Page updated: 21 July 2011
| This page contains observing reports of 2008. Click pictures to enlarge them or click the name of a location for more information about the observing site, when available. The values as given for transparency, seeing and limiting magnitude are averages for a night. The maximum SQM value was measured towards the zenith and is not "corrected". Click the Excel icon to open a file with worked out observations or choose the notepad icon to open a textfile. By clicking the third icon a .obs file can be downloaded which can be imported in AstroPlanner V2. The icon on the right opens an overview of the positions of the observed objects. I recently started translating of all of my logged observations from Dutch to English. I expect this to take quite some time. More Excel and AstroPlanner icons will appear as I complete translation of more and more sessions. Once I have translated all observations I will translate session details too. Stay tuned. In the mean time, if you want to read more about my observations and at the same time feel like sharpening your Dutch language skills, please go here.        |
| Sessions 2008 | : | 20 |
| Observations | : | 1104 |
 Tuesday 1 January 2008 - Welgevonden Game Reserve, South Africa |
| Environmentals |
| Transparency: 5/5 Seeing: 9/10 Limiting magnitude: ±6.5 |
| Details |
| Time: 23:00 - 0:45 Binoculars: Bresser 10×50 Observed objects: 27 in constellations: Dorado, Mensa, Tucana, Vela & Carina |
| Open Clusters: 18 Globular Clusters: 2 Nebulae: 5 Galaxies: 2 |
 |
 Sutherland, South Africa (6-9 January 2008) |
| Observing Time: 18:50 hours Telescope: ETX-125AT Recorded observations: 383 |
| in constellations: Antlia, Apus, Ara, Caelum, Canis Major, Carina, Centaurus, Columba, Crux, Dorado, Eridanus, Fornax, Hydra, Lepus, Mensa, Musca, Puppis, Sculptor, Tucana, Vela & Volans |
| Carbon Stars: 17 Open Clusters: 58 Globular Clusters: 24 Nebulae: 16 Dark Nebulae: 2 Planetary Nebulae: 16 Galaxies: 69 Double Stars: 178 Asterisms: 2 Other: 1 |
 Sunday 6 January 2008 |
| Environmentals |
| Transparency: 4/5 Seeing: 7/10 Limiting magnitude: ±6.5 |
| Details |
| Time: 23:40 - 3:10 Telescope: ETX-125AT (Polar) Observed objects: 74 in constellations: Antlia & Puppis |
| Carbon Stars: 3 Open Clusters: 16 Globular Clusters: 1 Nebulae: 1 Planetary Nebulae: 3 Galaxies: 1 Double Stars: 49 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 Monday 7 January 2008 |
| Environmentals |
| Transparency: 4/5 Seeing: 7/10 Limiting magnitude: ±6.5 |
| Details |
| Time: 21:15 - 4:10 Telescope: ETX-125AT (Alt/Az) Observed objects: 125 in constellations: Caelum, Tucana, Sculptor, Mensa, Dorado, Puppis, Crux & Musca |
| Carbon Stars: 5 Open Clusters: 22 Globular Clusters: 12 Nebulae: 8 Dark Nebulae: 1 Planetary Nebulae: 2 Galaxies: 19 Double Stars: 56 |
 Tuesday 8 January 2008 |
| Environmentals |
| Transparency: 5/5 Seeing: 10/10 Limiting magnitude: ±6.5 |
| Details |
| Time: 22:55 - 2:05 Telescope: ETX-125AT (Alt/Az) Observed objects: 73 in constellations: Eridanus, Fornax, Columba, Volans, Centaurus, Crux & Canis Major |
