Sunshine

Great! love the images, was it might hot down there? did you enjoy the bbq?

That’s a great image, I too am growing curious with this litte scope that could.

Well, it was cloudy but not a bust, the clouds were thin enough to see the moon slowly block the sun to the amazement of the crowd I was a part of on the country property of a local mocro brewery where they served a signature eclipse brew and bbq!. Unfortunately ot was not the show I wished for, the stars being visible and the solar corona was not visible but when totality hit it was amazing, a darkness akin to midnight with twilight visible for 360 degrees around the horizon. Birds fluttered around in circles and the nearby farm animals went silent, it was eerie. The whole experience was well worth the drive to the path of totality even though it was not the full total eclipse experience I had wished for, it was memorable indeed. Below is an image of just how dark it became at 3:22pm, it was awe inspiring, just listening to the crowds amazement and cheers was wonderful.

Nice! your chances of clear skies will be far better.

Amazing, these are beautiful images, that loop is giant!

It’s been a long time coming, in 2017 I volunteered my time and H-alpha scope at the Ontario Science Centre where ten thousand gathered for a partial eclipse. It was stifling hot, and the crowds waiting to look through the few volunteers scopes from the RASC (myself included) were shoulder to shoulder. Nevertheless the experience was something new, I recall looking online right after for the next time a North American eclipse of any type, to my amazement it was 2024, a mere seven year wait and it would be a total eclipse!. Even more amazing was the path of totality would pass just an hour or two drive drive away, I recall thinking so much could happen in seven years but here I am, a bit beside myself when I think of how fast these seven years have passed. This monday morning I will wake with the excitement and anticipation of a child on Christmas morning, my wife has no interest in astronomy but the hype generated in the media and the massive crowds expected in nearby cities like Niagara Falls Ontario where they expect a million visitors has caught her up in the whirlwind. Cross fingers the weather cooperates, so far the forecast calls for mostly sunshine with intermittent clouds, but all it takes is one to spoil the show. Regardless of what happens, I will make the best of it and I fully understand that we are at the mercy of the weather.

For those with H-alpha scope you may want to have a peek right now, wow these proms are giant!! awful phone image.

It’s real, Spock was raised there!

Welcome to SGL!

Nice! and a nice list of targets you’ve completed. Did the scope leave a lump on your head?

What Vixen is that?

A beautiful image! i love the dust lane detail around the core.

Nice capture!

A fellow double star hunter, nice report!

Starsense is revolutionary! i can’t imagine surfing my way around the sky without it, anymore. If it has the module mae sure it hasn’t been activated on more than one or two other phones, confirm how many it allows for as I have forgotten and am not home at the moment. I did a real short bideo on youtube for the purpose of demonstrating to a friend how it works, i will include link below.

The skysurfer V is the best RDF I have used, and I have tried them all! from telrad to Televue to celestron skypointers (don’t ever get that one) etc. it is built for business, is a pleasure to use and has never dewed up on me when all else has. If you can soend the extra coin don’t hesitate.

Welcome to SGL! love the images, im sure you’ll feel right at home here among us space nerds! 🤣

Sorry to hear that 😆

Looks great! I am guessing that is a Vixen dovetail and not a Losmandy?

Right there!

Earlier today I stopped by my mothers place to say hello as I was working in her neighborhood, she always surprises me with some sort of astronomy bit, i was surprised by this little glass ball with the solar system etched into it, with a lit base!. Do you have any neat astronomy things you display? show us!

Welcome!

Welcome!

CPC1100 8” LX200 C8 C6 C4.5 150 SW Mak Orion Eon 115 Starmasted 10” dob Lunt 60TT Coronado PST TSA102 Astroscan 12” lightbridge i know there are others going back 30 years but my memory fails me.

Beautiful specimen! As for those rivets, you can say it is literally built like a tank.