Astronomy

Observing Log for

Session Details


Tillicoultry

56.157, -3.749

50m

Notes

A crisp evening after a stunning sunset.

Observations

Mars and the Pleiades

My primary aim was to capture an image of Mars just below the Pleiades star cluster, approximately 5 degrees away. I set up the Canon 6D with 50mm lens and took a series of photos for stacking later.

I also observed Mars and M45 through the Vixen ED80 with the 30mm eyepiece. It was just about possible to fit both in the eyepiece although they were at the extreme edges.

On inspection of the widefield photos I noticed that I had picked up open cluster NGC 1647 - a smattering of stars near Aldeberan. I will need to go back and observe this with the telescope.

The Pleiades and Mars

M42 - Great Orion Nebula

I turned the ED80 over to the Orion nebula which was nicely framed with the whole of the "sword" visible in the eyepiece. With the moon not yet risen there was a stunning amount of nebulosity visible even at this fairly low zoom.

Orion

M35 - Gemini Open Cluster

I spent some time observing this open cluster with the 30mm eyepiece. This set it nicely in a amongst the star fields towards the bottom end of Gemini. NGC 2158, a smaller bur denser open cluster, was visible as a concentration of light just away from M35 itself.

Images