Semakau visit report...

Tasos scope..an old & reliable friend

Back from a very fun & fruitful trip from Semakau with TASOS!
here's a long list of objects compiled by my friend (FL, thanks!) n
observed during this trip. I personally only observed about 80%
from this list as in the early morning I spend time lazing around
in my cosy tent...(see pic below)

Cosy corner..living on the edge.. (Pic by FL)

Me here, ready to start up the scope for a night of viewing, Albert and gang are sitting watching

(Pic by Tasos, Albert Lim) 

The first few objects..
Moon
Saturn
M41
M42
Pollux double star

Southern Sky
NGC4755 Jewel Box aka Toolbox :p
IC2602 Southern Pleiades
NGC5139 Omega Centauri Globular
NGC3372 Carina nebula
NGC3532
NGC3766
NGC5128 Peculiar galaxy
α Centauri double star

Before the clouds came in..
M104 Sombrero galaxy
M65 spiral galaxy
M66 spiral galaxy
M3 Globular
M5 Globular

Scorpius
M6 Butterfly cluster
M7 Ptolemy’s cluster
M4 Gloubular
M80 Globular
NGC 6231
NGC6124

Sagittarius 
Jupiter
M22 Globular
M8 Lagoon nebula
M16 Eagle nebula
M17 Omega aka Swan nebula

Other objects observed in early morning..
Coathanger asterism 
e Lyra Double double
M57 Ring planetary nebula
M27 Dumbell planetary Neubula
M11 Wild Duck Cluster (an open cluster that looks like globular at low magnification)
M13 Globular
Neptune
NGC6543 Cat’s eye planetary nebula
Venus

Rising sun! (yawn..I'm awake now..did I miss anything?)

Packing up..

Semakau Landfill

The Astronomical Society of Singapore (TASOS) will be
organising an outing  to the Semakau Landfill this saturday. 
The response for this trip is very encouraging!

My previous trip in Jun 2007 was quite enjoyable, brought
my Nexstar5 there, but will not be bringing my Nexstar5 this
time, most probably will be bringing my short tube 80mm
refractor.


Jun 2007 trip to Semakau Landfill, getting ready
to load up and transfer to the other end of the island

Observing aids for small to medium telescopes

The Lunar 100 card and the DeepMap600 (revised edition)
was recently purchased from Astrobargains.
The Lunar card list 100 features of our Moon in increasing
level of difficulty to explore with most scopes. Although some
may have questioned Charles A. Wood's choice of the 100 features,
nonetheless its still an interesting project to tick off all 100 features
listed on the card. The first item on the list is 1) The Moon!
This should be an easy target to start with, 1 down....99 to go
For a complete list, click here.

I got my first experience of the DeepMap600 was about 10 years
ago but lost the map. Finally ordered another one and this is a
revised edition, have no idea where's the revision but it sure
bring back memories of those starhopping days. Great map by
Wil Tirion, very easy to use as its all in one map when unfolded,
but for those in the southern hemisphere, the DeepMap600 only
shows stars to -60 degree declination. Waterproof plastic so dew
is not a problem, can be use as a scope cover if you're taking a break..

My small eyepiece collections

Just got some more 0.96" Huygen eyepieces from Surplus Shed.
So here's a pic of the whole family of small eyepieces together.
Most are Orthoscorpics and a lone Vixen 10mm plossl (w/eyecup)
I just got a vintage Meade Research Grade eyepiece recently,
very sharp! On the left is my work-horse zoom Celestron
eyepiece. All stored in a small plastic tool kit box ready for a
night of planetary observing.


The Giant and the dwaft size comparison!
Left: Pentax 14XL Right: Vixen 6mm Plossl


Just for fun...Pentax 14XL on my tiny 50mm refractor, the
cost of the eyepiece is about 8 times more than the scope!