[Friends_of_SSASTROS] Notes From The Field - It sounded good on paper.

[JAMES RUTLEDGE]

Mike,

My experience was similar with my 10x70 binoculars. I also think Venus’ brightness overwhelmed the cluster from a seeing adaptation standpoint in that field of view. But, like you, I think I caught it a couple of times with averted vision. I should have tried the 80mm refractor.

Really nice pictures accompanying your note. That bench must be a really nice spot!

Thanks for sharing.
Jim

Sent from my iPhone

> On May 10, 2023, at 5:58 PM, Mike McCabe <cartech2000 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> 
> 
> May 9th, 2023; Lake Nippenicket, Bridgewater:
> 
> I ventured to “The Nip” on Tuesday night to take a gander at the coupling of Venus and M35 in the post-sunset western sky. The smoky conditions that were so prevalent throughout the day had abated somewhat, but there was still a notable presence of colorful haze when looking out toward the sunset. I went armed with a pair of 8x42 binos, a pair of 15x70 binos, and the ever-present 120mm refractor that rides around in the truck with me. It’s a good thing too, because it would be the refractor that would save the night as far as seeing the desired target goes.
> 
> There were lots of people occupying the Nip parking lot, many of whom were there for the express intent of seeing the sunset and some of whom were keen on getting their fishing season underway. As soon as I had the scope set up I had visitors asking what I was looking at and then enjoying the view of a 63% waning gibbous Venus, with some folks naturally asking if it was the moon they were seeing, as it definitely looks like a mini half-moon at this stage.
> 
> 
> The early part of the evening turned into a mini outreach, with about a dozen guest viewers enjoying a peek at the Goddess of Love in her half-illuminated state.
> 
> With the sunset over and the lot mostly cleared out I got tired of hanging around the back of the truck, so I went over to have a seat at a bench that a group had installed within the past couple of years over near the boat ramp. I’ve taken to reading the plaques on memorial benches these days, and I count my lucky stars when I see that the person it’s honoring was born after me and obviously gone before me. This particular one was dedicated to a man named Richard Monteith, and it made me wonder if he was related to Pat Monteith, a NASA Solar System Ambassador who presented at our club several years ago. One thing I did know; based on the location of the bench he was either a fan of sunset watching or boat ramp watching, both of which can be immensely satisfying experiences, the sunsets for the wonderment of nature and the boat ramps for the wonderment of trailer backing skills – or lack thereof.
> 
> 
> The view from the Richard Monteith memorial bench overlooking the lake was nothing short of splendid.
> 
> By 9pm it was dark enough to attempt what I had come for, namely to seeVenus and M35 in the same field of view. I can say this; the binoculars did not work for this task. The sky was too bright, too compromised by haze, and the duo was too low in the thick atmosphere to expect any improvement as time went on. I can say that maybe sort of in an averted imagination kind of way I was able to see M35 in the 15x70’s, but by and large the binocular wonderfulness experience that I was hoping for and really quite expected was a dud. Thankfully the scope would do better.
> 
> 
> Even with the sky darkened the binos failed to resolve M35, but the scope did better. The constellation Auriga occupies center stage in this image taken at 9:15pm on Tuesday evening.
> In the 120mm refractor operating at 28x and with a 2.5° true field of view I was indeed able to fit both objects in the view at the same time, but it certainly wasn’t a middle-of-the-winter M35 viewing experience. With the relatively bright sky background I could still definitely see the cluster, but unlike those dark overhead views earlier in the season where we can resolve this particular cluster into several dozens of stars, on this night I counted just 20 members in the cluster itself and about 60 or so throughout the entire field. I’ve had worse viewing experiences, so it was still worth the effort.
> 
> Let’s hope that this forest fire/smoky skies situation abates during this period up to and a little beyond the new moon – we’ve got observing objectives to tackle!
> 
> Keep Looking Up!
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> Mike McCabe
> 
> 
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