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stolenfeather

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Blog Entries posted by stolenfeather

  1. stolenfeather
    One would think that after last night with the famous "supermoon" , that many posts covering the event prevail but no. To tell you the truth, I must admit feeling quite bothered about the "hype" the news conjured up with their flashy headlines and promises of wonder. In the end, there was little to see without some sort of measurable reference that the moon was "bigger". The media did it again, promised something they knew little about, raised excitement and only delivered an illusion based on the power of suggestion.
    Yes, the moon was it its closest, this is called a perigree. That's it. However, there was a time last evening where I felt elated since for once, all eyes ventured above to the night sky and searched to be mesmerized. The feeling we all have as stargazers was shared by all (even if just for a moment)! I hope it continues to grow and does not wane once the headlines become yesterday's news.
    The moon is always beautiful.


    LUNAR WONDERS
    Liquid-less seas of rugged terrain with borrowed light,
    Bombarded, impacted, now cratered shadows in time.
    Daunting shine creating shadows in the subdued night.
    Waxing, waning, eclipsing, sometimes reigning sublime.
    Illness, destruction, the promise of monsters you bring
    are all creations, wishes of doom born within the mind.
    supreme darkness where feathered silence takes wing,
    Intriguing, unknown, a sense of wonder to all humankind.
    An attraction force, a pull far greater than we can surmise
    elevating, decreasing, reducing, creating the ocean tide.
    A magnetism, a scientific lust for discovery under disguise,
    we searched to land, to walk, make you an object of pride.
    But with all you've become and wonders you've captured,
    I stand captured almost enraptured in a sense of awe
    at the hope you may reveal many questions unanswered
    always humbled by your presence, I could never withdraw.
    Isabelle



    Last night, I took the following pictures of the moon not really because it was bigger, but because it was there :


    Isabelle
  2. stolenfeather
    Saturday, March 31st, 2012
    and into the wee hours of the first day of April.
    It had been nearly a month since my last serious stargazing session although I had caught many glimpses as the weeks strolled by. Each time, I was either swamped with school-related work, had no time to properly record what was observed or was away from my telescope altogether. There were times that I ached to be outside and other moments when my passion for the stars completely overwhelmed my senses. However, I remained silent and my telescope collected dust from lack of use.
    On March 15th, I definitely wanted to scream so all could hear.
    I'm sure that many of you would agree that there are moments in life when you experience something you never thought you would and are well aware that the occasion would never present itself again. The evening of March 15th was such a night. My science students had participated in the Regional Science Fair and had placed first and third in their categories. As we left the building, we witnessed the most spectacular auroras ever! Unfortunately, I did not have my camera and all I could do was stare. The moment was fleeting yet awakened a most profound part of me. As the small bus drove away from the small building where the students had displayed their winning projects, all I could do was lower my head and cry. I knew, I knew,.. that I had seen something that few had experienced and that I would never see again. I attempted to find a picture online to share a little of what I had seen (image from borealis2000.com).
    On March 31st, I was finally able to perform my much needed collimation. This usually takes 10 to 15 minutes as I align the primary and secondary mirrors. This routine task ended up taking me 45! For reasons that have me completely baffled, the mirrors were completely misaligned, enough for the adjusting laser to miss the secondary mirror completely and appear on the wall behind it! I was careful to keep my eyes away from the light as I attempted to fix the situation to no avail. The mirrors refused to budge so I concluded that the Allen key used was dysfunctional. Frustration set in as I vowed vengeance to all that reflected light until I finally found a new tool hiding in the bottom of our kitchen drawer.
    You know the drawer that simply accumulates all unused items of the household? That's right, you have one of those too I'm sure. Imagine trying to find something of value there!
    Finally, the mirrors were perfectly aligned and the telescope was acclimated to the cold. It was -14 degrees Celsius with humidity levels at 92 percent. This was clearly not ideal conditions to be outside (in terms of condensation issues) but I was in no position to complain. Venus welcomed me as soon as I stepped into the tampered darkness. Once again, she shone beautifully while the moon basked the rest of the sky in light.


    I am extremely proud even if other images on this forum is 100 times better!
    30 minutes into my session, both my eyepiece and my viewfinder (TELRAD) suffered from condensation greatly reducing what could be seen. I decided to abandon my quest but left my telescope outside in case the conditions changed.

    It did!


    As the clock struck 12:30 am of April first, I made my way outside once more. I knew it was there,... I had not seen it for many months BUT I knew it was there.

    There it was! Please help me in welcoming our ringed wonder to our night sky once more!



    The tilt of the planet displayed the rings beautifully! I decided to attempt using my husband's camera (a Panasonic Lumix - DMC LX5) which is more sophisticated than mine. Eureka! Yes, I think I finally have a picture of Saturn that I can be proud of!

    Isabelle

  3. stolenfeather
    I couldn't believe it, I had waited till 10:00 pm and I still didn't have the inky black skies needed to see most of the stars except the brighter ones in each constellations. Deep-sky objects were clearly NOT going to be on the table for this particular night! I will have to take a strong coffee before doing any serious stargazing from now on as spring approaches summer! Since the planets outshone everything else, I decided to concentrate on them.
    Like usual, my first gaze fell on Venus. When the moon is not around, it is still outshining everything else! Once again, its clarity surprised me and I took the picture you see at the bottom. I am quite proud of it!



    I used my 26 mm Plössl with my 2X Barlow lens which gave me a magnification of 76.9x.


    I then, using the same magnification, took my chances with Mars once more but like the previous night, it offered little. In its defense, it's not because he wasn't picture-friendly but simply because the planet is slowly receding away. My last stop was Saturn and it surely didn't disappoint! Using my Sony point-and-shoot, I caught a short 20 second video file. Once by my computer, I utilized the RegiStax 6 program to stack the individual frames. The result gave me the following! I couldn't be happier!





    Tonight, I'm going to stretch the limits of this procedure. If the length of the video file creates better images then we'll see what I can capture by filming the planet for an extensive period of time! This is very tricky because a Dobsonian telescope isn't the most stable when it comes to photography. I should accept my equipment's limitations but then, it's just a "tongue-tied, twisted earth bound misfit" as I am right?
    Isabelle

  4. stolenfeather
    June 1st, 2011
    I have dreaded this day since the first time I have looked through my sky-watcher. That would be the day when I would have to "tinker" with all that makes it "tick". Today, I grabbed the Dobsonian by both horns and attempted collimation using the HoTech SCA Lazer Collimator. I bought this little gadget with the hope that it would make the task at hand less intimidating. It wasn't complicated at first since I followed a YouTube video and the somewhat simplistic directions that came with the device. Click
    for the video.I tinkered, second guessed myself many times, and finally let out a sigh of relief, "It was done". Just to make sure, I asked my husband to take a look. This is where I learned a very valuable lesson. Two people attempting collimation is a recipe for disaster! My husband, being the perfectionist that he is argued that the scope was still off center and started re-adjusting the primary and secondary mirrors. The result? It was grossly misaligned! I then tried to help and we were both tinkering here and there (probably making it worse as we went along) until I couldn't bear the sight of my Sky-Watcher anymore.

