Two fine observing nights at Bielerhoehe pass (2040m)

From Saturday, August 18, to Monday, August 20, 2012

Two days of excellent weather on high-alpine Bielerhoehe pass (2040m) in the Austrian Alps, with a burning mountain sun
during the day and two clear and dry nights. Joining club friends Manfred Mauz (with 16" bino) and Ralph Muth.

First night, 20:54 CEST: Manfred explains his 16" Bino

Increasing Nightfall

I discerned the 7.1 mag star close to Polaris with averted vision (quite definite, maybe for 30% of the time), and my own general
estimate for the night was fst = 7.2 then - given the fact that I was not at the very limit, and the area quite away from the zenith.
Timm measured an SQM of 21.60 for the pole region. Manfred's 16'' Bino showed some excellent views, not least of the classic
highlights Veil nebula, North America or M33. And the southern horizon was quite excellent, with the Sagittarius objects, Helix and
NGC 253 exhibiting a great show.

22:09 CEST: A prominent Milky Way in Sagittarius ...

... gradually moves (Image: Ralph Muth) ...

... to the West (22:55 CEST)

On Saturday evening the site resembled a star party, with about 30 telescopes. I met some experienced observers there,
among them Timm Klose and Reiner Vogel, who showed me some of his pet nebulae in his 22", among them the
Propeller nebula (H-Beta) and the Wolf Rayet bubble WR 134 (OIII). And a fine view of Abell 70 with the superposed
galaxy in Roland Herrmann's 24".

Before the second night:

from left: 20" (Timm), 24" (Roland), 22" (Reiner) and Costa's Dobson

The site, with view to the West

from left: Ben, Manfred and Ralph

Free roaming horses at the pass, with reservoir and Silvretta Alps

Mouth of the glacier stream

Willowherb with Piz Buin (3312m)

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