Visual Observations 2025

In progress

In 2025, I only made a few visual observations (and not in the previous years either) because I either only photographed ("observed") with my "Smart Telescopes" or with telescope-camera combinations for EAA. In 2024, I did observe with binoculars in France and tried out my new TLAPO804 refractor at home.

Conditions

Sky Region and Objects

In 2025, I observed different sky areas so that a sky map does not make much sense.

Observation Time

The observations were done mostly directly after sunset (exception: observation of Venus).

Observation Location

The telescope observations took place in Mühlhausen/Kraichgau (Germany):

Coordinates: 49° 15′ N , 8° 43′ E
Coordinates (dec.): 49.25° N, 8.72° E

Devices Used

I used the TLAPO804 on the AZ Pronto mount. I also used my binoculars.

General Conditions

In Mühlhausen/Kraichgau, the sky was not particularly dark.

Observations

TLAPO804, Binoculars, Mühlhausen, January 18, 2025

Venus and Saturn were close together these days (2°10' minimum on Jan 18, 2025)

First I observed Venus and Saturn with the small binoculars from the terrace: Saturn's ring not visible. I also took photos of both (RX10, RX100), but the photos did not turn out well...

Then I observed with my TLAPO804 telescope (refractor) on the balcony:

Venus and Saturn together (24 mm eyepiece, just fitted together in the field of view), Saturn's ring at best to be guessed.
Individually, Venus was visible as a crescent (barely half) and the flat ring of Saturn (4 mm eyepiece).
Mars could be seen as a disc with a 4 mm eyepiece

We also saw the ISS and Jupiter (with our eyes only); Mars was nicely reddish to the eye. There was fog coming from the west and the sky was quite "bubbly" (poor seeing)...

I also observed some DSO: Orion Nebula M 42 at various magnifications (24, 16, 4 mm eyepieces; Trapezium clearly visible at 4 mm), Pleiades M 45 and Hyades Mel 25 with Aldebaran

References

Books

Michael Feiler & Philip Novak (2023). Deep Sky Reiseatlas (5. Auflage), Oculum Verlag (ISBN 978-3-949370-04-5)
www.oculum-verlag.de/detailview?no=608
Ronald Stoyan (2021). Deep Sky Reiseführer (6. Auflage), Oculum Verlag (ISBN 978-3-938469-72-9)
www.oculum-verlag.de/detailview?no=603
Erich Karkoschka (2022). Atlas für Himmelsbeobachter, Kosmos Verlag (EAN: 9783440173602)
www.kosmos.de/de/atlas-fur-himmelsbeobachter_1074889_9783440173602