Marvin Jenkins

Yes I said almost! I don't think I was aiming that high frankly.

M

That's a sketch! I imagine my future Ha solar scope pics are going to look almost as good as that.

Marv

Just a quick check, sorry it is late and the week has been mad so I don't have the energy to go investigating.

Does M81 have a dwarf system similar to our own LMC or the satellite galaxies around the andromeda galaxy?

Marvin

This has been on my radar for at least two years now.

I am throwing a sleeping bag and mat in the work van. Two boxes containing cooking equipment and noodles, lots of.

Some photo kit as yet undecided and finding a remote place in northern Spain to experience totality.

Marv

Welcome to the forum

Marv

That is a lovely display piece. I was given as a gift the first which includes Pluto.

I insisted on the second which is an Einstein bobble head, probably my most treasured possession.

Marv

Great write up in Burnhams Celestial Handbook. Obviously not right up to date but facinating none the less.

Marv

So a five inch newt on an AZ5 was a bit optimistic. I noticed the potato shape from the Galileo pictures and immediately wondered if it is a captured asteroid like Mars moons?

I can't find anymore information so I can only conclude that in the main stream we know next to nothing about it.

Marv

A quick question regarding observing Jupiter and its moons.

A few evenings back I managed a short observation due to clear skies at last.

I was using my 5 inch newt grab and go with a half decent zoom. I was two hours too early for the GRS but the four main moons were showing well. No eclipses, transits or shadow transits so I looked up the moons on Stellarium for reference.

Stellarium clearly showed a fifth  point of light without a name, and to my surprise it was not a background star but a moon of Jupiter that was new to me, Amalthea.

For love nor money I couldn't see it. I was surprised to find out it is the fifth largest moon and the fifth moon to be discovered.

My question is. Have any of the observers on this site observed Amalthea? Furthermore, what is needed in conditions and equipment to see this moon?

Marvin

7 hours ago, scotty1 said:

@ Marvin Jenkins 

You say the clarity was amazing due to strong winds and heavy rain. Do you mean the heavy rain and strong winds had moved off, and improved the air quality behind a cold front?

Yes that's the one. Sorry I should have explained it better.

M

Atrocious weather today with storms building in the west. A great big sunny break mid afternoon but you could clearly see what had been and what was going to come.

After months of cloud and no proper chances of observing anything except by chance I saw the sky was still clear to the west.

This mornings APOD had a photo of P12 P-B showing it in relation to M31 so I grabbed the 10x50s and to my astro starved amazement, there it was!

Due to the heavy rain and strong winds the clarity was amazing, I have never seen the Andromeda Spiral look that good in binoculars. I spun round and looked at M42 just to test my eyes and that too was breathtaking.

12P core appeared quite large and bright and I swear I got some elongation with AV which I cannot say I have had with bins. A couple of surprising moments whilst observing the comet is the sky being lit up in a flash by an anvil building out in the distance.

This has been one to remember not just because I have been astro starved, or getting into double comet numbers but it proves I have been getting lazy and I need to use those small windows.

In the time it took to record this in my astro diary the clouds are in and the storm is on its way.

Marv

Hi there, welcome.

On 23/02/2024 at 13:05, maw lod qan said:

For my pleasure!

Is that a good enough reason?

Yes it is!

How about "The tears of clouded out astronomers" but I fear I would drown with how bad the weather has been.

M

Nice, you got the Garland galaxy in there as well. 

Marv

Indeed welcome. Great scope for getting into astronomy. I hope you enjoy it and keep at it.

Marv

1 hour ago, Stu said:

I’m the same, have never consistently written observing notes, but I kind of use SGL for that. I can still look back at some memorable sessions which I wrote up on here and enjoy them again.

No time like the present. I had that odd thought when renewal of the house insurance came up.

If the house caught fire and you had time to grab just two precious material items, what would they be.

I thought for a while and realised they would be my observing diary and my Burnhams Celestial handbook.

I would of course look ridiculous outside my flaming house house clutching some books.

My biggest regret would be chosing between the BCH and my first OTA that got me all those first pages in the diary.

I may have to re think this back in a minute.

Marv

5 hours ago, Elp said:

Surely it should be champagne for supernovas?

Lemonade budget I'm afraid.

For planets it's beer. Wine for double stars and Drambuie for Supernovas.🤣

I know how you feel. Roofing work today in the sunshine and I happened to glance up and said aloud in fake cockney accent, "allo darlin" for reasons I can't explain.

Packed the tools away and bang full heavy cloud cover!

Marv

#Beardy30, you nailed it first shot. I was sitting there thinking what a great fundamental question from #Second Time Around.

I am by nature an optimist, and an inquisitive social person. But I do find that day to pressures, work, money, etc tend to stretch my patience and astronomy is that total peace to deflate and move away from all the 'noise'.

It is my guilty pleasure that I guard closely and rarely if ever share the moment. Perhaps it is a behaviour trait of mine but as a comparison I love the idea of Golf. But it becomes unappealing to me when it would seem that to  play 18 holes it is done in pairs. Now that is a good walk ruined!

Marv

I just looked this up. You have an entry level, and to some below entry level refractor.

Personally I think you should just get out there and use it on the moon, planets and large nebula.

The small amount you gain from those first outings will be invaluable to you when taking on board future equipment advice.

Don't forget that when you upgrade you can pass on this refractor despite its limitations and perhaps spark another young mind down the path of astronomy.

As to standards of equipment that is a wide open question. No one telescope and mount does it all.

Marvin

Some one posted a photo of it on here this morning right next to Aldabren and it sure looked faint to me. Wide field imaging section I think.

M

2 hours ago, saac said:

Argh to be true the tracking is terrible 

Now we know what Skipper Billy really looks like.

Very interesting indeed. I have found an alternative path to this whole issue of what we see ourselves as, and how people see us.. total denial!

From the beginning of this mad adventure with the night sky, and my infuriation and bewilderment that all around me would rather watch a stranger bake a cake on TV than see a real galaxy. I raged against this narrow band of interest and bored the pants off of everyone I met.

No matter how hard I tried I could not engage a soul to the night. Then it hit me.

Deny any connection or knowledge. I am now asked astronomy questions occasionally "because you do stargazing". I try to avoid these scenarios any way I can.

I have a confused looked in my armoury. "What makes you think that?" " But you have a telescope and it looks pretty impressive" "Oh you are mistaken, that is an upcycled lamp stand".

Then they start really asking questions, for some reason, denial peaks people's interest, like I am hiding something and then I turn the tables..... I make them recoil with a highly detailed speach about red shift and the past controversy over the distance of Quasars and Arp observations of interacting galaxy quasar pairs.

You see I like my astronomy, quiet and all mine. It might sound selfish to those who promote our passion via outreach and long may you be applauded, you deserve it.

I on the other hand I prefer it when someone says who's that? and I am described as "that's just the guy who comes to cuts the grass".

Marvin