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This was the first observing log of objects seen that I recorded.
I was quite new into
observing with only around 6 months of experience, having used my friend Sathya's 6" dobsonian telescope. So as a result observing was restricted
only to Messier objects, objects usually from which beginners learn
observing. These were the nostalgic days which will never repeat. How
much ever your present or future is successful and you blissfully enjoy it, the
emotions of the past will always overpower it, as they are your first
steps into astronomy and you view the Universe from a different
perspective. This is at least the case with me, such are the memories
that they can even bring tears in my eyes. The first days of
astronomy will always be the most important to me, and that too our
observing site was in a jungle area, so it was a double treat by Mother
Nature showered upon me, the darkest skies in mystic surroundings.
As a result of just having started observing, I didn't have a big group
of people who could accompany for observing with me. It was usually only
one or two. As a result, this time it was Sathya, the owner of the
telescope and another person named Vinay who kept contact with us only
for a few months. And our site was a new site, not our usual one in
South Bangalore, Sivanhalli. This time it was on Mysore Road around 20 km before
Bidadi town. It was a diversion of around a kilometer or two from the
main road, the main road could even be seen from the place. It was mainly an
open area with a tarred road. The skies were fantastic here inspite of
being quite close to the main road and being not very far from Bangalore
city. For a few months until lights began increasing and the sky began
to be redder in color, we used this site apart from our regular southern spot,
Sivanhalli, 12 km from Bannerghatta National Park.
We arrived to our Mysore Road spot in Vinay's car. We setup our
telescope at the spot, the 3 of us.
For me at the time, seeing any deep-sky object except M31 and M45, was a feat of achievement. We observed M13 globular in Hercules which
was setting and that too in slightly red city lights, the road was to
the west of our site. We must have seen M57
(Ring Nebula) and M56 globular nearby. That was the time when I focused mainly on open clusters including the
Double Cluster and other Messier objects, as they were targets for
beginners. The Northern Milky Way was at
it's glory !! Also we must have seen few bright Sagittarius globulars.
I'm making this observing report out of my memory after 2.5 years in
June 2006, so I don't recollect exactly what we saw except for some
special events.
This was the first time I focused to one of the brightest objects I had
seen, M27 (Dumbbell Nebula) and what an
insatiable view it was !! No eye could have missed it, the brightness of
it was just superb. The first words to, by default come out of my mouth
were something like "Oh My God !! Oh My God !!" and probably
I uttered it around 10-15 times continuously for some time. On the
contrary, this was also the
first time I saw the faintest object for that time, NGC 246 planetary
nebula in Cetus. This was at the extreme limit of visibility for an
untrained eye, and I just felt that something is there.
Currently me being probably the biggest comet maniac, I'll always remember
that day for a special event never to be missed. Periodic comet 2/P Encke was to pass
2 degrees close to Andromeda Galaxy. Now I had never observed a comet in
my life before and had no idea how they looked, how much was 2 degrees
and where to look for, I blindly attempted it for some time. I had never
observed even the companions of M31 galaxy, so I was very doubtful of
finding it. However viewing it would have been a blessing. Some days
after this event, the comet was reported to be split into few pieces due
to internal pressures. (Sky&Telescope magazine covered an article
sometime then about viewing it and it's breaking up) The 2003 return was the comet's 60th observed
return. (Source : cometography.com) It was maybe quite a bright object for it's 2003 return,
around 8th magnitude on that day. A fantastic visual and photographic event lost.
Have a look at the image below as to how close these two objects were on
that day, and still I missed it !!! We
returned back at dawn long before sunrise after fog started growing in.
The earliest moments from 2003 until before 2005 are forever etched in my memory compared even to the present
memorable
observing sessions, and if possible, I will rather jump back to time and
stay there forever and get lost, among those first enchanting days....
MESSIER OBJECTS SEEN:
M77, M31, M110, M52, M103, M45, M42,
M43, M38, M36, M37, M41, M57, M56, M29, M39, M27, M71, M17, M22, M15,
M30
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| Comet 2/P Encke and Andromeda galaxy very close to each other -
image from Cartes software |
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