bish

I could see M51 with my old SW 150 from Dudley. The LP in general is about as bad as it gets, but my flat was on high ground and definitely had less of the murk I now see from my garden that sits in a dip. I'll have to try with my 127mm mak. M81 and 82 can be spotted in bins from my garden, but not M51.

Hi Noel, I’ve been 5 times. I book up most years but often can’t make it because of work. As mentioned above wellies, something to stand your scope on (they used to have cut logs) and dew control are essential. I have dew strips and a 12v hair dryer. Bish

When you are looking for galaxies you will become better at spotting them with practice, using averted vision, giving the scope a slight nudge etc. Also a slight change in sky condition can mean not seeing it one night and just seeing it the next. The higher in the sky the better. As suggested try M81 and 82 to start . You may find a few others but be patient. Any stray light reflecting in the eyepiece will kill your chances too.

Had a nice view despite passing cloud. No camera with me though.

Hi Al, There are no pitch numbers. There are some hard standing pitches at the top field. I think the hard standing EHU pitches go first. I am visual so just camp in the bottom field with no EHU. If you get some good conditions the sky is fantastic. Bish

Ive seen it in a 10" from Kielder. H-beta and excellent conditions. Hard to see though.

Hello and welcome. I use a pair of 15x70 bins alot. Even if you get a telescope you will not want to be without your bins.

Nice report Richard. You managed to fit a good amount in. Hopefully I will make it to the next meeting.

Nice report. I think if you get one good night, and few others of drinking, then it's worth the trip. I've got friends who live on Skye but haven't been up for a few years. My mate is a photographer and I think he runs courses up there. He's taken a load of amazing aurora shots but I can't understand why he wont buy a scope. If I had the money I would buy him one as I'm sure he would get the bug.

Thanks for the update. At least the crew members got out.

I’ve been asked about galaxy mergers, will gravity eventually cease to exist and star colour in relation to temperature - amongst many other things. The majority asked multiple questions. Life on other planets was a popular one today too. It makes it really worth while when they show such an intererest.

The youngsters can ask some real curve ball questions about anything related to astronomy/cosmology/space travel etc erc. I do like the Q & A part.

Just been presenting astronomy to a class of year 5’s. I was completely bombarded with questions, often not straightforward ones. Nice to see some real enthusiasm from a group of youngsters with a good grasp of the subject.

Great report. Can’t say I’m not jealous. I remember seeing M51 for the first time with a 16” under dark skies. Seeing the spiral structure was fantastic. I always like to read other people’s accounts when they have had a good session.

Sadly it doesn’t even surprise me.