    After two hours, it was still misaligned!
    Steven gave up and adjourned to the living room where he watched a movie called "White Noise". Upon feeling some major "heebie jeebies" coming along, I decided to give my scope another try.
    Fifteen minutes later, it was perfectly aligned! Personally I blame the telescope. IT doesn't play well with others!
  5. stolenfeather
    April 21st, 2012

    The peak of the Lyrids settled in on this night which boasted a dozen or more meteors per hour. Did I see any meteors? Yes, I saw a couple but I have to admit that I wasn't really looking. According to me the "real show" was a little bit further,...
    I made my way outside after fixing my TELRAD which had become unattached at one side since the glue wore off with time. I realigned my viewfinder using bright Venus. When I stopped fumbling in the dark and actually glimpsed at our shiny neighbour I was aghast as to it's clarity! It's crescent, illuminated at 33%, was spellbinding! There have been other nights when it's phase brightened up the sky to a greater degree but tonight the view was extremely sharp!
    Our other neighbour, Mars, was very present on this night and offered a spectacular view as well. I checked the humidity levels wondering if it was low but it registered at 81%. At levels this high one would believe that my transparency (how steady the sky is) would be affected but no,... everything was pristine!
    I skipped across the sky to Saturn that showed a definite hint of yellow with a whisper of an orange tinge colour. I told my husband, Steven. to come out and look. He came out in his shorts and t-shirt but didn't stay long since the temperature was flirting dangerously close to -10 degrees Celsius.
    I looked up in the direction of Lyra a couple of times during the night for signs of meteors but there was another constellation that beckoned my attention: Virgo. This beautiful constellation hides so many wonderful gems! Knowing full well that it was a new moon and that light would not be a problem, I pointed my telescope towards the regions of Vindemiatrix. Why there? You see, herein lies the Virgo Cluster of Galaxies!

    It is possible to point your telescope anywhere in this region and stumble upon a galaxy. I sat back mesmerized. We are indeed specks of dust in comparison aren't we? I guess you now all understand why I sign all of my astronomy journals with the same quote: " Can't keep my eyes from the circling skies
    Tongue-tied and twisted, just an earth-bound misfit, I"
    I located, M59 and M60 which are elliptical galaxies estimated to be about 55 million of light years away, each holding billions of stars! All I could see was a hazy blur, a cloud, something that looked "not quite like a star" but more so!


    Tell me,.. Have you ever danced with the galaxies while a couple of meteors streaked by? Did you know that the planets were watching you all along?

    Isabelle

  6. stolenfeather

    PLINK!

    By stolenfeather,

    February 29th, 2012
    Stargazing during the week when there is school the next day is always very tricky since time is a factor. Each minute I remain outside means less time to prepare for classes to be taught for the next day but sometimes,... passion wins over. Last night was one of those nights! Besides it's not every night where one can stargaze on February 29th! Ready for the LEAP?
    Since I knew I had little time and had not made any previous research to what I was going to observe, I knew that being outdoors would consist of a rapid stroll around the block. My gaze was immediately captured by the moon. I decided to capture its spendour both with my point-and-shoot camera and with my video camera. Both files were subjected to photo-altering programs (one is Picasa which helps with normal pictures and the other Registax that renders raw video files to a single picture by stacking the individual frames. Here are the finished picture files:






    The one above was created with the aid of Registax but left the finished picture with a blueish hue which better represents what I saw through the telescope. The other, using my point-and shoot camera and altering the file with Picasa gave me a more rich black and white texture of the moon.
    Using Registax, I also tried my luck with the planet Venus that shone so brightly near our own satellite (seen below).
    My personal weather station announced -16 degrees Celsius but the tips of my fingers thought differently. As I stepped back to warm them up, I accidentally knocked over my carrying case holding all of my lenses and collimation instruments. That's when I heard it,.....


    PLINK!

    I instinctively looked to the ground but there was nothing to be seen but the wooded floor of the balcony. I sighed to myself,.. of course, whatever had fallen had to fall through the cracks! 5 minutes later, I was fumbling around in the snow with a flashlight looking for the runaway "plink". I knew what it was. Such a small "plink" could only mean my Allen key, used to align the mirrors of my telescope. It was small, practically insignificant but the only instrument I could use to alter my main mirror. In other words,.. "plink" was bad news!
    After 10 minutes of looking around in the snow, I found it!

    With my Allen key in hand I made my way back outdoors. Mars and Jupiter were also out and for once, I was more enthralled with what our little red neighbour had to share than the biggest planet of our solar system. The truth of the matter is that Jupiter was slowly exiting out of our evening sky. He shall be back and soon,... Saturn will be coming out to play! I wonder how much of its ring system will be seen this year?
    Although I had little time, I scanned the constellation Monoceros once more since my discovery of M47 earlier this week. I wanted to see more since M46 another open cluster was close by but harder to see, especially with the baseball flood lights on down the road. I waited patiently for my eyes to become accustomed to the darkness and,...
    Alright, I hope many of you will skim over this part without really reading it since I would hate to be "one of those people" that claim to see things but,...
    I saw something. I know what a satellite created by humans looks like through a telescope for I have seen many. This didn't whiz slowly by like an overly tired meteor. It was very, very slow and steady. I glanced away from my telescope to see if it could be seen with the unaided eye but no. When I looked back in the eyepiece it was gone. Could it have been a different type of satellite? I looked to my Stellarium program that lists all natural and human born objects in the sky according to latitude and time of stargazing and no,... No satellites were to be seen within the vicinity of the place I had been looking at. So my Stellarium program had a glitch, I was overly tired after a day teaching, it was a "different satellite than I have seen in the past,... I do not know what it was. Let's leave it like that okay?
    I packed everything and returned to the warmth indoors. What did I see tonight? Venus, Jupiter, a new Messier object, Mars, something weird (that's it) and the moon.
    And what a moon it was!




    Isabelle
  7. stolenfeather
    October 7th, 2011
    I was comfortable watching a movie with Steven when the doorbell rang. After a few seconds, I could hear a series of knocks. I made my way to the door and three of my science students were standing there.

    "Did you see the moon and the stars tonight Isabelle? We want to see it! Is your telescope out?" :rolleyes:
    The fact that it wasn't and that I preferred returning to the comforts of the couch to see the rest of the movie is proof that my husband had finally found something on video that was worth my while. We were watching "Thor" in 3D and I was completely mesmerized by the science fiction special effects. I told my students to come a little later and right on time, when the movie had finished,.. they were there!
    The students that make their way to my house on starry nights are usually boys. Unfortunately, in my class and in society in general, astronomy enthusiasts seem pretty much dominated by the Y chromosome. I say this because most people who enjoy discussing the wonders of the night sky with me and most of my contacts on my stargazing forum are all male. Seeing the inquisitiveness on these young girls' faces was a breath of fresh air to me.

