Forecast lied

Photo copyright Fred Lum

45.7667 N

September 1/13

Again, the forecast was calling for rain.

Again it didn’t rain.

Set up scope, chair.  Got to be comfortable and stable to observe. (Orion 80 apocromatic refractor, on a portamount with Manfrotto legs.  Super portable and easy to set up and operate).

M22 globular again, this time in the scope.  With 14mm eyepiece, can start to resolve stars – just so pretty.  Such a jewel.

M71 globular – same magnification.  Could see why M. Messier would want to cross it off his “not comet” list.  Smudgy

*Fred joining me, camera at hand*

M27 – dumbbell nebula. Low mag (26mm) then higher mag – then OIII filter, just to play around with appearances.  I found the 14mm no filter the most pleasing.   Hourglass shape, tilted, blobby.

M11 – the Wild Duck.  I love looking at this – I get to it by scooting up Ophiucus to the West, so as not to get lost in the milky way.  Star hopping.  Like many other objects in astronomy, I don’t see the shape it’s named for.

M31 and M33 again tonight, this time with more magnification.  M33 lower surface brightness – something very satisfying about finding galaxies with a small scope.

End of Summer, new location

45.7667 N

August 31,13

Forecast was for rain, but by 9.30pm the clouds had cleared out. 

Temperature was coolish but comfortable, throwing on a fleece after dark.

Wasn’t sure what the clouds were going to do, so just grabbed my 10X50 binoculars and sat in a chair.  Listened to the crickets and the wind, and the remaining opportunistic mosquitoes.  Dewy.

http://soundcloud.com/katrina-ince-lum/cricketssundridge-1

Wanted to grab Scorpius before it set.  Very pretty triangle of Antares, M4 and Sigma Sco in the field of view.  M4 (globular cluster) is not do-able from Toronto due to the light pollution and sightlines, but from here – easy peasy.  Round smudge.

On to Nova Delph 2013 – dimmer than when I last saw it, a bit dimmer than mag 6.  Maybe 6.5?  Will look again and compare.  Must get on to the AAVSO reporting – will add it to my to-do list.

They have a binocular list of objects too.

Sagittarius – and “The Teapot”.  The Milky Way “steam” comes out of the spout, and if you just follow this with your binoculars upwards, you’ll start to see all sorts of identifiable knots of stars and nebulae.   So much there, that it’s easy to get lost.  Got out my handy dandy Pocket Sky Atlas.

M8 – The Lagoon Nebula.  Extremely identifiable lateral amoeba shape with stars imbedded in it.

M22 – globular cluster off the lid – one of my faves – lovely round conglomerate.

M28 – smaller GC west of Kaus Borealis in Sag

M31 – the Great Andromeda Galaxy in binoculars is so obviously a face on spiral galaxy with a dense central core – and easily visible naked eye from here too – I’m always blown away when I look without optical aid at M31 – a whole other galaxy with hundred of billions of stars, which is over 2 million light years away from us and gradually closing. 

M33 – Hop, skip and a jump from M31 down to Trangulum and this smaller but still binocular galaxy.  Not naked eye for me though – at least not  tonight.

Last Day of eclipse tour

November 15

Meeting at the hotel lobby at 8am, we were collected by bus to drop us off at the Kuranda Scenic Railway.  This steam locomotive railway takes one up the lush mountain towards the table lands, at a slow sedate pace, making many twists and turns along the way, going through many tunnels.  For those familiar with Puffing Billy in the Dandenongs, it feels similar.  However, many more people died completing this railway from either rock cave ins, disease, or snake bite.

Arriving at Kuranda, Ralph procured our tickets for the return trip down the mountain, this time via the Skyrail cablecar.  However, we had a couple of hours to spend in the picturesque village of Kuranda first.

Mum and I had morning tea, and had company

The last official event of our tour was a nice way to end it.  I’m still sad about totality, and will probably ruminate over it for a while, wondering if we could’ve done anything differently on eclipse day.  But that’s life for ya – got to get used to dealing with disappointments!

