Telescoping part deux
So about three or four weeks ago I was lucky enough to have a friend drive me and my telescope out of the city a little ways.
We set up the telescope and brought out the laptop on which I have the various (and necessary for me) star charts.
I had read in the past that M31 (Andromeda galaxy) was a very visible object in the sky after the sun, moon, and the bright planets. So emboldened I decided this was going to be the first object I would look for. It looked easy enough to find on the chart.
So we set about aiming and looking. Its supposed to be between the constellations Cassiopeia and Pegasus. Well, I can tell you the night ended an hour later without having caught a glimpse of anything. We attempted to find the Veil nebula afterwards, also a bust.
The lesson I’ve learned, and there are many, but the biggest one is that an amateur astronomers shouldn’t set out without a pair of binoculars.
Good times though, the view of the sky without any kind of optical assistance was stunning. I don’t get out there enough.