    They asked if they could see Vesta (Yeah, I had told them that I had found it earlier this week and my whole class had clapped) but the moon had whitewashed that whole section of the sky. Besides, even if it hadn't, by the time my movie was finished, it would have been too low in the horizon to see much in any case.
    Like all the students that come to my house for the first time to look through the telescope, I quickly went over how it worked and then pointed out some constellations. I then showed them something small even if they kept insisting to see the moon. I explained that it was always wise to start with faint objects and make one's way to the brighter ones since, this way, a person retains their night vision longer.

    M31 didn't impress them much. Their eyes became wider when I told them what it was and showed them a picture but I knew that this was clearly not what they wanted to see.
    "What about Jupiter?" I said.
    This they became quite excited about. I told these wide eyed girls that I would show it to them only IF they could find it in the night sky. They responded to this with an air of gloom.
    "Come on,.. I know you can find it. Look up and point to me the brightest object in the sky besides the moon!"

    This they did and were quite happy with themselves in having found it "all by themselves". One after the other they crowded around the telescope trying to see Jupiter and its four moons. One of my students had her iPod with her and wanted to take a picture of it. I helped her, knowing full well the excitement of 'bringing a piece of space home".








    The moon's light was constant and so was the desire of my young observers to see it. Of course, as the teacher that wants everything to be exciting, I aimed the telescope at the moon and when it came into view put my hands in front of the eyepiece. Like a laser beam, the moon's light struck my fingers. I then opened my hands as if to cradle it. "See", I said, ",.. it IS possible to touch the moon!" With that sentence, I unleashed a power I never knew existed. These three girls all huddled desperately around the eyepiece hoping to capture the light of the moon. I then offered for them to see it:







    I proceeded to augment the magnification further with my Barlow lens and again the iPod came out for them to take pictures. I'm afraid that none of those will come out since I have had little success myself with my camera at this setting. They then asked what else they could see. Unfortunately with the light of the moon, there was little else I could show them. They offered to come by later since I had mentioned during class that Mars, Jupiter and Saturn could be seen in the early mornings. It was perfectly clear that I had succeeded in lighting a fire of curiosity but I couldn't do it. Staying up all night or waking up extremely early on a Saturday morning after a full week of teaching simply didn't "sit well by me".



    They were disappointed but they perked up once more when I said that soon Venus would be out in the evening sky and that I would be waiting for them!
    Don't worry girls,.. we'll do this again real soon!



    Isabelle



  8. stolenfeather
    Saturday, September 24th / 2011 (9:00 - 11:00pm)
    Actually this star session started in the late afternoon when I went through my second collimation (aligning my primary and secondary mirrors so the image being seen comes out crystal clear). This time, it was much easier and I was able to finish it in 20 minutes. I was extremely surprised when I stepped outside since the night greeted me with a very comfortable 10 ºC or if you prefer, 50 ºF. There was no wind and everything was quiet. Finally, I would lose myself in the stars!
    There are times when stargazing when everything goes wrong. This was NOT one of those times! The night was absolutely still, there was no moon present and everything seen through the eyepiece was crystal clear! High above was the constellation Cygnus. Although it strained my neck, looking straight above in order to better orient the scope, I was extremely pleased with what I saw. First there was the open cluster M29 that seemed to pulsate with light and finally, after trying many times before, I saw the North American Nebula.


    Every time I have used my program Stellarium in the past month, it has shown me the location of a certain Vesta. This object, found in the constellation Capricornus would be my first seen asteroid. The night was going so well so why not? I found this object hard to locate when suddenly, I came across a familiar looking "fuzzy" star! This was no asteroid but M30! I was so lost! I didn't mind the mistake since this little object was worth further investigation. I had never come across it before and this is probably because I found it so faint! What wasn't helping was that this particular constellation was low to the horizon. It was around this point that I gave up on Vesta. My sense of direction was completely off and even if I saw it, I'm sure that most of it would be concealed due to it's location in the sky.
    There was one more destination I wanted to see and it lay deep within the Great Square of Pegasus. I wanted to experience the Andromeda galaxy once more. When I located it, my eyes actually watered with excitement. I had seen this little beauty many times before but this was last year when I had not mastered (or even tried) the art of collimation. I had seen this majesty of a galaxy with a very misaligned scope. Not this time! The image was crystal clear and seemed to jump out of the sky! When M32, an elliptical galaxy sprang into view I couldn't restrain myself and actually looked around to see if there was anyone around to share this with.
    My new neighbour, as if on cue, called out to me, "Isabelle, are you out there?" Of course it is hard to see me since I am blanketed with darkness when outside with my telescope. "Come quick, I need to show you something!" I said. It was her first time looking through a telescope and what she saw was Andromeda! Since the constellation Pisces lingered below, I decided to find Uranus as well. I have to admit that unlike many who have stated that they saw colour when looking at this particular planet, I never have.
    I wanted to show my neighbour the planet Jupiter but it was found on the other side of the house so, like I had done with my students about a week ago, we carried the telescope through the house to the front door, The view it shared was one of extreme clarity and the bands were clearly defined.
    When my neighbour left, I decided to stay indoors for a couple of minutes to warm up and work on my "Ultimate Messier Object Log" (program found online) which can be printed and filed, as seen below:







    Yeah, It doesn't get better than this!



    Isabelle
  9. stolenfeather

    I confess

    By stolenfeather,

    March 30th, 2011
    Last night was my 51st time acclimating and using my telescope. I must confess something, I have been a bad astronomer. You see, telescopes have no magic to them. However, like many illusionists, they work with mirrors. Once in awhile (about every two months or so) or according to need, the user makes sure that these mirrors are indeed aligned properly. In true astronomical terms, this is called collimation. I confess, all this time,... I have never done it.
    If truth be known, like a neurosurgeon attempting to "make that first cut", I have been quite intimidated by the whole ordeal. However, I have waited long enough and it had to be done. I attempted to check the alignment of the mirrors last night but deep down inside, I knew I didn't have to. This was long time overdue.
    I called the store I usually deal with for my astronomical needs for three reasons today:


    The telescope I had ordered to use during the summer had not arrived yet. It had been exactly one month since I had made the order.
    My new Barlow lens had not been delivered either.
    I wanted to order a little jewel that would make my collimation experience less painful, a Hotech Laser Collimator.

    Now, why on earth would I order from this particular seller again if I had waited so long for my previous items? I've dealt with him before and he's always been dependable. He apologized over and over again stating that he had not received the items from his supplier yet. Why don't I go directly to the supplier myself? My passion for astronomy is still in it's infancy stages making suggestions / recommendations greatly appreciated. As I learn, I believe that I will feel more secure with my purchases in the future. However, when it came to the collimator, the seller actually congratulated me stating, "that it was indeed the best".

