Report : Short Observation Session on 04 Aug 2004

[weixing]

Hi,
Tonight (04 Aug 2004) was a very clear night, seeing and transparency was also quite good. I and clemgoh decided to had a last minutes observation session at the Tampines Mountian Trail car park... also to check out how good is this site.

We arrive at the site and setup my 6" Newtonian at around 21:00. I decided to took my "standard Milky Way Tour": M4, NGC 6231, M7, M6, M28, M22, M8, M20, M21, M24, M18 and M17. Then I took a detour to view the Ring Nebula M57 and the Dumbbell Nebula M27. After that, we return to Sagittarius to view the M25 and M23.

By the way, I think I miss out the M69, M54, M70, M55 and M75 in Sagittarius... will take note of that and included in my "tour".

Anyway, We pack up at around 23:45 when the moon start to brighten up the sky. Overall, I was quite happy with the observation session tonight especially after seeing the Lagoon Nebula M8, the Swan Nebula M17 and Star Cloud M24 so clearly. Hope that the sky will be clear next weekend (new moon).

By the way, I think the site was one of the better site in Tampines.

Have a nice day.

[Airconvent]

If I may add, David Lian and John Teh was checking out a dark site in Tuas South Ave 5. They mentioned the milky way was very obvious from there..
I was so tempted to join them but the 48km+ journey there on a working night discouraged me. Hope the sky would be clear during the long weekend this week, so we can check out all these cool sites. My ETX is rusting away in the drybox waiting for such a night on a weekend!!

[Sam Lee]

I was with a couple more freshmen doing observation in SP, but NO milky way please! Gone through the similar objects, M4, M80, M7, M6, and the suprisingly wonderful m22. Also manage to see the ring nebula, and if u squizze the juice out of your eyes, might be able to detect some 'layering' effect!

Hope the clear skies will last..!

Regards,
Sam

[weixing]

Hi,
I highly recommended the Star Cloud M24 on very clear night like yesterday night. Other than the brighter foreground stars, you can see thousands of background star blinking at you when using averted vision.

By the way, if you are in Mersing, you can see thousands of stars with a nice dark lane on it like a worm cutting through it. WOW !

Have a nice day.

[fizzy123]

Hi Weixing,
just in case u are planning to frequent the mountain bike trail please PM me, I am interested. The light pollution near the stadium too serious, lah. 8)

[Airconvent]

Hi Weixing,
just in case u are planning to frequent the mountain bike trail please PM me, I am interested. The light pollution near the stadium too serious, lah. 8)

mmm...as I have tried it 1-2 years back with Wira, the trial is sandy, mosquito-infested and unless you go into the actual trail, the head lights from the vehicles turning will take away any dark adapted eye you have in seconds! The only good thing is the pavilon where you can hide if it rains...

rich