Just as a follow on to John's report, we did indeed see NGC7293 (Helix nebula) and the Sculptor galaxy NGC253, also known as the Silver Coin galaxy. I had first seen NGC253 at the SSP two years ago, and these were our two primary targets for the weekend, as they are both difficult objects from up here. I've been trying to see the Helix for the last two months, but have had no luck, always an inconvenient cloud or tree in the way.
There was no observing at all on the Friday night, and we thought the Saturday would be the same, even though Michael kept confidently predicting that clear skies were on the way. Well, he proved to be right in the end. there were clear patches from around 9pm onwards, but the skies opened after midnight, and by 1am, it was clear from horizon to horizon. I kept watching the area where I knew the Helix and NGC253 would be, and once it became clear, we got out the Evo 9.25, as we felt it would be quicker to find things with it than the 12" dob.
The first target was the Helix, and it showed well at just below 80X with the 31mm Nagler and UHC filter. We all took a couple of turns to have a look at this rare object, and John, Ian Morison and a couple of others all had a good look. On to the Sculptor galaxy next, and the view in the same combo, minus the UHC filter, was breathtaking. This is the second best galaxy in the whole sky (in my opinion) after M31, and again, we all took a bit of time to view it. Gordon only knows when we might get another chance!
We also had a look at M74 and then M57. We viewed M57 using Jonathan's 11mm Explore Scientific 82 degree, and also his 6mm Delos, at just below 400x!, The view in the Explore was excellent, and the view in the Delos was surprisingly good given the extreme magnification.
I also enjoyed lovely views of M31 and M32 in John's 12" dob. M31 stretched right across the field of view, and the spiral arms were well seen. The dob I mentioned earlier that we had with us is also a 12" Orion Optics UK, just like John's, and after seeing the views in his, I regretted not being able to get the opportunity to have a spin through Sagittarius and Scorpio, which were both long gone by the time it cleared. Even M11 in Scutum was almost below the horizon by the time we got going. But, there's always next time.
Many Thanks to Roy, Kevin and all the guys for all their hard work organising the event, and a special thanks to Steve for the excellent liquid refreshments on the Friday night. It was great to catch up with everyone again.
  