Tonight was unexpectedly clear, although the seeing was average at best. M42 was just scraping above the houses begging to be sketched! The lack of Moon was a bonus and once the heat haze from the chimneys was no longer making the seeing even worse, I spent a fabulous hour observing Jupiter, the Pleiades, the Hyades and finishing with M42. The nebulosity was clearly visible from the outset in the fast Dobsonian and a 24mm eyepiece. With greater dark adaption the fainter nebula became visible and…

    Integration time (running total):
    * OSC 280 X 300s (1400m)
    * Total: 23h20m

    Integration time target
    * Target: 24 hours
    * Progress: 99%

Notes

Sat 14th October

    Integration time (running total):
    * OSC 23 X 300s (115m)
    * Total: 1h55m

Notes

Seeing index: 4/2
Jet stream: Average Transparency: Average

    Integration time (running total):
    * OSC 5 X 300s (30m)
    * Total: 0h30m
    

Between the clouds the other day I squeezed in 30 minutes of exposure time on the border between Cassiopeia and Cepheus, a region full of interesting objects. The view in the photo is wide field - 6.6 x 4.8 degrees. Due to the short exposure the H alpha clouds are mainly colourless (e.g. the Lobster Claw Nebula) and the resolution is somewhat poor but I thought it quite an interesting exercise to point the…

    Integration time (running total):
    * OSC 365 X 60s (365m)
    * Total: 6h05m
    
    Integration time target
    * Target: 6 hours
    * Progress: 100%

Notes

Seeing index: Excellent 5/4
Jet stream: Poor (32m/s) Moon phase: 80%
Transparency: Poor

Almost defeated by the dire Autumn weather. On the night of 9th a brief 45 minute spell with gaps to the heavens gave poor views of M31 but surprisingly good ones of M57 (x150). The following morning dawned clear (again briefly, after another night of thick cloud) to the beautiful sight of the crescent Moon with earthshine, Venus and between the two the still-visible star Regulus in Leo.

    Integration time (running total):
    * OSC 88 X 300s (440m)
    * Total: 7h20m

    Integration time target
    * Target: 7 hours
    * Progress: 100%

Notes

Mon 4th September

    Integration time (running total):
    * OSC 95 X 300s (475m)
    * Total: 7h55m
    
    Integration time target
    * Target: 12 hours
    * Progress: 66%

Notes

22nd August 2023

    Integration time (running total):
    * OSC 129 X 300s (645m)
    * Total: 10h45m
    
    Integration time target
    * Target: 12 hours
    * Progress: 90%

Notes

8th August 2023

    Integration time (running total):
    * OSC 94 X 120s (190m)
    * Total: 3h10m
    
    Integration time target
    * Target: 6 hours
    * Progress: 50%

Notes

Seeing index: Not recorded
Jet stream: Not recorded

    Integration time (running total):
    * OSC 139 X 120s (278m)
    * Total: 4h38m
    
    Integration time target
    * Target: 12 hours
    * Progress: 39%

The bright supernova SN2023IXF currently visible in M101, the Pinwheel Galaxy.