Okay, not much to report, but i'm still chuffed! Mainly because I didn't manage to completely [removed word] my scope collimating it before I'd even used it. But thats another story!

My scope (a *cough* 5'' newtonian - everyone seems to prefer skywatcher) finally 'arrived' today, bringing christmas with it as far as I'm concerned. As you can imagine i was quite happy. All I needed was a bit of clear sky, so all night i've switched between checking sat24 and hanging out of my window cursing the low lying mist to absolutley no avail. Astronomy lesson number one, i guess.

Come 3 o'clock and I'm thinking 'perhaps I will need some sleep before work... but one more check won't hurt!' Lo and behold the tiniest patch of the heavens had cleared! Now my only problem being the fact I live on the high street of a small town, undeterred I grab my scope and haul it downstairs like the excitable kid I really am.

By now it's far too late for me to make the trek out to the local park and some decent darkness, I had no other choice so I just set up on the kerb under a streetlight (and the curious gaze of the local baker) and got on with it as best i could. Aside from Orions Belt I have no idea which stars I spotted, at the moment I dont really care! It's just nice to know it's working!

And well thats about it, the fog rolled back in, the baker went back to his pasties and I thought I'd come share. All I know is I'm going to bed happy!

Good times! :D