Observing Notesfrom the Tuckahoe IrregularsLast night was slightly hazy in Coinjock, NC. I was just barely reaching 6th magnitude naked eye. I looked for Pluto in the wonderful little Orion StarBlast 4.5" f/4. Using a 6mm Radian eyepiece (75x)I found the area immediately but could not see Pluto. I did see the nearby star GSC 5656.235. MegaStar shows that star as 14.0 magnitude and Pluto at 13.8. I suspect the star is closer to 13.5. The star would blink on and off with averted vision, but once was able to hold it direct. I think Pluto would be visible in a 5" scope. The 4.5" was not quite enough. I'll have to try on a better night, as Brian Skiff at Lowell Observatory reports seeing it in his TeleVue Pronto back in 2000. Just to check the optical quality I slewed over to Epsilon Lyra. With a 6mm Radian + 2.4x Dakin Barlow (200x) I could see black space between the components. The diffraction rings surrounding the stars made me feel as if I were peering through a fine refractor. The Orion StarBlast is truly remarkable for a 4.5" $150 telescope. Kent Blackwell |