Revisiting Two Old friends

Hi all, Tonight I received one of my biggest and most pleasant surprises at the eyepiece. It wasn’t using a half metre + monster, nor from an especially dark site. Rather, it was using my nearly 30 year old 2” f/12 Tasco refractor, and from my home in Sydney! Over a year ago I purchased … Continue reading Revisiting Two Old friends

Hypergiant Star

VY Canis Majoris Hypergiant Star Canis Major 11/12/10 Ilford NSW Australia 56cm f5 dobsonian telescope Field:12′ Magnification: 404x Sky Quality Meter reading: 21:67 Black Canford paper White pen While pencil Yellow oil pencil White oil pencil Red pastel pencil The hypergiant star VY Canis Majoris is not a particularly well known observing target, but it … Continue reading Hypergiant Star

Gazing at Medusa

Abell 21 PK 205+14.1 SH2-274 Planetary Nebula Gemini 12/12/10 Ilford NSW Australia 56cm f5 dobsonian telescope Field: 29′ Magnification: 166x with Oxy III filter Sky quality meter reading: 21:55 Black Canford paper White pastel chalk White oil pencil Soft white pencil Paint brush Blending stump After three months of dismal wet new moon periods I … Continue reading Gazing at Medusa

To the Edge

NGC 4517 Galaxy Virgo 28/03/06 Ilford NSW Australia 41cm f4.7 Dobsonian telescope Field: 23′ Magnification: 210x Sky quality: N/A Black Canford paper White pen White pencil White pastel chalk Blending stump Paint brush NGC 4517 is a really nice edge-on galaxy around 12′ x 2′ in size. In the 41cm dob this galaxy looked very … Continue reading To the Edge

Beauty of the Helix

NGC 7293 Planetary Nebula The “Helix” Nebula Aquarius 09/08/10 Ilford NSW Australia 56cm f5 Dobsonian telescope Field: 29′ Magnification: 166x with Oxy-III filter Sky Quality Meter reading: 21:52 Black Canford paper White pastel chalk White pen Soft white pen Cotton bud and paint brush for smudging I have observed the Helix nebula a number of … Continue reading Beauty of the Helix

Down the Whirlpool

NGC 5194/5195 (M-51) The “Whirlpool Galaxy” Interacting galaxies 24/05/06 Ilford NSW Australia 41cm f4.5 dobsonian telescope Field: 23′ Magnification: x210 Canes Venatici Black Canford paper White pen White pencil White pastel chalk Blending stump Paint brush What can I say about the Whirlpool Galaxy? At my location Messier 51 is at a little over +47 … Continue reading Down the Whirlpool

Fading Planetary Nebula

Abell 72 PK 59-18.1 Planetary Nebula Delphinus 07/08/10 Ilford NSW Australia 56cm f5.0 dobsonian telescope Field: 27′ Magnification: 218x with OxyIII filter Sky Quality Meter reading: 21:65 Black Canford paper White pen White oil pencil White pastel chalk Soft white pencil Paint brush George Ogden Abell’s classic catalog of planetary nebulae contains 86 objects which … Continue reading Fading Planetary Nebula

A Superlative Spiral

NGC 1365 Barred spiral galaxy Fornax 09/08/10 Ilford NSW Australia 56cm f5 Dobsonian telescope Field: 27′ Magnification: 218x Sky Quality Meter reading: 21:57 Black Canford paper White pen Soft white pencil White pastel chalk White oil pencil Paint brush Blending stump NGC 1365 was discovered by James Dunlop in 1826, and ranks as one of … Continue reading A Superlative Spiral

Dancing in the Virgo Supercluster

NGC 5566/5569/5560 Galaxies Virgo 14/05/10 Ilford NSW Australia 56cm f5.0 dobsonian telescope Field: 17′ Magnification: 354x Sky quality meter reading: 21:38 Black Canford paper White pen White pencil White pastel chalk Fine tip paint brush From the Realm Of The Nebulae comes this interesting trio of relatively bright galaxies. From the top of the sketch … Continue reading Dancing in the Virgo Supercluster

Pile of Diamonds

NGC 7089 (Messier 2) Globular cluster Aquarius 08/08/10 Ilford NSW Australia 56cm f5 Dobsonian telescope Field: 27′ Magnification: 218x Sky Quality Meter reading: 21:44 Black Canford paper White pen White pencil White pastel chalk Paint brush NGC 7089 is a very pretty globular cluster and I spent a considerable time at the eyepiece painstakingly detailing … Continue reading Pile of Diamonds