    Collimation was near to impossible last night. At first I thought that my eyesight was still giving me trouble because of my latest MS relapse but in the end, it had nothing to do with my own vision at all,... the humidity levels were extremely high making any clear image impossible.

    So here I sit waiting for my purchased items to make their way to the isolated north. The Barlow is greatly needed since the one I have been using all of this time, has developed a crack (I never dropped it so assume that this was caused by the differences of heat and cold over time). I also wait impatiently for the collimator.



    The neurosurgeon has been far too patient and an incision is due.





    Isabelle









    callmenurse.blogspot.com
  10. stolenfeather
    June 18, 2011
    Since nights are incredibly short, this stargazing evening went far into the early morning of the 19th. I am more of an early riser than a night owl which makes viewing the night sky quite difficult at this time of year. Stargaze in the morning? This would mean setting my telescope up at 3:00 am. I do love astronomy but I've been told that sleeping was a good thing,...
    I set up my telescope around 11:30. It was at this time that the ISS was streaking across the sky. I followed with my binoculars and gave it a salute when it dipped below the horizon approximately where the moon would be rising (maybe it was already there but stood behind my neighbours house where I couldn't see it).

    I stopped by a fuzzy Saturn which seemed nestled next to Porrima in the constellation Virgo. I immediately thought that it's lack of detail was caused by it being so close to the horizon but it wasn't. I felt like I was watching the sky through water! The waning gibbous moon, when it finally made it's appearance, seemed to be dripping with sweat! I should have packed up my telescope right away but something told me to stay put. I decided to do something that could only end up in frustration and set out to look for M51 (a whirlpool galaxy). To tell you the truth I had never been able to see it and have given up many times. Why I would choose this night to look for it,.. I don't know. All I can say in my defense is that there are many things about me that simply can't be explained.
    When I noticed a smudge, I told myself that I had finally found it. However, no details could be seen. I patted myself on the book for finally spotting it but,.. now what? I had found it on a night where little could be appreciated! That's okay. If I found it once, I'll find it again!
    As I turned to pack my equipment away a light caught my eye. It looked like a lone firework which sputtered flames behind it for a couple of seconds (maybe even three) and then was gone. I stared at the darkness, holding my breath, half expecting it to come back to life but no,... I had seen a HUGE FIREBALL! Maybe it was a remnant of the Lyrid meteor shower since it's peak ended days ago.


    Tonight, in a small northern community in James Bay the atmosphere had shown it's power. It had orchestrated a weather pattern that had me reach for a hat and gloves in the middle of June, turned the moon a very distinct orange colour (this is created by atmospheric disturbances), had rendered every celestial object in sight into a perspiring mess, and had shown its protective characteristics by turning a rock fragment into fire.






    Burn Baby Burn!




    Isabelle
  11. stolenfeather
    August 28th, 2011


    I hope this post doesn't often anyone for it is not my intention. I'm writing out of sheer disgust and frustration.


    I was finally back in the north where stargazing was at it's best. My 10" Sky-Watcher had been waiting for me during the month of July but what had welcomed me home were not skies of bliss but heavens completely littered with clouds! I watched as one night blended with another and still I had no chance. School had started which limited my stargazing moments to the weekend. This Sunday, with the following school day looming, I simply couldn't take it anymore. It had been so long and the sky above finally showed windows of opportunity. The rest of the week, however, promised clouds. It had to be now BUT I had to come back in for 11:00pm. Staying up any longer would surely impair my teaching day. I therefore timed myself.
    Upon heading outside, I knew that this would not be easy. Baseball fever had overtaken this little northern community and guess who lives right next to the baseball field:






    The night around me was basked in light, as one would see when in the presence of a full moon. It was impossible to make out all the constellations but thought that I could navigate successfully in any case. My Telrad was overtaken by condensation which considerably added to my frustration.


    I was losing a battle that had been won by the light from the very moment I had first stepped outside.


    However, I wanted a taste, a glimmer of a view. Andromeda could still be seen right? All was not lost! That's when I heard it. It was coming from my neighbour's house. It was a rustling and then something else,...

    Utterly disgusted I packed up my telescope and asked my husband to help me bring it in. "So soon?" he said. I looked at him and remained quiet as frustration set indeeper. The condensation had not broken my will. Neither did the excess light or the fact that I had little time. The vision of my neighbour's back relieving himself at the corner of his own house did. Come on! Your bathroom can't be that far! What's wrong with you?



    Stargazing for me signifies a moment of release, where peace can be found in a world where chaos reigns. Way to bust my "peace bubble" buddy!




    Tonight, the baseball field lights are off. Furthermore, there doesn't seem to be any sign of life in the house next door.
    Maybe I could,..

    Nah.
    Never mind. It's raining.

    Isabelle
  12. stolenfeather
    April 21st, 2012

    The peak of the Lyrids settled in on this night which boasted a dozen or more meteors per hour. Did I see any meteors? Yes, I saw a couple but I have to admit that I wasn't really looking. According to me the "real show" was a little bit further,...
    I made my way outside after fixing my TELRAD which had become unattached at one side since the glue wore off with time. I realigned my viewfinder using bright Venus. When I stopped fumbling in the dark and actually glimpsed at our shiny neighbour I was aghast as to it's clarity! It's crescent, illuminated at 33%, was spellbinding! There have been other nights when it's phase brightened up the sky to a greater degree but tonight the view was extremely sharp!
    Our other neighbour, Mars, was very present on this night and offered a spectacular view as well. I checked the humidity levels wondering if it was low but it registered at 81%. At levels this high one would believe that my transparency (how steady the sky is) would be affected but no,... everything was pristine!
    I skipped across the sky to Saturn that showed a definite hint of yellow with a whisper of an orange tinge colour. I told my husband, Steven. to come out and look. He came out in his shorts and t-shirt but didn't stay long since the temperature was flirting dangerously close to -10 degrees Celsius.

    I looked up in the direction of Lyra a couple of times during the night for signs of meteors but there was another constellation that beckoned my attention: Virgo. This beautiful constellation hides so many wonderful gems! Knowing full well that it was a new moon and that light would not be a problem, I pointed my telescope towards the regions of Vindemiatrix. Why there? You see, herein lies the Virgo Cluster of Galaxies!

    It is possible to point your telescope anywhere in this region and stumble upon a galaxy. I sat back mesmerized. We are indeed specks of dust in comparison aren't we? I guess you now all understand why I sign all of my astronomy journals with the same quote: " Can't keep my eyes from the circling skies
    Tongue-tied and twisted, just an earth-bound misfit, I"
    I located, M59 and M60 which are elliptical galaxies estimated to be about 55 million of light years away, each holding billions of stars! All I could see was a hazy blur, a cloud, something that looked "not quite like a star" but more so!


    Tell me,.. Have you ever danced with the galaxies while a couple of meteors streaked by? Did you know that the planets were watching you all along?

