at 73x (12mm Radian) when the seeing supports this. At 44x (20mm TV Plossl), I really can't say I split it but have noticed there're definitely not just two stars due to both being elongated. Another fella with a smaller TV-85 could split the double double at only 60x! So, I think not being able to split the double double at low magnification alone should be a cause to jump to the conclusion about the optics of the telescope (and eyepiece ;-). Who knows, maybe one excellent night, my TV-102 Light Cup and I maybe able to at 44x ;-).

Ron B[ee]