Initially I started the session at about 3 o'clock by loading my van with every piece of astro kit I own and headed off to the secured dark site for what I was hoping would be a good night out with the toys. By about 5.15pm it was looking bleak so I called off the observing party (small band of 2 others) and drove back to the Manor.

My Manor is a little one with a garden the size of a postage stamp. The garden is nice but its no good for astronomy, at least its no good for deciding what you want to look at, it's more a case of this is what you are going to be looking at. But it's okay, I can have a glass of red and providing the lass next door doesn't decide to have a bath I can cope.

So needless to say shortly after arriving home the sky starts to clear, out with the mount I went laying Lara the Lyra to rest on the top, and what a grand night with Jupiter it was... Not much messing, the seeing was pretty darn good and I was at 204x for the entire night viewing between the odd passing of cloud. I thought it was about time I had a go at a drawing...

This turned out to be quite difficult, with my eye at the eyepiece and a 2B pencil the things I was seeing or thinking I was seeing were moving faster than I could put to paper. I had no rubber so I popped in to get a bit of bluetack as a substitute. I would have to say I found it quite difficult in getting my shades correct. It is my first effort for over thirty years though and I'm looking forwards to having another go.

I watched the GRS come and go and Io begin to tansit. I can't believe I spent 4 hours not even thinking to look at anything else now. The moon was late rising but it never crossed my mind to look elsewhere, so good were the views I was having I suppose.

This is only my second time out with this scope and its a joy..