May 2, 2017 as part of the RIA56 project "Look at the Stars", the Orenburg Astronomical Club "Orion" held another astronomical trip. The event was held outside the city, 30 km from Orenburg along the Saraktash highway, to provide ideal conditions for observing the starry sky.
Event details
Organizers and support
Organizers:
- Astronomical community "Orion"
- RIA56 project "Look at the Stars"
Event information
Venue:
- Location: 30 km from Orenburg along the Saraktash highway.
- For those who do not know how to get there: meet at 9:00 at the monument to Yuri Gagarin (Gagarin Avenue) in the pocket on the way to the center.
Date and time: 05/02/2017
Participation conditions:
- Participation is fee-based: 100 rubles per person.
- Children — free of charge.
- It is recommended to have your own vehicle. If this is not possible, you can find free seats with other participants.
Necessary things:
- Warm clothes (it is cool at night).
- A camping mat or chair for comfortable seating.
- Tea in a thermos, cookies, candies.
- Good mood!
Astrotrip program
Planned observations:
- Planet Jupiter: stripes, the Great Red Spot, satellites.
- Moon: surface details, craters and seas.
- Meteor shower May Aquarids: observation of bright meteors.
- Globular and open clusters, galaxies, nebulae: deep space objects.
- Constellations of the Northern Sky: a story about legends and orientation among the stars.
Equipment:
- Sky-Watcher Dob 10" SynScan: the largest telescope in the Orenburg region with a primary mirror diameter of 250 mm and an automatic guidance system.
- Sky-Watcher 150 mm: a telescope on an equatorial mount.
Results of the astronomical expedition
On May 2, 2017, about 30 people gathered outside the city to spend the night under the starry sky. The weather and atmospheric conditions were so favorable that they allowed observations to be made in maximum detail.
Observations:
- Moon: due to excellent conditions, the Moon was visible with a magnification of 300x on a small telescope (150 mm) and 450x on a large Dobsonian (250 mm). Participants were able to examine craters, seas, and other surface details.
- Jupiter: the planet appeared in all its glory — 5-7 bands, the Great Red Spot and 3 Galilean satellites were clearly visible (the fourth was hidden due to the eclipse by the planet).
- Double star Albireo: participants appreciated the contrast between the reddish and blue components of this beautiful double star in the constellation Cygnus.
- Globular cluster M13: even at a minimum magnification of 40x and decent illumination from the Moon, the cluster resolved to the center into individual stars.
- Meteor shower May Aquarids: all night long, observers noticed bright meteors flying across the sky.
"It was an amazing evening, filled with bright observations and new discoveries. Until next time under the starry sky!"