Naked Eye Observation

[weixing]

Hi,

Oh yeah Barry, I've read your Tips and Advice section earlier before and I wanted to offer some advice and improvements to certain sections. For night adaptation, I've personally noticed that once you begin to sink more into astronomy, it gets easier and takes a shorter time to adapt. For example, a 5-minute could become 2-minute. Well, it's different for everyone, but I've shortened my adaptation time by quite a significant figure. And as you know, light pollution is really terrible over here in Singapore, being able to spot a few bright stars just within 2 minutes of staring out is good enough. I've spotted M35, the Pleiades and a few other constellation like Auriga with my naked eyes by just looking out of my windows. I wasn't able to spot any of them when I first started, but it keeps getting better.

What he mean is a true dark adaptation which usually require at least 25min and up to 1hour for fully dark adaptation. Once you fully dark adapted, the sensitivity of your eye can increase up to 100,000 or more and a small bright light, such as the light from your camera LCD (even at lowest brightness setting) or Jupiter through a telescope can easily blind you for awhile and spoil your dark adaptation.

Anyway, I think what you experience are not dark adaptation, but improve in observing skill and know where and what to look for.

By the way, you got wonderful eyesight to be a able to spot M35 in Singapore sky using naked eye, so make sure you protect your eyesight...

I personally own a 5mW one and will be getting a 20mW novalasers soon.

Just to make sure you aware that it's illegal to own and use a laser pointer greater than 5mW in Singapore without a proper licence... Also, laser pointer is not a toy, so make sure you use it and handle it with care.

Have a nice day.

[Zephyrus]

What he mean is a true dark adaptation which usually require at least 25min and up to 1hour for fully dark adaptation. Once you fully dark adapted, the sensitivity of your eye can increase up to 100,000 or more and a small bright light, such as the light from your camera LCD (even at lowest brightness setting) or Jupiter through a telescope can easily blind you for awhile and spoil your dark adaptation.

Anyway, I think what you experience are not dark adaptation, but improve in observing skill and know where and what to look for.

By the way, you got wonderful eyesight to be a able to spot M35 in Singapore sky using naked eye, so make sure you protect your eyesight...

I see, yeah I think I noticed too, when I was out at the field for hours. I was able to spot some very dim stars after 2 hours in the field with my naked eye. Usually when I see a fuzzy patch, I know it's a cluster, and with my planisphere, I can identify it immediately. Hmm, is spotting M35 in Singapore sky that hard in Singapore? I just looked out of my 18th floor room last Wednesday at 4am and was able to spot many stars and constellations like Cassiopeia (very near to the horizon) and the Auriga constellation which is a part of the Winter Hexagon. M35 was like a bright fuzzy patch that I spotted almost immediately when I looked up. It could be because that night was really clear, although the following night was cloudy and rainy again.

Just to make sure you aware that it's illegal to own and use a laser pointer greater than 5mW in Singapore without a proper licence... Also, laser pointer is not a toy, so make sure you use it and handle it with care.

Yeah, I've done quite a lot of research into lasers and I'm aware of the license. Usually, law enforcers in Singapore do not go around checking a person's laser pointer unless you misuse the laser itself. I believe for normal astronomy use, it should be pretty decent. Although to be honest, I'm pretty happy with my 5mW because it's beam is visible after 1 minute of "warming up" and I can see the beam quite clearly. I'm only upgrading to the 20mW because the 5mW's button is giving me some problems.

Thanks for the advice though! (:

[weixing]

Hi,

Usually when I see a fuzzy patch, I know it's a cluster

Not all fuzzy patch is a cluster... M42 nebula and M31 galaxy look like a fuzzy patch too.

I can identify it immediately. Hmm, is spotting M35 in Singapore sky that hard in Singapore?

Yap... at magnitude 5.5, it's a very difficult object to spot using naked eye in Singapore. I don't think I had seen M35 using my naked eye in Singapore. Even M7 (which is around magnitude 3.5) is not easy to spot in Singapore unless the sky is very clear.

M35 was like a bright fuzzy patch that I spotted almost immediately when I looked up.

Bright fuzzy patch?? Hmm... so did you see M42 nebula too??

Usually, law enforcers in Singapore do not go around checking a person's laser pointer unless you misuse the laser itself.

Usually they don't, but 20mW laser pointer is quite bright and quite obvious even in Singapore light polluted sky. Anyway, just be careful when using any laser pointer and make sure you don't point at any reflective objects, ground objects and any aircraft.

Happy observing and have a nice day.

[Zephyrus]

True, haha but usually most fuzzy patches are clusters. Hmm, it's probably because that night was really clear, and probably because I was looking out of the windows on the 18th floor. My room faces the North (slightly north-east). And I was sure I spotted the M35 through my naked eye (with my specs of course), and then I took out my 8x42 binoculars afterwards to take a good look at it. It was magnificant cause it filled almost the whole screen of my binoculars view and many stars could be seen.

I don't think I spotted the M42 nebula, or even if I did I wouldn't know. But I most likely didn't, cause I had to strain my neck to look all the way up for M35, and M42 was even higher and I wasn't able to see it cause it was blocked by my HDB block. I'll keep a lookout for it when another good night come by, because I want to take a good look at the Orion too. The first and last time I saw the Orion was during the partial lunar eclipse. Oh yeah and on the same night when I spotted M35 (last wednesday), I saw the double cluster through my binoculars as well. It isn't that pretty to me, probably because it wasn't as bright as the M35 hehe. I made use of my laser to help locate it cause like I said, I had problems finding the main stars of cassiopeia through the binoculars cause I wasn't able to align what I saw through my naked eye on the binoculars.

