stolenfeather

A case of bad seeing will ruin every shot! I hope you have a go at it once more very soon. Clear skies Todd! Isabelle

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.

We can use Stellarium to show the ISS? I've never even looked for that option. Thanks! Isabelle

"I must pause here to pay my respect and remember the seven crew members who tragically died when shuttle Challenger was lost on January 28th 1986 and the seven when shuttle Columbia was lost on February 1st 2003. Both these tragedies brought home to me just how dangerous their work, and those who continue to work on the exploration of space, really is." This was an eye opener for me as well. I hadn't understood the power we were dealing here until ,... :(

Saturn will be seen in the evening in the spring but like many here,.. really want to see it now. I have ever tried to see the ISS. I guess that will soon be a personal project. I always thought it would be hard to see since the window to see it isn't very long. Isabelle :)

Saturn is definitely giving you quite the show there. I will have to make my way out one morning very soon. Unfortunately, I teach for the rest of the week so getting up early can be tricky and the weather is still a little cold. I will be patient. Isabelle

I've never "caught" the ISS but I have to be honest that I never really tried. ow are Saturn's rings right now? I hear that they are very nicely displayed. The last time I saw them they were practically edge on. As for the cold,... I guess it's one of those things that you just get used to. Isabelle

I use this forum as an online log book myself, although I have just started. I'm in it for the long journey! I wish you clear skies! Isabelle

-36 is not that cold considering that it will be -46 tomorrow night. I am located in the James Bay area of northern Quebec Canada. Yes, they say that there are polar bears on the bay but I have never seen one myself. It's cold but the auroras make it all worth while. Now if only I knew how to capture their beauty on camera! Isabelle :)

I wanted to go out as well this morning but it was -36 Celsius. I decided to wait since I don't appreciate frostbite. It seems that your equipment is fine but encountered "bad seeing". Stargazers are often the victim of the forces of nature blurring our view. Congratulations on a wonderful morning! Isabelle ;)

Thank you for sharing such a beautiful shared passion with us. Your father is indeed "with you" when you look at the star as mine is with me. I enjoy birdwatching as well yet like you, astronomy is always my first passion. My father loved nature but admired it through the eyes of a loving caretaker of the earth. I believe that I have inherited that trait. I wish you clear skies and many days surrounded by nature's beauty. Isabelle.

I'm very happy that you were able to "take it all in" with your telescope. Seeing Jupiter and it's moons for the first time is a sight indeed! I am not from your region so cannot answer your question but I wish you clear skies and many wonderful nights with your new telescope! Isabelle :)

Passion is passion right? I wish you clear skies! Isabelle

A chair is a definite must! Not having one just leads to a bad back or knees! Isabelle

Thank you very much. I don't have much when it comes to photographic equipment (just a point and shoot camera) and feel so small when it comes to showing pictures since there are so many stunning ones found on this forum. Isabelle

You'll have to wake up pretty early to see Saturn but when you do,.. you'll be dancing in the streets at night. I remember the first time I saw Saturn,.. I actually cried! Isabelle

That's a certain dedication I will not repeat though! The opposite of what is rational is passion right? I've had enough passion to last me for awhile. I'll wait for better temperatures next time!

Congratulations! Did you see it's moons as well? Isabelle :)

January 22nd, 2011 It had been 14 nights since I had been outside with my telescope. A nasty cold paired with many nights under cloud cover were the culprits. When I saw that a high pressure system was moving in that morning, I knew that the skies would be clear and immediately knew what my evening activity would be. I would be out there! The thermostat told a different story. It was -35 ºC or -31 ºF. With the windchill, the weather report online warned a cold factor of -42 (the same both in Celsius and Fahrenheit. I told myself that since I stargazed from the comforts of my back porch (there is little light pollution in the north) I could slip in and out of the house and escape the cold. I was wrong. The cold seemed to sip from the metal of my telescope, through my gloves, burn the skin and chill my bones within seconds. At -40, a person can feel the burn of frostbite within minutes. I lasted for 7. I had enough time to see Jupiter, marvel at the placement of its satellites, take a quick look at M42 (the Orion Nebula) before I brought my telescope back in suffering from the cold. Someone on SGL remarked that going out in this kind of weather was considered, extreme astronomy. I have a new name for it: Stupidity. I didn't take any pictures since I thought that the temperatures would be too cold for the camera. Funny that I don't extend the same courtesy to my body. From now on, if the thermometer goes lower than -25 ºC or -13 ºF, I shall remain indoors. Promise. Don't let this picture fool you, I was in no smiling mood when I returned indoors this time.

Thanks! It's always very helpful. Isabelle :)

I've had my Skywatcher for 2 years now and always thought that the eyepieces made all the difference when it comes to limits. The Barlow lenses definitely gives one a whole new experience! So far, I have basked in what it can do and take in all that I can learn. It's a far cry from the horrible scopes I had before where I scrambled with unstable mounts. It's limits? I have to say that I have yet to reach that stage. Isabelle :)

Skywatcher rocks! Isabelle

I just saw the pictures on a posting! Very nice indeed! Isabelle

Sounds like you had a great night! Congrats!

Welcome! I joined last week and have quickly warmed up to this forum! There is so much to learn and everyone here is so helpful! Isabelle