2020 August 25

Deep Sky Update – August 2020

Callum Potter

Strangely August seems to have flown by for me. Observing wise, although it has been getting darker earlier, the weather has not been too cooperative, with just a couple of sessions at the telescope. Otherwise mainly tweaking around with the optical configuration, and adding a dew-shield. I have discovered the miracle of Plate Solving which although sometimes slow, makes a lot of the telescope set-up and finding of objects easier.

Hopefully over the next few weeks we will get some clearer skies.

August Journal

Many thanks to Stewart Moore for his excellent August Journal article on the objects of Sagitta. If you have not had a chance to read it, it can be read on-line at https://britastro.org/journal_item/23623
I did get a chance to use my EAA set-up on M71 and had a go at Palomar 10 which was less than convincing. However the observing conditions were not good – I am still hoping for some better skies before the summer constellations slip away.

Deep Sky Section Early Publications

If you are interested in the early history of the section, you may be pleased to hear that all the early publications of the section, Newsletters and Deep Sky Diary have been scanned and posted on the BAA website.
Many thanks to Owen Brazell who undertook the tedious job of scanning them all. Of course the section is not very old, being created in 1982. It is fascinating to read these early publications and see the evolution from film to digital imaging, as technology has evolved.
To read these documents visit https://britastro.org/downloads/3847

Variable Nebulae update

Gyulbudagian’s nebula continues to be a shadow if its former self as shown in recent images by Mike Harlow and Nick James. Mike has also imaged (or imaged the area of) McNeil’s nebula using a Telescope.net telescope in Chile, but the nebula is still not apparent.

Member’s images

Many thanks to everyone that has been sending in images over the past weeks. Here are a couple of old favourite objects:

M15 by David Davies

This image was taken with an 8 inch Ritchey-Chretien with x0.7 reducer, QSI 683 camera on an EQ8 mount.
It was actually captured on July 28th, and is only 10 x 2 minute exposures of R, G and B.
The planetary nebula Pease 1 can be discerned just north of the centre.

North America Nebula by Iain Cartwright

Taken on 7/8 August 2020 between 22:57 and 00:03 UTC.
It is a stack of 82 images each with exposure 30s at ISO800.
Equipment: Nikon D810A with coma corrector, Sky-watcher 200PDS, HEQ5 Pro, LED flat light box.
Processing: PixInsight and Lightroom.