| Carbon Stars: 4 Open Clusters: 1 Globular Clusters: 2 Nebulae: 1 Dark Nebulae: 1 Planetary Nebulae: 1 Galaxies: 12 Double Stars: 51 |
 Wednesday 9 January 2008 |
| Environmentals |
| Transparency: 5/5 Seeing: 9/10 Limiting magnitude: ±6.5 |
| Details |
| Time: 22:10 - 3:35 Telescope: ETX-125AT (Alt/Az) |
| Observed objects: 112 in constellations: Columba, Eridanus, Fornax, Lepus, Canis Major, Carina, Vela, Hydra, Centaurus, Apus & Ara |
| Carbon Stars: 1 Open Clusters: 19 Globular Clusters: 9 Nebulae: 6 Planetary Nebulae: 10 Galaxies: 38 Double Stars: 26 Asterisms: 2 Other: 1 |
| Saturday 9 February 2008 - MVC Berlicum |
| Environmentals |
| Transparency: 3/5 Seeing: 4/10 Limiting magnitude: ±4.0 |
| Details |
| Time: 21:00 - 1:15 Telescope: 8" LX200GPS-SMT (Polar) Observed objects: 73 in constellations: Taurus, Camelopardalis & Puppis |
| Carbon Stars: 10 Open Clusters: 6 Planetary Nebulae: 4 Galaxies: 1 Supernova Remnants: 1 Double Stars: 51 |
 Saturday 26 April 2008 - MVC Berlicum |
| Environmentals |
| Transparency: 3/5 Seeing: 4/10 Limiting magnitude: ±4.5 |
| Details |
| Telescope: 8" LX200GPS-SMT (Polar) Observed objects: 30 in sterrenbeeld: Virgo |
| Double Stars: 30 |
 Saturday 3 May 2008 - MVC Berlicum |
| Environmentals |
| Transparency: 3/5 Seeing: 6/10 Limiting magnitude: ±4.0 |
| Details |
| Telescope: 8" LX200GPS-SMT (Polar) Observed objects: 5 in sterrenbeeld: Virgo |
| Carbon Stars: 1 Double Stars: 4 |
 Sunday 4 May 2008 - MVC Berlicum |
| Environmentals |
| Transparency: 3/5 Seeing: 6/10 Limiting magnitude: ±4.5 |
| Details |
| Telescope: 8" LX200GPS-SMT (Polar) Observed objects: 82 in constellations: Virgo, Boötes, Canes Venatici & Serpens (Caput) |
| Carbon Stars: 4 Globular Clusters: 4 Planetary Nebulae: 1 Galaxies: 39 Double Stars: 33 Asterisms: 1 |
 Wednesday 7 May 2008 - MVC Berlicum |
| Environmentals |
| Transparency: 4/5 Seeing: 5/10 Limiting magnitude: ±4.0 |
| Details |
| Time: 0:00 - 1:55 Telescope: 8" LX200GPS-SMT (Polar) Observed objects: 55 in constellations: Virgo |
| Carbon Stars: 1 Planetary Nebulae: 1 Galaxies: 17 Double Stars: 36 |
 Thursday 31 July 2008 - MVC Berlicum |
| Environmentals |
| Transparency: 4/5 Seeing: 7/10 Limiting magnitude: ±3.5 |
| Details |
| Time: 0:05 - 1:10 Telescope: 8" LX200GPS-SMT (Polar) Observed objects: 22 in constellations: Ophiuchus & Aquila |
| Globular Clusters: 1 Dark Nebulae: 1 Double Stars: 20 |
 Friday 15 August 2008 - MVC Berlicum |
| Environmentals |
| Transparency: 4/5 Seeing: 9/10 Limiting magnitude: ±3.0 |
| Details |
| Time: 22:45 - 0:40 Telescope: 8" LX200GPS-SMT (Polar) Observed objects: 9 in constellations: Lyra & Cygnus |
| Planetary Nebulae: 9 |
 Friday 29 August 2008 - MVC Berlicum |
| Environmentals |
| Transparency: 4/5 Seeing: 7/10 Limiting magnitude: ±4.0 |
| Details |
| Time: 22:15 - 2:10 Telescope: 8" LX200GPS-SMT (Polar) Observed objects: 31 in constellations: Aquila, Cygnus, Lacerta, Pegasus & Andromeda |
| Carbon Stars: 18 Open Clusters: 5 Nebulae: 3 Dark Nebulae: 1 Planetary Nebulae: 3 Supernova Remnants: 1 |
|