Thanks again for the advice about the laser, I'll be careful with it so as to prevent unnecessary trouble. (:

[Clifford60]

Zephyrus, how many stars can you see on Pleiades (M45) with your naked eye?

[Zephyrus]

Hmm, the first time I saw Pleiades was on the 10th September, Wednesday at around 6am, and it was pretty cloudy with tons of high alt clouds. I was only able to see a fuzzy patch. Took out my binoculars to view. Only took a look at it for 5 minutes, and was only able to spot only about 6 bright stars. Conditions weren't as good as the night I saw M35, so I don't know. I'll keep a lookout for the Pleiades again when the skies are better, and I'll let you know how many stars I can see with my naked eye. (:

[weixing]

Hi,
I moved the posts to this new thread as it is off-topic in Barry thread.

I took out my 8x42 binoculars afterwards to take a good look at it. It was magnificant cause it filled almost the whole screen of my binoculars view and many stars could be seen.

Hmm... M35 was not that big leh... it's only half a degree... around the same size as the full moon... unless the weather was so good that the milky way is clearly visible through a bino.

But I most likely didn't, cause I had to strain my neck to look all the way up for M35, and M42 was even higher and I wasn't able to see it cause it was blocked by my HDB block.

Err... I checked the star chart for last Wednesday (3 Sep 2008) 4am, both M35 and M42 were quite low... M35 was 22 degree above ground and M42 was 32 degree, so I don't think you had to strain your neck. If you can see M35, you won't miss M42 as it's a lot brighter than M35... unless the view at the right side of M35 is block.

I saw the double cluster through my binoculars as well. It isn't that pretty to me, probably because it wasn't as bright as the M35 hehe.

You should see the double cluster at a darker site... double cluster is brighter and larger than M35. It's a very beautiful open cluster and more spectacular than M35.

Have a nice day.

[Clifford60]

Hmm, the first time I saw Pleiades was on the 10th September, Wednesday at around 6am, and it was pretty cloudy with tons of high alt clouds. I was only able to see a fuzzy patch. Took out my binoculars to view. Only took a look at it for 5 minutes, and was only able to spot only about 6 bright stars. Conditions weren't as good as the night I saw M35, so I don't know. I'll keep a lookout for the Pleiades again when the skies are better, and I'll let you know how many stars I can see with my naked eye. (:

Pleiades will rise by 11.30pm, hope you can have a good view by 1.00am (25 deg ENE)

[Zephyrus]

Hmm... M35 was not that big leh... it's only half a degree... around the same size as the full moon... unless the weather was so good that the milky way is clearly visible through a bino.

Haha, then I most likely exagerrated it. xD Yeah, come to think of it, it wasn't filling the whole screen, but already quite a big portion of it like the full moon.

Err... I checked the star chart for last Wednesday (3 Sep 2008) 4am, both M35 and M42 were quite low... M35 was 22 degree above ground and M42 was 32 degree, so I don't think you had to strain your neck. If you can see M35, you won't miss M42 as it's a lot brighter than M35... unless the view at the right side of M35 is block.

Yup the view was blocked. And by straining, I mean leaning my back to the windows, then lean my whole head out to look at the south, when my window is facing the north. It was quite dangerous too, especially on the 18th floor. And when you're holding a binoculars that weighs almost 1kg while sticking your head out of the windows, it's really quite a strain. Haha.

You should see the double cluster at a darker site... double cluster is brighter and larger than M35. It's a very beautiful open cluster and more spectacular than M35.

Yeah, it was pretty low and near the horizon, affected by light pollution. I'll see if I can go to Malaysia next year or something to stargaze... It will definitely give me a very different feel as compared to Singapore. Usually the darkest part of our sky is directly up, and its probably why M35 was so bright and visible to me on that night. Oh and about the moving of our posts to this new topic, thanks. We got off-topic over at Barry's thread. This thread also allowed me to share my newbie experience with all.

Thanks again, weixing! (:

Pleiades will rise by 11.30pm, hope you can have a good view by 1.00am (25 deg ENE)

Hmm, nowadays the conditions are really bad. And for my area, the west side of the sky isn't very favorable for stargazing cause it's mostly affected by light pollution. The north is the best for me, and this is why I usually wait until the time where the stars/objects I want to view is up high before I go out and try to look for them. The reason why I don't look at the South is because of my location as well, cause towards the South is the City, I can see the whole city in my living room. I can't wait for another observation session out at ECP, cause I really want to see what I can find and identify in a darker spot.

[zackae]

lol, the many things in the sky never ceases to astound us. Well, usually, those bright clusters, open clusters are easy to spot with both the binos and our naked eyes. Weather plays a huge role in it because high clouds might be present and we are oblivious to them, thinking that our eyes aren't good enough. But i have to say Wei Xing's eyes are super powerful. Those dim stars/clusters/nebula are not a problem to him.

Speaking of Wei Xing, when are we gonna have a obs??? So Long already!