Observing Nights: January 31 and February 1, 2025

January 31, 2025 - Honsem (VVS Capella observing site)

On the night of January 31, I set up my equipment at the VVS Capella observing site in Honsem. I had the opportunity to use my new Tele Vue 6mm Ethos eyepiece. The seeing conditions were quite favorable, allowing for detailed observations, particularly of Mars and Jupiter. This night also marked the first use of my all-sky camera, which operated for a few hours.

The weather was cold and damp, with the temperature starting at 0°C and a humidity of 95%. By the time I wrapped up around 1:30 AM, the temperature had dropped to -1.2°C, and the humidity had increased to 96%.

Observations:

• Jupiter (22:00): The planet displayed a wealth of detail through the Tele Vue 6mm Ethos. One of its moons disappeared later in the session.
• NGC 1023 (22:20):
• Tele Vue 31mm Nagler: Easily visible with a remarkable line of five stars to the north. The galaxy appeared small but elongated (3:1) with a brighter core, best seen using a CLS filter.
• Tele Vue 21mm Ethos: The halo was more prominent, making the galaxy more spectacular.
• Tele Vue 13mm Ethos: The galaxy appeared larger with a brighter core and a starlike brightening at the center.
• Tele Vue 8mm Ethos: Provided the best view, with the galaxy appearing about 4' in size.
• Tele Vue 6mm Ethos: Offered a nice view, though I preferred the 8mm.
• NGC 2359 (23:20): Thor's Helmet was stunning, especially through the Tele Vue 31mm Nagler with a UHC filter. The nebula featured a bright central circle with two straight lines, one fainter than the other, and seven stars within the nebula.
• Mars (23:40): The Tele Vue 6mm Ethos revealed the polar cap and darker regions, with more detail visible on the opposite side (as compared with the polar cap) of the planet.
• NGC 2022: A bright, perfectly round planetary nebula with a hint of increased brightness towards the center.
• M42 (Orion Nebula): Using the Tele Vue 13mm Ethos, the nebula filled the field of view with mottling and a dark nebula between M42 and M43. The Trapezium was clearly visible with six stars.
• M81 and M82:
• Tele Vue 21mm Ethos: M81 appeared bright and elongated (3:2) with a brighter center and hints of spiral arms using averted vision.
• Tele Vue 13mm Ethos: M82 was much brighter than M81, with mottling and a prominent dust lane, appearing very elongated (5:1).

Throughout the night, the ServoCat's tracking was initially off due to the Argo Navis being set to summer time. Once corrected, the tracking improved significantly.

February 1, 2025 - Home

The following night, I observed from home. Venus and the Moon were in close proximity, allowing me to capture a photo of Venus and the Moon with Earthshine. Early in the evening, I observed with Lotte and Sara, focusing on Jupiter and Mars, though the seeing was not as good as the previous night. We also observed M35 and M42.

Observations:

• NGC 2392 (Eskimo Nebula): Using the Tele Vue 6mm Ethos, I made a drawing of the nebula, which featured a bright central star surrounded by a bright ring, gradually fading outward.

• Uranus: Appeared as a small disc.
• M1 (Crab Nebula, 22:10):
• Tele Vue 31mm Nagler: M1 was bright and large (around 6'x3'), elongated (2:1) in a rich starfield, with one side ending abruptly.
• Tele Vue 21mm Ethos: Similar view, slightly larger and brighter.
• Tele Vue 13mm Ethos: M1 appeared elongated (5.5'x2.8') with a noticeable dent on one side.

The eFinder had a minor issue with GoTo functionality in Orion but worked well otherwise. The ServoCat's tracking was spot on and worked perfectly.  Overall, the equipment performed excellently, allowing for an enjoyable night of observing without technical disruptions.

The temperature started at 0.0°C with 87% humidity and dropped to -1.7°C with 92% humidity by the end of the session.