    Isabelle

  13. stolenfeather
    June 11th, 2011
    The clocked seemed to tick forever yet still,.. the sun wouldn't disappear completely. It wasn't before midnight when most of the stars could be seen and the last light of day disappeared. I waited impatiently since it was the first time I would take my telescope out since my first collimation one week ago. No collimation after using my telescope fifty-eight times! What was I thinking? That's the problem, I wasn't thinking. I was simply nervous about tampering with the telescope. Now? Well, I feel like a chump. It was relatively easy and was done within 30 minutes or less. With time i believe I can reduce this to 10.
    I was also excited about this stargazing moment because I was having an "inauguration ceremony" for my new Celestron Ultima 2x Barlow lens which consisted of me simply breaking the seal of the box. The balloons and hoopla were all in my mind. The old Barlow I was using had developed a crack (top left) in it. I have no idea how this happened, I never dropped it and am tempted to believe that it was caused by the extreme difference of temperatures of going outside in -40 weather and back to 22 (inside the house). All I know is that I had been using it for months and it was about time I purchased a new one. Let's see here,....


    No collimation for 58 nights AND a cracked Barlow? How on earth could I see anything?
    You'd be surprised what determination will get you!



    The weather, after a long week of temperatures flirting with the freezing point, was quite comfortable. I knew exactly what my target would be: Saturn. With spring advancing fast, I was well aware that Saturn's moments of fame was coming to a close. With the collimation finally done and the new Barlow, I was in for a spectacular view! The bands were clearly marked with no haziness due to the collimation and this combined with my new Barlow gave me a crisp image. I felt like I was looking through a completely different telescope altogether! I would love to try share this with you but please believe me, the picture taken below does not do justice to what I saw:





    I filmed this wonderful ringed planet for one of the last times this year and used the program RegiStax to stack the files (for some reason it always comes out small). My summer vacation is looming closer and I'm afraid I won't be able to do this while camping. The reason is very simple: I don't have any electricity out there! Well, we'll see, I will be touching "home base" many times during the following month and a half.
    Isabelle

  14. stolenfeather
    September 9th, 2011
    The stargazing forum had been abuzz for the last couple of days about a supernova that had been recently discovered in the Pinwheel Galaxy (M 101). Boasting an easy find, I decided to give it a whir after a succulent supper of lobster tails, rice and broccoli (I'll eat broccoli with just about everything).







    The supper was perfect and adding a glass of wine from the Loire Valley made it sublime! I left the table for a well deserved dessert,... a galaxy and it's supernova! Unfortunately, I encountered a couple of inconveniences. You see, the Gibbous Moon was casting way too much light and what was not basked in our natural satellite's glory was overtaken by wisps of auroras! The entire night sky seemed all aglow! Inconveniences couldn't come with more beauty!
    Some students came by for a look and what astounded them was not the auroras since they are pretty much a common happening in the north but the moon. It was the first time they experienced it through a telescope and they were completely taken aback! Come now,.. why would they NOT be?





    My students were full of questions and listened carefully to what I was saying but deep down, I knew what they wanted to see. A couple of nights before, I had showed another bunch of young enthusiasts the planet Jupiter and that's all they could talk about the next day at school. These new faces wanted to see it too. We therefore brought the telescope to the front of the house where the Roman God had taken center stage. "Behold the mighty Jupiter!", I said as I let them look through the eyepiece. When I told them to count the stars they saw around them, they gladly said, "4!". Imagine their surprise when I said that they were not stars at all but the planet's moons!

    This is exactly what they saw through my telescope and that's all it took to make them gasp in wonder.






    I then reached for my Barlow which increased the image by two. I think I did it,... these young ones are hooked. There's only one problem though. I don't think I'll be able to look at the night sky alone ever again!
    Isabelle
  15. stolenfeather
    February 24th, 2012

    The mercury boasted a temperature of -21. Since the wind was inactive, this created comfortable viewing conditions outside. I wanted to post many of my own pictures with this entry but my chosen photographic subjects were not very cooperative except for the first two seen on the bottom left.


    Early in the evening, around 6:30 pm, a small crescent moon seemed to dance in the advancing darkness while Venus and Jupiter praised our natural satellite with their brilliancy. The night surely promised to be interesting!


    The "moon shadow" can be seen in this picture giving a new significance to the term "Dark Side of the Moon".


    Yeah, yeah,.. I know, "There is no dark side of the moon. As a matter of fact, it's all dark" Pink Floyd







    Venus on the other hand did not show any hint of a shadow and it's light beams seemed to stretch beyond what I could see in my eyepiece. With these two pictures I went back indoors to cook and eat my supper since it was past 7:00pm. I made scallops, balsamic rice and asparagus. I washed this culinary delight down with a small glass of Sauvignon Blanc (Bordeaux). For dessert I made myself a small apple turnover and Espresso.
    Dessert is supposed to be the last delight of the evening. It my case, it had just begun!
    I had noticed for some time now an interesting object in the constellation Monoceros on my Stellarium program. The catalogue indicated a cluster of bright stars engulfed in a reddish haze named the Rosette Nebula or NGC 2244. Further research unraveled this majestic image:






    A favourite object for many astro-photographers, and backyard astronomers, it was about time the nebula and I became better acquainted. I was not looking to be completely mesmerized sinceI know far too well that pictures seen above cannot be seen in a telescope but only through a camera with long exposure capacities. Needless to say that the human eye is therefore incapable of such a feat but I would see something right? A blur, a small distortion in the darkness?
    Alternating between my telescope at low power and my birdwatching binoculars, I made out something of a haze (maybe more out of wishful thinking) and some bright stars. Further reading highlighted the importance of extremely dark skies and pristine viewing conditions. I had neither. Disappointed? Come now, knowing exactly where these super hot stars delivering extreme amounts of radiation can be found in the night sky is enough to give me chills!
    The constellation Gemini is one easily recognized and holds many treasures of its own. I therefore set my gaze towards M35 (NGC 2168).







    A hop, skip and a jump away from Propus, my eyes fell on this open cluster that takes up an area in the sky as big as our full moon. Rather faint, this 1billion year young cluster still packs enough punch to capture ones imagination.






    During all this time, Mars seemed to look over my shoulder probably wondering why it was being ignored. I just knew it wouldn't show me any detail but since our little red neighbour had made its way far from the horizon, I couldn't evade it any longer. This time, since there was little atmospheric disturbances, Mars gave me hints of black patches and not the usual red ball I had grown accustomed to! I attempted to take a picture to capture the glory I had just witnessed but the details were not distinct enough for my camera.
    Three planets and two deep sky objects were seen on this night but although my eyelids were protesting for some much needed sleep, I resisted packing up my equipment knowing full well That Saturn was out as well. I was being greedy. Saturn could be seen but was extremely low in the horizon at this time. I simply had to wait till the end of March and the view it will grant me would deliver much more detail than it could now. I shivered, looked in the direction of our ringed planet and gave a salute. Till next time sir Roman God of agriculture and justice!
    Isabelle
    Click on individual targets for image sources:
    - M35
    - Gemini Constellation
    - NGC 2244 (Rosette Nebula)
    Isabelle

  16. stolenfeather
    September 6th, 2011
    I wasn't thinking of staying long outside and didn't have any set goals but I simply couldn't let a cloudless night pass by without attempting to explore the skies! I set up and decided to return to the constellation Cygnus for another romp. As I was making sure everything was aligned, I heard a strange noise. It was subtle but I recognized it right away. Something or someone was playing with the tarp found around the BBQ. Could it be that a wild animal was attracted by the smell of the chicken my husband had made the night before?
    No,..






