reezeh

That's pretty bad news, but glad nobody has been hurt

Could've been worse; it could've been another moon! 😂😂😂

I just use the weather apps that come with the phone and the met office one on iPad to get a general gist of the weather to come. Workdays I'm usually too tired in the evening to do anything anyway and if it's not good stargazing weather my conscience is clear. This morning was crystal clear but Venus was twinkling like mad - can't decide if it was heat plumes from houses or jet stream. It'd not even worth carrying out a pair of binoculars for a quick look 😞

I'll only buy one if it comes with the matching stepladder to reach the eyepiece.

Make it a fun job by getting a bug-a-salt 😉

Is that the four-vaned or three-vaned breed?

I'm not familiar with your model of telescope, but some either have an extending drawtube or extender. Could it be that you need to use one?

It was meant in jest 😉

I propose the motion that this site be renamed philosopherslounge. com 😃

On a positive note, nobody will be able to complain about or blame Global Warming! 😆

Where I live it's turned into 'hopelessing' with the light pollution. I've downloaded it though - who knows The Great God of Amateur Astronomy might grant me dark skies one day.

Hi Dario and welcome

If only I had the moolah 😢

Are you the kind of person who doesn't like constantly adjusting things? If so, I have to pretty much repeat myself from another post here and suggest an achromatic refractor in the 100-120mm category. That with a fringe-killer / semi apo filter, such as the one by Baader plus a few decent eyepieces and a good barlow would be great on many levels. It won't be perfect, but it won't cost an arm and a leg. You'll probably love it too as it will make a fantastic grab and go for the times when you only have a few minutes.

I'm curious: how did you clean the fungus off? And with very dark skies I would be crying if I was deprived of some optical assistance!

Antihistamines and calamine lotion usually do the trick! And do enjoy the hobby - after all, without enjoyment a hobby is just a chore. And yes - I love Jaffas! 😋

I guess with the rate light pollution is increasing only off-world orbital telescopes will see it even then. At this rate even the sun will be blotted out with all the lights that are being run in an "I'm brighter than you are!" game of one-upmanship soon enough.

I guess it has to be Hale-Bopp. I just wish that I could have had true dark skies for it. But it was really impressive even from where I live.

I won't dare take any optics out if there's smoke in the air. I would rather do without than have the problem of cleaning my lenses and corrector plates. Mars might get smaller in the sky, but the stars will still be there next time I go out; whenever that may be.

And the best bit: not freezing your socks off

For Spring you forgot Hercules and his globular clusters! That's as good a reason as any

Maybe the Egyptians made the glass progressivly thinner lower to take long-term flow into account 😉

A piano! A piano!?? No late night imaging session is complete without drum practice! 😃

You need the scope that looks like that. Lay it on the bed over the image. Spouse: "Is that a telescope that you have dumped on the bed?" "No, dear you're just imagining things. It's the duvet cover!" 😊

Right now my C8 is in its peli case in the kitchen along with both mounts. The C11 is in a corner of the living room, along with the small bits like eyepieces. The 6 inch refractor is laying on my bed! 😁 No, I don't sleep with it. With winter in particular I am not so daft as to sleep in an unheated room. I am perfectly happy to kip on the couch with the warmth from the log stove. Oh the joys of being free and single! 😃