 Saturday 30 August 2008 - MVC Berlicum |
| Environmentals |
| Transparency: 4/5 Seeing: 3/10 Limiting magnitude: ±5.0 |
| Details |
| Time: 22:20 - 2:20 Telescope: 8" LX200GPS-SMT (Polar) Observed objects: 39 in constellations: Aquila, Cygnus, Andromeda & Triangulum |
| Carbon Stars: 1 Open Clusters: 4 Nebulae: 9 Planetary Nebulae: 3 Galaxies: 10 Double Stars: 12 |
 Saturday 6 September 2008 - MVC Berlicum |
| Environmentals |
| Transparency: 4/5 Seeing: 2/10 Limiting magnitude: ±5.0 |
| Details |
| Time: 23:10 - 0:00 Telescope: 8" LX200GPS-SMT (Polar) Observed objects: 7 in constellations: Cepheus & Cygnus |
| Planetary Nebulae: 5 Double Stars: 2 |
 Monday 20 October 2008 - Cape Town, South Africa |
| Environmentals |
| Transparency: 4/5 Seeing: 3/10 Limiting magnitude: ±3.0 Maximum SQM: 18.50 |
| Details |
| Time: 23:50 - 0:30 Telescope: ETX-125AT (Alt/Az) Observed objects: 7 in constellations: Cetus, Sculptor & Fornax |
| Carbon Stars: 6 Galaxies: 1 |
 Sutherland, South Africa (22-23 October 2008) |
| Observing Time: 10:05 hours Telescope: 11" CPC Recorded observations: 152 |
| in constellations: Antlia, Apus, Ara, Caelum, Canis Major, Carina, Centaurus, Columba, Crux, Dorado, Eridanus, Fornax, Hydra, Lepus, Mensa, Musca, Puppis, Sculptor, Tucana, Vela & Volans |
| Carbon Stars: 14 Open Clusters: 11 Globular Clusters: 18 Nebulae: 4 Dark Nebulae: 2 Planetary Nebulae: 5 Galaxies: 93 Double Stars: 2 Asterisms: 3 |
 Wednesday 22 October 2008 |
| Environmentals |
| Transparency: 5/5 Seeing: 6/10 Limiting magnitude: ±6.5 Maximum SQM: 21.75 |
| Details |
| Time: 20:20 - 2:45 Telescope: 11" CPC (Alt/Az) Observed objects: 110 in constellations: Aquarius, Indus, Grus, Piscis Austrinus, Fornax, Horologium, Reticulum, Orion & Caelum |
| Carbon Stars: 8 Open Clusters: 4 Globular Clusters: 4 Nebulae: 1 Dark Nebulae: 2 Planetary Nebulae: 4 Galaxies: 84 Double Stars: 1 Asterisms: 2 |
|
 |
|
 Thursday 23 October 2008 |
| Environmentals |
| Transparency: 4/5 Seeing: 6/10 Limiting magnitude: ±6.0 Maximum SQM: 21.71 |
| Details |
| Time: 20:30 - 0:10 Telescope: 11"CPC (Alt/Az) Observed objects: 42 in constellations: Scorpius, Sagittarius, Tucana, Pisces, Cetum, Sculptor & Hydrus |
| Carbon Stars: 6 Open Clusters: 7 Globular Clusters: 14 Nebulae: 3 Planetary Nebulae: 1 Galaxies: 9 Double Stars: 1 Asterisms: 1 |
 Friday 26 December 2008 - MVC Berlicum |
| Environmentals |
| Transparency: 4/5 Seeing: 7/10 Limiting magnitude: ±4.5 Maximum SQM: 20.01 |
| Details |
| Time: 18:15 - 23:20 Telescope: 8" LX200GPS-SMT (Polar) Observed objects: 88 in constellations: Pegasus, Andromeda, Triangulum, Aries & Perseus |
| Carbon Stars: 21 Open Clusters: 31 Nebulae: 1 Double Stars: 33 Asterisms: 2 |
 Monday 29 December 2008 - MVC Keldonk |
| Environmentals |
| Transparency: 4/5 Seeing: 7/10 Limiting magnitude: ±5.0 Maximum SQM: 20.01 |
| Details |
| Time: 18:20 - 0:15 Telescope: 8" LX200GPS-SMT (Polar) Observed objects: 92 in constellations: Pisces, Perseus, Camelopardalis & Taurus |
| Carbon Stars: 7 Open Clusters: 8 Nebulae: 4 Planetary Nebulae: 8 Supernova Remnants: 1 Double Stars: 64 |
 |