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kerrylewis

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Posts posted by kerrylewis

  1. I love a good comet but hadn't managed to see this one previously - mainly due to the freezing weather!

    But I set the Tak up last night and and dragged myself out of bed at 5.15 determined to observe it. Struggled at first - the cloth that I use as a  short term covering had frozen solid. It was more like hardboard and in lifting it off I nudged the scope out of alignment. After a few minutes with rapidly numbing fingers I got it re-aligned, connected up Sky Safari on the iPad and there she was!

    Very attractive with its green glow and fanlike tail (a really good comet must have a visible tail!) Well worth the effort'

    I look forward to the coming weeks when it can be easily seen at a better hour and, hopefully, it will be just a few degrees warmer.

    • Like 8
  2. Got up at 3.00 again this morning. Seeing was very good despite the preceding warm day. Saturn is now getting low at that time but still pin sharp in the Tak.

    Jupiter was good with a double shadow transit and Io heading for a transit. The two shadows were very easy to see - one larger (Ganymede) than the other (Io). Watched Io reach the disc and tracked it as long as it was visible against the slightly darker limb.

    Mars was good too and taking high magnification. Polar cap bright and a clear dark band across the planet. 

    Great to get out in the warm dawn air and see so much 

    Kerry 

    • Like 2
  3. Got up last night around 11.30 to try and observe this comet .

    Using the Tak100DL, and Sky Safari for its location, I couldn’t see anything at first but as my eyes adapted, and the sky darkened slightly, something emerged. It was in the right place according to Sky Safari and eventually, especially with averted vision, it was definitely there. No clear shape and in the ‘faint fuzzy blob’ category but good nevertheless to bag another comet 

    • Like 7
  4. I have been planning to catch these for a while but bed was always too comfortable. However this morning I made it having got up at 3.00 am

    It was pleasantly mild and Jupiter and the moon were prominent in the lightening sky with Mars and Saturn a bit fainter. So - a look at each in turn:

    Jupiter was slightly wavy at the edges but improved as it climbed and the belts became a bit clearer . The moons were nicely arranged with two each side.

    Saturn next before it hit the bushes.( My garden has a lot of self inflicted obstacles considering my hobby!) I was surprised at first to see how much the rings had closed since my last observation but the planet still looked splendid as usual with Titan visible despite the light sky.

    Mars next - small of course but a polar cap quite prominent.

    it was so good to see these old friends again and it all bodes well for later in the year with Mars approaching opposition and them all getting higher and visible at a more friendly time. 

    Can’t wait! 

    • Like 13
  5. Prompted by this thread I made sure that I watched the programme and I’m glad that I did.

    What a man! A wonderful intellect but also a great communicator.

    I remember the Big Bang vs steady state debates and as a teenager I backed Fred Hoyle and his steady state - the Big Bang sounded just too improbable! Ah well - not the last time I would be wrong. 

    • Like 3
  6. Prompted by the reports on SGL I dusted off the Herschel wedge and set up the Tak. What a spectacular group! I love all the intricate detail including areas just outside the main spots. Makes you wonder what might be in store for us as this cycle progresses.

    Thanks for the heads up chaps. 

    • Like 3
  7. I got up for 2.00 am and had a clear view of Ganymede beginning its transit just as Europa was leaving the disc. Great view as Jupiter developed two small ears with the two moons perfectly placed opposite each other. I have observed this occurrence before but I’m assuming it doesn’t happen too often. The tiny shadow of Europa was also visible tending to come and go with the seeing. 
    The planet was getting low but seeing was generally good with the pinpoint moons very clear. Worth getting up for! 

    • Like 1
  8. After a couple of stupid mishaps with my scopes back in March I was really disheartened and decided to take a break from stargazing.

    However with the promise of a clearish night I decided to set up the Tak FC100 and get back to observing tonight. It's great to see my old favourite Jupiter again. Some thin cloud dimming the view  but steady seeing, No transits at he moment but a a good view of the belts and moons. 

    Couldn't resist a quick slew to Albireo which is looking as beautiful as ever.

    Saturn will clear the next door roof later  - looking forward to that 

    I think I'm back!

    Kerry 

     

    • Like 7
  9. Thanks for your comments Mike.

    I've not previously been to keen on lunar observations but I have dabbled with the 100. I think sketching may rekindle my interest. Thanks for the suggestion   - I will try the 'grand tour' 

  10. Thanks for the comments chaps.

    At the moment I favour the slightly sketchy approach using pastel pencils rather than a more ‘photographic’ style. But I will try other media and perhaps a smoother, less textured paper. It’s all good fun 😀

    • Like 1
  11. Inspired but the recent StarGazing episode, I thought I'd try my hand at some lunar sketches.

    I must stress that these are based on photographs in a moon atlas. Next step will be to try some at the eyepiece

    Kerry 

     

    121548719_01-1(35).thumb.jpeg.0da58861cd9c166cda51aba1e8c8206b.jpeg1342214911_01-2(4).thumb.jpeg.608089bab67a4f4fc4c4d06afeff3cd4.jpeg

    • Like 16
    • Thanks 1
  12. Just watched the Youtube repeat - lots of great ideas and Mary is a very fluent talker.

    Many books or tutorials on sketching for astronomy concentrate on how to produce accurate 'scientific' drawings. This is understandable but it was good to see some other options. 

    I've done quite a bit of non-astro drawing and painting recently but only dabbled in a couple of astro 'inspired' pics as Mary described them - 'Jupiter' is my current avatar. The talk has inspired me to do more - maybe I'll even get interested in the moon!

  13. Great summary Nick

    I love observing comets so for me the absolute stand out event has to be  Comet Neowise. 
    During the last few years it’s been great to track quite a few comets as they made their way through the solar system but I have  been guilty of bemoaning that they have mostly been ‘fuzzy blobs’ with detail only visible in images or with large scopes. I longed for a ‘comety’ comet. After many false starts - ‘this could be naked eye next month’ etc etc - we finally got one. And a good spell of fine weather meant being able to observe it frequently.

    I will never forget my first view as I  searched the low dawn horizon with binoculars and suddenly realised that what I wa seeing was  its tail above the trees. A real wow and goosebump moment.  Then the whole thing appeared and my gob was well and truly smacked - goosebumps on goosebumps! 
     

    Thank you Neowise - I hope I’m still around for the  next ‘real’ comet. 

    • Like 1
    • Thanks 1
  14. I am really fortunate in having a clear view from my garden in the right direction. Lovely clear skies after sunset as the planets emerged as the sky dimmed. Great view through the Tak 100 as Io disappeared behind Jupiter and Saturn was hanging in the 10mm eyepiece view - even another star getting in in the act as a fifth Jupiter moon. Even the seeming was not bad given the low position. But in some ways the naked eye view is the best and really shows the small gap between the planets.

    This had been a vintage year with the summer comet and now this conjunction 

    Weather tomorrow looks promising but Monday less so. 

    • Like 8
  15. On 13/12/2020 at 17:25, John said:

     

    You should be able to see Triton, Neptunes largest moon with the Mewlon I would think.

    It's around magnitude 12 and at max 16 arc seconds from Neptune. Cartes du Ciel shows the position quite accurately.

    High magnification helps but the Mewlon is fully capable of that I'm sure :smiley:

     

    Following your heads up John, I  think I may have got it tonight. In the right position according to Sky Safari. Obviously faint and further from the planet than I expected but no stars indicated in the vicinity 

    I will need to check another couple of times before I'm convinced I think - but great to try.

    A diversion from THE pair anyway😀

    • Like 1
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