Observing on August 26 (and 28), 2024 in Valensole, South of France

August 26, 2024:

Location: In front of our rental house in Valensole, far away from the major sources of light pollution

Sky Quality Meter (SQM): 21.1 - 21.2

Observing with the Obsession Telescope

The night began with a stunning twilight display, featuring a large cloud illuminated by lightning. The sky quality was excellent, with SQM readings between 21.1 and 21.2, promising a great night for stargazing.

Challenges with the eFinder:

The eFinder experienced crashes due to connection issues with the Nexus. It would detect the Nexus but then crash.  After reinstalling the latest software of the eFinder software, everything seemed to work fine.

Initially, I could not find the entry to do the initial alignment. This was resolved by long-pressing on the main screen.

I tested the new focus method and it worked exceptionally well.

I mainly observed spectacular and bright objects (old friends):

• M 22
• M 8
• M 16
• M 17
• M 13
• NGC 6781
• M 33
• M 11
• M 26

Unfortunately, the Veil Nebula and NGC 6888 were too high in the sky, and without a ladder, they were out of reach.

Observing with the Amazing Sky Magic Binoculars

Switching to the Amazing Sky binoculars provided a different perspective, with a very wide field of view. The PiFinder worked flawlessly, making it easy to locate objects.

Setup Note:

The binoculars needed to be mounted on the opposite side of the mount to view higher objects.  Using the standard setup, only objects up to 45 degrees could be observed.

Objects Observed:

• M 31
• M 13 appeared as a small spot.
• Cr 399
• M 24 appeared as a spot.
• The Veil Nebula was clearly visible with a UHC filter, especially NGC 6992

The session concluded at 00:40, marking the end of a productive and enjoyable night under the stars.

Enjoy a small timelapse movie of the observing session:

The temperature was very pleasant (> 20 degrees) throughout the entire night.

August 28, 2024

I tried to observe again on August 28, but there were too many clouds to do real observations.  The connection between the ServoCat and eFinder did not work, but I found out later (at home) that some of the ServoCat cables were not connected correctly.

I observed M 4 and M 80 before the clouds prevented further observations.

Despite some technical hiccups, the nights were a success, filled with beautiful celestial sights and the joy of overcoming observational challenges. Clear skies and happy stargazing!