bish

Was nice and clear but cloudy now. Actually out working anyway but have the option to quickly grab bins and filter to pull over on side of road. Not looking good though.

I only hear things (foxes mainly) when I am in a suburban garden. Out in the countryside things seem to keep away. I can"t watch the Blair Witch Project before going camping though.

Incredible!

Yes I have notebooks and make sketches that I do refer back to now and then. I send variable star estimates to BAAVS and AAVSO. I used to draw craters as a kid but they have been lost over the years.

It is on the wane. I have always been observational, other than a dabble with planets when I had an EQ mount and a few with the phone I can"t say I wouldn't be tempted , if I had spare cash, to try narrow band from my light polluted sky. As Carole said there is only so many times you can look.at the same things. I tend to track asteroids, comets, variables and try splitting doubles. I will probably always want a bigger scope with visual, and then will never tire of revisiting the lollipops. Having said that, the moon is still captivating. To me you can"t beat being in a cold dark field and finally tracking down a faint DSO. To look through a 30" + scope from a really dark site would be on my bucket list. Even if I did imaging I would want to be outside under the stars. I wouldn"t knock anybody for how they enjoy the hobby, but for me remote imaging wouldn't give me the same buzz. I can appreciate the satisfaction you must get from producing the amazing images you see though.

Can"t beat sweeping bins around a dark sky for relaxing observing!

I was working in Swindon. I didn"t even bother to go outside to look at the clouds.

I have an ironing chair to perch on. Saves my knees and back on long sessions.

An old encyclopeadia and sneaking out at night as a kid got me interested, SPM certainly fuelled the interested as I got older. Others do a good job on TV but nobody will match his infectious enthusiasm in my mind.

Welcome Rich. You will find lots of help on the forum.

Yes. I bought mine from the school book shop. It was my only new book, the others were old library books acquired from somewhere.

Watched the live feed for the totality. Not quite the same as being there!

I hadn’t paid much attention to that but it will probably get on my nerves now! . It can’t be as bad as the awful heavy vignette they used for most of ‘Wonders of the Universe’. That really was distracting, I am enjoying it, but then will happily sit and watch most things astronomy related even if doesn’t have much new to offer.

I used to stay up until 2 or 3am but these does only stop up through the night at star parties. I have set my alarm for 3 or 4 if there is a comet that is visible around that time. I have to be careful about waking up my wife or neighbours. She will say it’s fine on the night but if she is really tired the next day because I disturbed her then it’s a different story!

Thanks. There are a couple of fish shops close by.