    It was the neighbour's dog which I have nicknamed "Silly Pup" which had come by to keep me company. The man never ties his dog but this does not concern me since he is great pal to have around on a starry night!
    After taking the above picture, I heard my name being screamed over and over again. I recognized the voices immediately, my students were coming over for a look! They couldn't see me since I was sitting on my back porch in the dark. I went to the side of the house and called them over. It was at that point that I saw them,.. the northern lights were out! Considering the solar activity in the last few days (if not weeks) and my northern location, I wasn't surprised. Unfortunately, the lights were quite faint and picture-taking was impossible. So, we were starting this little astronomy class with the presence of the mighty Aurora Borealis! Who can ask for anything more?
    I then showed my students a couple of constellations but they were barely listening to me. What had attracted their attention was the light that loomed above, our moon! I gave them a chance to navigate the telescope to our natural satellite and wasn't surprised that they "whooped" in pleasure at the sight!





    Pssst! Try a little higher!
    Once the moon exploration was over, one student remembered something, "You said in class last week that Jupiter was out here! We want to see it!"


    I explained that it was still close to the horizon and was actually found on the other side of the house. I also stated that it was best for us to wait and that I didn't like the idea of walking around with my 10" dob around the house in the dark. I couldn't see them in the dark but I could sense their eyes starting to glaze over.


    They just looked at me with "puppy dog eyes" (once again I could sense this with no problems in the dark) and said:





    Now, How can I say "no" to that?



    We carried the telescope to the front of the house and they marveled at the fact that they could see Jupiter's moons. Some colour could be seen and this made them extremely excited!




    Now, I must warn you, taking pictures of young teenagers when excited can result in this:





    After we were all blinded by the flash, my students helped me bring my telescope inside. It's nights like these that I pride myself for being a teacher. The young ones that left, had acquired something very special, a taste of a passion that will remain with them forever!

    Isabelle
  17. stolenfeather

    Congratulations!

    By stolenfeather,

    Sunday, February 13th / 2011
    The sun was setting, the clouds were nowhere to be seen and the thermometer was friendlier than the week before. I told myself: This is it and invited all those interested to come to my back porch to view the stars. Three teenagers came for a look as well as one tiny astronomer who's small stature was towered by my telescope. The people were all there enthusiastic to see what wonders were hidden in the night sky (not all at the same time though). It was not to be.
    Between the moon and humidity in the air, there was not much I could share. The show had been canceled before it had begun. My visitors left quite unimpressed after seeing a hazy moon and a blurry M32. Beaten by the natural forces once again, I brought my telescope inside.
    I felt quite empty, when I returned to the the warmth of my house (it was -30 Celsius). The coldish temperatures paired with my disappointing stargazing evening made me dream of warmer days. Last year, I had been unable to look at the stars because my portable telescope (used during the summer alone) had basically broken to pieces.






    Yes, it is the one you see above. It was Konus (umm,.. I forgot). You see, I had many other names for it and all of them had some correlation with human waste matter.


    First, one of the brackets broke,
    Then the mount refused to be extended and I had to kneel to see anything,
    and finally the viewfinder broke off completely,

    When this happened, I did the only respectable thing,.... The Konus found a peaceful end within the nearest garbage receptacle. Yeah, using plastic for telescopes can only mean one thing,... GARBAGE!

    As I sat there ruminating the minutes of my failed attempt of looking at the stars, I remembered that I had no telescope for the following summer. I started looking around, asked questions on this forum, and flipped through my collection of "Star and Telescope" magazines for ideas.
    I had three interesting prospects:



    The SkyScanner 100mm Tabletop Reflector
    Orion StarBlast 4.5 Astro Reflector
    The Sky-Watcher Heritage 130P

    A grab and go telescope that was not too expensive, was easy to carry AND gave me a worthwhile image of planets / deep sky objects? There was one and my husband surprised me with it on the following day. Steven and I don't exchange St-Valentine's presents. To tell you the truth, I'm not very keen on the idea of having a "love day". However, my wonderful husband saw my notes and when I wasn't looking made a purchase.


    "Congratulations," he said when I returned home for lunch.
    "Congratulations?" I said quite confused.
    Steven grinned and added, "You're the proud owner of a new telescope!"







    Now all I have to do is wait for it to reach the north via mail. I can just see it now,..
    Poised on a table by a lonely lake. My tent all ready for another peaceful night. A loon crying out it's mourning chant and me?
    I'll be looking at the stars with this little gem! July isn't that far away,... I can just taste it!
  18. stolenfeather
    My ultimate goal in surveying the night sky is experiencing the wonderment of the natural world and how incredibly vast it is. The program Stellarium helps me find remote Messier objects such as nebulae, galaxies, clusters and also comes with a plug-in that enables the viewer to identify man-made satellites. Up till now, because of lack of interest, I haven't used it that much.
    However, after going to Florida, seeing the Space Shuttle Endeavour and then seeing it a couple of weeks after docked at the ISS, I have been obsessed in spotting it in the night sky! Unfortunately, there have been many conflicts up till now (clouds, time, school responsibilities,...)!
    After reading a post created by Phil announcing that the International Space Station would transit the moon, I quickly checked the weather outside but the horizon was littered with clouds once again. About half an hour later, the Stellarium program highlighted the path of the ISS and I looked through my window out of instinct: It was happening at that very moment and the clouds were,.. GONE!
    I had no time to take my telescope outside. The ISS was quickly making it's way across the sky and I have trouble taking "my behemoth" outside by myself. I therefore grabbed my birdwatching binoculars, tripped over a chair, uttered some words that should not be repeated online, and headed outside!
    Most times when searching the sky at night, careful scrutiny is needed. Objects are usually hard to find but the ISS? I stood back,.. It was much brighter than I had expected! There was no mistaking it! With the binoculars I could make out individual lights. My telescope would have surely let me see the structure and some detail but the binoculars were all I had. It went by silently but it's light could not be ignored! Although I couldn't make out the structure, I could see the lights very well and it was awesome!
    I screamed for my husband to come but by the time he made his way outside, there was only a few glimpses left before it disappeared over the horizon.
    Now, lets see, the first two steps are done:
    Step 1: Locate and see the ISS for the first time with the naked eye.
    Step 2: See the ISS with the help of binoculars.
    Step 3: See the ISS with my telescope. This will be a little hard since it travels pretty fast across the sky. My dobsonian will have to be set in a way to intersect it's trajectory.
    Step 4: Capture the ISS with my camera as it passes by my eyepiece. Now,.. that will surely be a feat! I believe that the best way to do this would be with a video camera to then stack the individual video files into a picture.

