h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So far I've seen (2003-01-03):
M45 - Pleiades - 5 or 6 naked eye, loads with the 10x50 Binoculars
M42 - Great Orion Nebula - naked eye & 10x50Bins
M31 - Andromeda Galaxy - 10x50Bins
The location was in the Longdendale valley, near Manchester.
We were out trying to spot a comet and some meteors. I managed to see 1 meteor but not the comet (C2002/X5 Kudo-Fujikawa).
I tried again for the comet tonight as it's early eve/early morning visible but too much skyglow and cloud caused me to not see it but I did get all the objects listed above with 10x50 bins - not bad from the Manchester suburbs I thought.

Hi there Phil
Welcome to the MM.
I can imagine that your location is not the easiest to see from, like mine on the outskirts of London.
Good luck with the comet.. I didn't realise there was one 'up' at the moment. I'll try for it myself. Monsieur Messier would have appreciated it.
All the best
A.M.

Well done Phil!

Roughly whereabouts is the comet?

Ok from what I can tell of where the comet is...
Follow the long part of the Cygnus cross

bum, bum, bum, bum bit the wrong button
so where was I
Follow the long part of Cygnus cross and it's roughly where that line crosses a line between Aquila and Hercules. Current magnitude estimates are around 5 or 6 I think (not checked for a bit). It's low on the horizon either early evening or early morning. I've not spotted it in the evening skyglow yet or got up at 5am either

Oh and AM, I know just what you mean about London having moved back up to near Manchester last year after five years of London life.

Thanks Phil.

5am eh?

I think it should have risen above the horizon by that time in the mornng

Unfortunately I'm not

So unless I get awoken by the neighbourhood fox I doubt I'll be viewing it...

While out scanning the sky tonight (looking for M35, M36, M37 and M38 - possibles on M36 and M38 but not sure) I looked over towards Jupiter and saw quite a lovely open cluster in the middle of the binoculars and realised I'd spotted something (not jupiter obviously). A good look at it and then at a book and some software reveals I saw M44 for definite

So on 2003-01-20 with 10x50 binoculars I saw M44.
Running total 4 so far.

I must say Jupiter was looking mighty fine with 4 or so moons visible even though it was close to the moon (another fine sight in the binoculars).

Running Total 4.

Last night (2003-01-23) I managed to find M35.
Still working on the ones in Auriga (M36, M37 and M38).

Total so far 5

Total so far 5.
A.M.

So it was cold (not too bad out of the wind mind) and dark last night (2003-01-30) and several more of Messier's listed objects were spied through some 10x50 binoculars.
M36
M37
M38 (finally spotted those ones in Auriga )
M50

Nine it is!
A.M.

So all wrapped up warm with lots of layers to stand and lie down on a camping mat in the snow for a great view of the heavens (don't you just love the new moon time for dark skies ).
2002-02-04
M41 in Canis Major
M34 in Perseus
M52 in Cassiopia (only just about mind, I'd like to look at it again through something with more light grasp than 10x50 binoculars)

While out this evening attempting some very simple astrophotography (now will I ever get round to writing that article I've been thinking about for a long time...) I was taking a look round all those objects I've said I can see and yes I can still find them
I also was taking a look at Cassiopia and saw M103. Why I hadn't bothered before I don't know as it was much easier than some others (NGC 663 or is it 654? was in the same field looking good also).

So 2003-03-05 M103 in Cassiopia

So current total is 13

Current total 13
A.M.

Add in that I saw M67 in Cancer last night (2003-03-02). New moon and not too much cloud. Shame I was too tired to spend more than half an hour out observing after going to a stag do the night before.

So up to 14 in total now