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Double Kick Drum

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  • Gender
    Male
  • Interests
    A casual interest in just about everything....except "The Only Way Is Essex"
  • Location
    Rural-ish Kent

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  1. I used to observe and report very regularly on SGL (between 2009 and 2013) but then became a parent (twice) and so I have only added a half dozen reports over the past decade. It also means my DSO finding mojo is missing in action (or the lack of) - it is surprising how easy navigation is with practice but so disappointing when you come back to it after a long hiatus only to find some relatively easy objects far more difficult to find than before. Tonight was my first session since March and TBH the sky was not great (VLM less than 5.0 with the odd cumulus drifting by). I spent some time with M57 - the hole in the ring was detectable with the 8mm lens. I also viewed M11 in Scutum and M71 in Sagitta before giving up on M27 (the Dumbbell nebula). Now the kids are a bit older (eight and six), I should be able to get out a bit more. My oldest has already viewed the moon and Jupiter and is definitely interested. Hopefully there will be opportunities as the nights draw in.
  2. Hi i think most contributors have already covered off the low surface brightness of M33. I usually see it as a large dim face on smudge in semi-rural skies. M81 and M82 in UMa are better targets at this time of year. Both are quite bright and tolerate some light pollution , although are smaller. They are visible in the same FOV (depending on your choice of eyepiece) and present themselves at different angles. Leo also has a number of brighter galaxies which can be seen as pairs or greater. M65/M66 and M95/M96/M105 are good examples as well as NGC2903 in the lion’s head, which is an easier find.
  3. Fantastic and thorough. Top marks for gratuitous use of the 'Dark Side of the Moon' album cover!
  4. Double Kick Drum

    A Few Summer Snaps

    Summer Night Sky
  5. Double Kick Drum

    Spider

    False Widow.
  6. I once punched a bloke in the face for saying "Hawk the Slayer" was rubbish. I was defending the fantasy genre with terminal intensity, when what I should have said is "Dad, you're right, but let's give Krull a try and we'll discuss it later."

  7. All those moments will be lost, like tears in rain.

    1. nephilim

      nephilim

      I've seen attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion.....etc etc

    2. michael.h.f.wilkinson

      michael.h.f.wilkinson

      And yet we mark trace out an indelible trail in space-time

  8. Double Kick Drum

    Done :)

    Congrats on your new dob! Very nice.
  9. Double Kick Drum

    Miscellaneous Snaps

    DKD's Venture Into Astrophotography
  10. Double Kick Drum

    Miscellaneous Astro-Scribbles

    A gallery of my finest astro sketches.
  11. Just booked a week in Cornwall near Crackington dark sky site. Beware, the last week of May will be very very cloudy!

    1. Mike73

      Mike73

      Have you been there before? I think you'll like it, VLM 6.5 skies.

      But leave the clouds at home please. :)

    2. rory

      rory

      sounds good martin.look foward to a mega report upon return . ;-)

    3. Double Kick Drum

      Double Kick Drum

      Not been there before and yes, it will be the darkest sky I have ever encountered. Fingers crossed it has at least a couple of clear nights. Although not the best time of year to observe, it will enable me to sweep through Ophiuchus, Scorpius and Sagittarius. Can't wait!

  12. C'mon blue sky, stick around..... my scope's feeling neglected!

  13. Nice sketches there. How easy do you find drawing what you see (in the dark)?
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