Off to Melbourne for some down time at Mum's house now.

Eclipse Day

November 14

This year, there have been three special solar observing events that I’ve been looking forward to.

-The May annular eclipse; from Toronto I was able to observe a partial annular eclipse from the airport with some friends before the sun set.

-In June, the Transit of Venus – a rare event which will not occur again for over a century.  A group of us observed first and second contact from the Toronto RASC’s observatory in the Collingwood area before sunset

AND

-A total eclipse of the sun.  I’ve been solar observing for some time.  Indeed, I was the person who started the Toronto RASC’s solar observing sessions.  I have been observing the sun in hydrogen alpha and white light for years, but have never been fortunate enough to witness a solar eclipse.

Which brings me to today.

Wake up call at 3am, mustering in the hotel’s lobby at 3.45.  Our intrepid leader Dr. Ralph Chou got us on the bus, and off we went.  Lots of traffic heading north, not so much heading south.  Arriving at the Wangetti beach site (which was pre arranged a long time ago) police and emergency services where present.  Roads closed off, many people walking the 400m to the beach.  Ralph’s  friend had stayed overnight at the beach, setting aside a spot for us, away from the tide line, and on some vegetation higher than those further down on the beach.

We setup under starlight – Orion was high overhead, Venus and Jupiter blazing brightly.  A good omen, or so we thought.

As first contact descended at 5.44am, clouds obscured the view, however shortly afterwards we were able to see the moon munching it’s way across the solar disc. 

Yay for that at least.

Would we see totality?  The clouds looked like they might be cooperating…..

As the seconds ticked down to 6.38 second contact (or totality) a cloud moved in front of the sun at the last moment.  SHIT!

Suffice it say, I was not a happy camper.  These things happen I know, but I feel very disappointed not to have seen Bailey’s Beads, the Diamond Ring and of course the solar corona streaming out from behind the moon.

Other folks were more philosophical about it – I’ll get over it - it's been a great trip otherwise.  But my 2012 solar trifecta was not to be. 

Guess I’ll have to wait until 2017.

Cairns day 2

November 13

Although tomorrow is eclipse day, we had the day off.  Took another boat trip (this time shorter) to Green Island – same setting up routine as yesterday upon arrival.  The winds and tides had churned up the bottom of the ocean somewhat, limiting visibility under the water.

The fruit bats are everywhere!  There were hundreds of them hanging from the mango trees outside the hotel.  So cute……..

Eclipse day tomorrow – forecast is looking a bit iffy.

Reef

November 12

Arrived in Cairns late last night – today after rising early (again) we went to the Great Barrier Reef on a large Quicksilver catamaran – there were about 400 of us on the boat I believe.

The weather was choppy – my sister was turning green pretty much the whole way out to the reef – about an hour or so.

The cat sidles up to a large pontoon, which is anchored in place.  After transferring to it, we got outfitted with masks, flippers and snorkels (and black coverall suits, to protect not only from the sun, but from stinging jellyfish).

We saw a lot of fish, but the reef that we were sitting over was looking pretty bleached (ie, dead) L  Global warming is considered a culprit.  

Lest we forget

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November 11

Darwin is a very resilient and interesting place.  In recent history, twice decimated. 

During WW2, from 1942 to 1943 Darwin was repeatedly bombed by the Japanese, over 60 times.

In 1974 Cyclone Tracy almost completely flattened the city, with about 90% of the buildings destroyed.  New, extremely strict building codes are the norm now.  Gord, our bus guide, was telling us that even an outdoor shed has to withstand winds of 300 km/hr.

Today is Remembrance Day – we hope to find the Cenotaph after brekky.

http://www.anzacday.org.au/education/tff/memorials/nt.html

Update - just got back to the hotel after walking around Darwin for a few hours, and observing the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Cenotaph this morning.