Galaxy Evenings - 26/27th March

[Qualia]

Spain was hit with some of the worst weather I've seen in over fifteen years and for almost a fortnight neither the Sun nor the stars showed themselves. I feared that I'd not be able to do much observing this month but quite suddenly, the storms on that wretched night of the 25th passed and the 26th opened with the first gorgeous day of Spring.

I knew I'd finish work late. I knew I wouldn't be obseving till way gone midnight but I was determined to get a galaxy session in before the Moon would eventually wash out the skies for this month. So on Thursday and Friday night, I made the determined plan to set out on a random, unplanned wander through Ursa Major, Leo, Virgo, Coma Berenices, and Canes Venatici.

The few blissful hours when everyone was asleep revealed fascinating sights of other continents and islands. Two nights of listening to tiny languages of broken words and insrticulate phrases. The world of deep space is a world of almost silence, of muted sounds where nothing breathes and everything is transfixed.

But just as music can be interpreted on the silence built around it, so to with observing galaxies. As sometimes happens, those moments in deep space when you have eventually caught a galaxy and you can say to yourself, “I’ve seen it, I’ve made visual contact with an object millions upon millions of light years away”, remains much more than just a moment.

If there is something as grand as an art to galaxy observing, it may consist in nothing more than being sensitive to each moment, wholly receptive and regarding that moment as utterly new and unique.

Along the way of those moments in deep space, I managed to plot a few galaxies, doubles and globulars. And in this thread I'd like to share the sketches I made of some of the galaxies visited. They were all made with white chalk dust on black paper and star plotted with a white pen.

[estwing]

Great to get back out isn't it!!..I never seem to get enough time around this area every year!..and you get time to produce great sketches to-boot!well done...

[Qualia]

Thanks a lot for your supportive and kind words, Estwing. Certainly great to be out especially after what seemed like an age. Shame that it clears when there's a full Moon lurking - exactly the same thing happened last month

[scarp15]

Lovely sketches Rob, I like your choice of materials for making study's of  these objects. Dedicated approach, that will I expect also enable a bit more sharper visual reach, something perhaps to try and implement myself sometime / next time.  

[Qualia]

Aye, Iain, it's not a tricky technique and to be honest, using a dap of chalk dust on a small brush and plotting a few stars with a decent white pen (the kind that don't run) is as simple as using a pencil. I think it is well worth a little time sketching these objects for not only does it make a nice reference and slows down the eye to tweak as much detail as possible, it may also help others to see what kind of thing is possible.

I really hope you do a little sketching and it will be lovely to see your own . Needless to say, thank you for your kind words and generous support.