    For now, I sit back and relish what I have experienced. Feel like giving it a try? I recommend using this SITE (and Stellarium of course)!

    Isabelle
  19. stolenfeather
    April 1st, 2011
    After watching one of my favourite science fiction movies of all time "Alien", I decided to take out my telescope. It was around 10:00pm and since the night sky doesn't become dark till later, this was the perfect time.
    Orion was already very low to the horizon. It was with ultimate respect that I gave it a wave goodnight. The final curtain was falling for my dearest constellation since the center stage will soon be ready for the spring / summer night sky.
    I sat in my astro-chair watching the stars as my eyes became accustomed to the darkness. I can't do this comfortably during the winter months because of the cold which made this particular moment that much more divine! I knew where my next deep sky challenge would be: M44, the Beehive cluster. I told myself that my eyesight was NOT going to be a barrier this time and since the moon was nowhere to be found, neither would there be any celestial interference. With my back facing west, I decided to take a small detour to knock on Saturn's door. It was bright and very welcoming but the meeting wasn't as exciting as I had hoped. As I looked through my eyepiece, the fact that my telescope needed collimation (the mirrors need to be realigned) screamed under my skin. Soon my collimator would arrive. Soon, very soon,...
    My thirst for something a little father tugged once more and I set my viewfinder to the north. My target resided in the constellation of Cancer. For some reason, I had trouble distinguishing it's stars. This baffled me since my area is usually relatively free of light pollution. A little push here and a couple of quick glimpses there, and,.. Oh there goes a satellite! Oh yeah back to the cluster,...



    I had found it!







    Once again, the light bothered me. Turning around I looked to the west and,..
    :eek: HOLY ---- !! :eek:
    (Mind you if it really had been blessed fecal matter, Steven's pictures of the event would have surely never come out this good!)













    All winter, the news announced solar activity, and many nights I made my way outside to be welcomed by clouds. After sometime, I pretty much told myself that "I would see it when I see it". The fact that I had my back to them. completely unaware all this time doesn't show me in my best light. I call myself a backyard astronomer and don't even take the time to look at ALL the regions of my backyard? I guess I became too involved in my quest to locate my little Messier Object that I neglected the (ahem) big picture of things to the west!
  20. stolenfeather

    Foiled again!

    By stolenfeather,

    February 3rd, 2012

    There are certain people that fill us with resentment and make us shrink into a world where battery acid pulses through our veins. Of course, one understands that such a negative power is controlled entirely by you. Although you are the only one that can stop the unbelievable crippling sensation, sometimes it seems much easier to do nothing and let it fester. Yeah, one therefore creates their own suffering.
    "It comes from others!" you scream! "I wouldn't be like this if she/he would be more understanding and less cruel!" That maybe true but resentment is a feeling you create and is simply a matter of perspective right?
    This astronomy journal is undeniable proof that resentment lies only in the eyes of the individual that nurtures it. You see, I hold a grudge against Mars.
    This feeling developed slowly throughout my stargazing experiences. One by one, I "captured" different planets in my eyepiece and each one filled me with awe! First there was Venus which was quickly followed by Saturn and then the majestic Jupiter. Seeing Mercury and Uranus were also a mesmerizing experiences since both were more elusive (one so close to the sun and the other farther away).
    Then there was Mars,..
    Mars has yet to fill me with any excitement. After reading so much on the planet, I expected so much more from what my eyepiece shared with me the first time. All I saw was a red blur! Unfortunately, nothing has changed since that first encounter. It's not the telescope or my stargazing prowess that's at fault but circumstances beyond anyone's control. Time (I had professional restraints which kept me bound to my computer), an orbit that doesn't coincide with my viewing pleasure, bad collimation because of a lack of adequate tools, clouds, being too close to the horizon and,... more clouds. Last night I told myself that nothing would stop me! I set up eagerly, making a serious attempt to forgive the misdeeds of yesterday.



    "My efforts will be in vain." I told myself as I set up and checked the status of my weather station module. The humidity was at 86% while the mercury boasted -26. Once outside, this translated to extreme condensation. I thought that maybe I could see "just enough",.. No. Once again, it was a big blurry mess and absolutely no detail could be seen. I would have settled for so little yet, my efforts were ignored once more.




    My failure has nothing to do with the red planet. However,
    being foiled for so long by a heavenly body
    bright red, an arrogance bordering on snotty
    so easily seen with the unaided eye
    deeply insults my proud Dobsonian and I.


    Isabelle
  21. stolenfeather
    January 7th, 2011
    Teaching an eight hour drive from five star restaurants and theaters, one would think that there would be nothing to do on a Friday night in northern Quebec but I beg to differ. My evening started around 5:00 pm when I brought my telescope to acclimatize itself to the cold. It was a respectable -19 ºC ( -2.2 ºF) which made the view outstanding and the comfort quite reasonable. The waxing crescent moon was quickly making it's way to the horizon and I knew I had little time to capture it on camera but since I had set up early, I was successful:







    I admit that the picture is a little fuzzy but there's something about a crescent moon that just captures the imagination no?


    I took the time to look at Jupiter since it was high enough in the sky to show some details in the bands and gave me a very good opportunity to view Uranus as well. Usually hard to find, this gaseous planet was flirting extremely close to the brightest object in the sky (beside the moon) making it a very easy target. I knew it would be small and hard to differentiate from the stars around it but once my eyes settled on the "elusive one",.. I just knew.
    Since it was still early and I was far from the inky blackness needed to chase subtle Messier objects, I made myself a lobster tail supper, rice and asparagus . I chased it down with a very respectable "Tutiac Côte de Bordeaux (2009)" and topped this all with an Espresso Americano".


    When no five star restaurant is in sight,... you just create one!



    At 9:00pm, I made my way back outside for a romp around Auriga and Orion. I started with my favourite M42 (the Orion Nebula) since I wanted to capture a better image. I did but I don't believe I was able to top last week's attempt:





    I had seen this particular Messier so many times so redirected my telescope towards a new goal: I wanted to see the Crab Nebula (M1).
    I looked and was successful but did not attempt to capture the moment on film. This nebula was a little more than a smudge of white in my telescope. There was absolutely no way that my camera could have captured the discreet cloud. Was I disappointed? Absolutely not! My eye had just caught a glimpse of something truly spectacular! My telescope showed a smudge but I saw a momentous supernova recorded in 1054. Yes, I was looking at a star that imploded 957 years ago!


    (not my picture: celestiamotherlode.net)



    I made a slight detour in Auriga for a quick look at M37 and 38 but was unsuccessful in uncovering M79 tucked at he bottom of Lepus. Unfortunately, the little globular cluster was flirting too close to the horizon for a good view.



