[AZ-Observing] Observing report from Hovatter Norte, Nov 2012
- From: L Knauth <Knauth@xxxxxxx>
- To: "az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2012 00:42:51 +0000
I just returned from two wonderful nights at Hovatter Norte after the cold
front shot through Saturday afternoon. SQM was 21.5 at darkest. Seeing
settled down between 2-5 am Sunday morning and was good after 10 pm the next
night for near maximum views. Just sitting in a chair and watching the
transition between summer and winter Milky Way was fabulous at this
stony-quiet, deep-desert spot. In the after-midnight cold on that rocky desert
pavement, you can really feel the hard cold radiation beaming down almost
unimpeded from the high overhead canopy of brilliant winter stars in Orion,
Canis Major, Gemini, and all over. Unless of course, you have no soul.
Climbing up the ladder to the eyepiece of the 25” Obsession in this near-space
condition is like going through a portal. I tracked down galaxies and
planetary nebulae I hadn’t seen before, drove around M 31 looking at the
infinite detail in the transitions between dark clouds and the star clouds
(gasping as always), worked an O III filter to the max while driving around the
Rosette, the North American, and all those lumpy emission and reflection
nebulae in Monoceros, and checked in on the irresistible showpieces.
A few sights linger tonight:
NGC 7678 has a plainly visible clockwise spiral structure, probably because one
arm is so unusually bright (Arp 28). I never thought spiral structure would be
visible in a 12.4 mag galaxy. Definitely a 25” moment.
Hind’s variable nebula is back! Plainly visible but not exactly where plotted
in Uranometria 2000. It is at the bottom of the “1” in “NGC 1554/55”. Is it
variable in position as well as brightness? T Tauri seemed especially bright
compared to the magnitude symbol in UM. When T Tauri takes off, is that when
Hind’s shows up? I haven’t seen it in 2 years but always check because it was
easy several years back. Astronomy in action!
In the same regard, Hubble’s variable nebula is seriously mottled about half
way out the “comet” right now. I think the whole thing it is a bit longer this
year than last? Lest there are any doubters at how fast this object changes
appearance, check Tom Polakis’ amazing animation that used to be on the Hubble
Heritage site (still there, but link is broken). It is still at:
http://floch5.com/ds99/ngc2261.htm
The supernova in NGC 1365 is brighter than the core of the galaxy. Absolutely
brilliant pure white to this human eyeball. Heavy elements being synthesized
and strewn out. I reflect that some cells in my retina absorbed the energy
from specific supernova photons early this morning and sent an electrical
signal to my aging brain. That’s amazing to think about. And, BTW, that is
one beautiful barred spiral with big arms slinging off into space! But……why
isn’t that supernova squat in one of the arms instead of just on the periphery
of a big void between one on them and the nucleus? Visually it looks like it is
all alone. I wonder how common it is for supernovae to form in such low
density regions?
Driving around the region of the Milky Way just to the north of the Rosette as
it transits the meridian is wonderful. Just field after field of lumpy gray
clouds-- some emission, most reflection. What is so wonderful is the bonus of
large numbers of really brilliant stars in most every field. A few are
enshrouded in reflection nebulosity and have fuzzy halos. I thought I could
faintly see the conus, but didn’t bother because there was such an abundance of
plainly visible magnificence elsewhere to behold.
Another weekend of wonders and solitude at Hovatter Norte! But, it is getting
crowded out there. In all this vacant desert, a solo guy in a small SUV was
camped at my normal site. What are the odds? So, I had to go about 100 yards
north to Hovatter Norte Norte. I spoke briefly with this chap who said he was
seeking solitude to hike around in. He said he didn’t understand people who
look through telescopes because the stars just still look like stars. He was a
bit freaked about snakes, so I stopped in and gave him a reassuring seminar on
the zoology and habits of rattlers on the way home this morning.
Driving into the Phoenix outskirts with the stunning sights of the cosmos still
in my head was bewildering as usual. Can’t wait for the next New Moon.
Videmus Stellae!!
Paul Knauth
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