    So anyone up for a DINNER and a SHOW? I wish you were around this region, I'm sure we would have had a great time!



  22. stolenfeather
    January 16th, 2012
    It has been nearly 2 months since I last gazed at the stars. As each night filled with clouds passed, a small part of me ached and succumbed to darkness. December sneaked by without revealing any sky splendours yet I rejoiced about being reunited with loved ones. My return to the north was one filled with many teaching responsibilities making stargazing difficult. That January night, the skies seemed to come out and embrace me as I brought out my telescope to acclimate to the cold.
    Since this felt more like a reunion than mere exploration, I decided to gaze at sights I knew well but stirred strong emotions from the past. The first was Venus, the first planet I found and observed with my telescope a long time ago. Looking at this planet like it's first observers from earth did in antiquity, I marveled at its beauty. I resisted thinking about its hostile surface and tried to imagine exactly how early astronomers saw this planet. Aphrodite, Goddess of love and beauty,.. With time we now recognize it as something totally different. Mind you, does that translate to our view of love and beauty today? Can danger be beautiful? Is love, a state of mind and emotion, devoid of danger?



    Tell me now,.. Does this look dangerous to you?






    With an atmospheric pressure 92 times more prevalent than earth's, an atmosphere consisting mainly of carbon dioxide and clouds of sulfuric acid,.. you should. Then again, we say that a sunset is beautiful as well but I wouldn't go strolling around on it's surface either. Love? We all know the perils yet we still venture forward. So Venus,... shine bright, your title is well deserving!
    Jupiter was also shining brightly but was quite camera shy so I tried my luck with something that pushed the limits of my small point-and-shoot technology. It was with this picture of the Orion Nebula that I packed up my equipment and returned to the warmth of my living room. It just doesn't get any better than this:



    Isabelle



  23. stolenfeather

    WARM FUZZIES

    By stolenfeather,

    April 25th, 2011
    It was -16°C (3.2 ºF) outside so I knew that I didn't have to worry about frostbite. I was also well aware that the weather station was predicting rain for the rest of the week and I was leaving on vacation on Friday. Yeah,.. It was to be my last time outside with my telescope for a good three weeks. I didn't even think twice about it. Even if I had classes to teach the very next morning, even if I knew that it would take some time for darkness to fall,.. I brought my telescope out for some star gazing.
    I decided to set my sights on the constellation Leo since it seems that all one has to do in this sector of space is sneeze and one stumbles on a galaxy. I stumbled on two right away: M 95 and 96 (both spiral galaxies found over 30 million light years from where I was standing).
    I looked away from my eyepiece when I spotted them since a strong emotion overtook me. It's not that I hadn't seen galaxies before, it's also not because they were overly interesting,.. it was because I could see them. When I am struck with an MS relapse, my eyesight becomes blurry and remains as such for many weeks. Recovery is slow. Many times I wonder, "Is it becoming better?" or "Am I just getting used to it?",... To strain through blurriness to see what stands in front of me is one thing. To see perfectly and become excited in discovering something blurry through an eyepiece is quite another. I saw two. Nah,... they weren't blurry,... let's just call them for what they are: WARM FUZZIES.


    Since I was clearly able to see them, I can now officially declare that my vision has returned (no matter what my doctor says when I see him this summer). One doesn't need eyesight to have vision right?




    Before calling it a night I took a small detour to see my dazzling neighbour that had remained silent up till then. Saturn showed its rings proudly when I finally settled on its face. I guess we both were sharing the same tune that night:




    YOU CRAZY DIAMOND!

  24. stolenfeather
    May 28th, 2011
    Friday night means many different things to many different people. Since darkness takes longer to settle at this time of year, weekend evenings mean one thing for me: time to settle outside with my telescope since this is impossible during the weekdays when I have classes to teach the next day. At my latitude during this time of year, most of the constellations are not easily discerned until past 11:00. Full blackness makes its way to the north around midnight. This means that I seldom return indoors till one in the morning.

    Since I started my stargazing early, when the skies still showed a tinge of blue, I had to settle on an easy but popular target, Saturn. I let my eyes become accustomed to the darkness approaching and soon, I was ready for more difficult targets,... the Messier Objects.
    I started with a globular cluster found in the constellation Serpens. The Stellarium program and my trusty Telrad made finding it quite easy. I was taken aback by the individual stars I could see in the cluster. As my eyes became more accustomed, I was certain I could detect a hue of colour but maybe this was only wishful thinking from my part.



    Satisfied with my discovery, I decided to look for another globular cluster. I didn't have to look far and settled for M3. This one seemed easy but gave me quite a "run for my money". Finally, I found it and once again took the time to look more closely at it.



    My husband Steven always wonders why I go searching for Messier objects since according to him, they seem "all the same". "Once you've seen one smudge in the sky, why look for others?", is pretty much his motto but he comes outside every time I become excited and humours my passion by looking through the eyepiece. "You've got great eyesight to find those," Steven exclaimed when I came back inside. I had to smile since a couple of months ago, my MS had played a cruel game by blurring the vision in my right eye (the main eye I use when observing the stars). It is therefore official,... MY EYESIGHT HAS FULLY RETURNED!
    Isabelle

  25. stolenfeather
    February 6th, 2011
    5:00 am
    The forecast the night before had predicted a cloud-free morning. I was excited by the news since it would give me the opportunity of viewing Venus and Saturn before the sun made it's appearance. There was only one thing on my mind when I awoke,.. to dress and make my way outside! I knew that Saturn's rings were nicely displayed (showing much detail) and I simply couldn't wait till May to see it during normal evening hours.
    I quickly dressed and,... the forecast had been wrong! :mad: All I could see were clouds! When I saw a break in the gray skies by the time evening made it's way to this part of the north, I knew that I had to take advantage of the occasion. Venus and Saturn would not be around but I'm sure some of "the other boys" would come out and play!
    At 8:00pm, the moon and Jupiter were well on their way towards the horizon but still granted me with spectacular views! Some of Jupiter's bands were clearly defined but they didn't come out on any of my pictures. I tried but frostbit fingers can stay motionless for only so long (-36 Celsius will do that to you).

    SGL gave me some very helpful tricks last week as to limiting my shakiness when taking pictures. One of these ideas was to take a video and to then extract the picture from it's files using Registax.


    So extracting a picture from a video gave me this:

    (Take it easy on me, It's my first time)


    My night was far from over. I oriented my telescope by Orion where I visited my favourite Messier Object (M42) and then went out to find it's closest friend, M41, a faint yet beautiful star cluster.





    It was while I was gazing at this new object that I felt eyes upon my back. I looked and felt a slight nudge by my lower leg. I was being watched by the little lady you see below:





    I don't know her name, where she comes from or where she sleeps at night but once in awhile she comes out to join me while I am outside stargazing. The old saying is therefore true:
    You never know when you're looking at the stars, someone may be looking straight back at you.


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