Marvin Jenkins

Excellent work. I may have seen it finally, but a very big well done for viewing a phase, especially being challenged by a tree. You have every reason to be pleased with your accomplishment. Marv

Wow, like a hall of fame. Marv

Thank you very much Geoff. Probably just be binoculars and wide field photography as I don’t have a travel set up. Are there any clubs or groups that get out to darker areas around Melbourne that you know of. Perhaps I could blag a peek through a scope when I am there. Cheers, Marvin.

Got to start doing a little bit of Southern Hemisphere homework. My brother lives in Richmond Melbourne, and it can only be a year or two before I visit. By then I will have a travel scope setup, any tips other than get out of the city. Marvin

I know we all hate pollution, but what a great picture. The reflection of the eye on the turbulent water is great. M

Just about got a pic. The sky is so clear I can see the mountains. Just in case anyone needs an explanation Venus is top left. Mercury is very low down on the horizon a little right. Marv

Yeh I need that one too. Happy hunting. M

My understanding of the original question and the framing of the answer is that I am not very smart. I was asked this very same question by a phd in Chemistry a month ago and tried to explain but realised I didn’t have the scientific tools to answer correctly. In landscape gardeners terms which can be shortened to layman’s terms, take all the material of the object (red super giant) crush it down under its own gravity to a point where it becomes so dense (super nova) that the fabric of space time can no longer support it, so it warps the fabric of space so massively it ‘is’ a black hole. Before the supernova of the RSG it’s mass is the same but not condensed into a tiny space so warps space time much less. Thank you Professor Brian Cox. Now to get shot down by loads of people who are not Landscape gardeners😂 Marv

Good to see you here, you are in safe hands. SGL, the giant safety net under the tightrope of astronomy. Marvin

Thank you I am really looking forward to it. I note with interest on your foot note that you are at M106, what 4 are you looking for to go whole nine yards? M

Oh. That’s not looking good. So you don’t think I will get it with the 150pds then?😂

I have also noticed a flip side of this. I don’t know if it is a part of human psyche, but if you try to tell someone something incredible about an object you have seen they can shy away. I have got into a pattern that when someone asks about my astronomy pastime, I tell a small amount, but do not talk for longer than one minute, wait for another question, give another minute. Shut up for a bit. If pursued offer a future look through a scope. It is very much like my other passion Carp fishing, seems like a lot of nothing then turns into something amazing. I realised that for most ordinary people ‘wonder’ is not normal and the answers that we astronomers all take for granted like the existence of neutron stars can be too much. The old saying “ignorance is bliss” is rubbish to me and you because we wonder. We push ourselves to understand and see the ‘thing’ through a scope, to say it is real, it is there, it is not just theory! Most people like ‘safe’ the known, the easy to understand. An answer that doesn’t create questions is comforting. Children ask questions. Often they ask the best ones as they do not fear ridicule. When they stop asking is when this all comes to an end. Marv

Excellent work. I went out again and could see it but some horse tails low on the horizon meant it was far less visual than yesterday. Was that your first view of the inner most planet?

I know just what you mean, the night sky can be a funny thing. Within weeks of getting my first scope 130 newt on hideous eq2 I went big guns and decided Andromeda galaxy was on the cards, sorry didn’t know at the time it had a number! Searched all over (probably in Orion for what I knew then) got to the right bit of sky and tripped over the pinwheel galaxy, didn’t have a number for that either. Then the moon turned up and I was elated. Took another three months to find M31 (naked eye object, was I blind?) then couldn’t find the pinwheel again for another six months. Now I go ‘it’s over there’. I know how you feel about Pluto. Personally I feel robbed, I grew up with that distant planet and then, no it’s not, I know it is not scientific but yes it is. A bit pantomime. My other goal for the year is Ceres. That forgotten mini planet hardly anyone dares talk about, or seems happy to forget. Good luck with Pluto hunting. If you get it be sure to let us know as one day I will be scaling up equipment and could do with some tips on finding Tombaugh’s planet. Marvin

Looks like you have climbed onto the fence. Taking a fifty fifty position, very wise. I myself have taken to wearing a Sombrero whilst at the ep. Got to have something to stop getting burnt. Picture coming..... M

YES. Got one person on board the SN Express. Welcome aboard your first class seat awaits. Marv

Something I have noticed when sharing an astronomy session with others (parents of children, not my parents) is that nine out of ten people are astounded by what they can see. Most have no idea they can see Jupiter and moons with a scope costing a few hundred pounds. They ask questions like, How much does your scope cost? Are they hard to get? Invariably people say “that’s cheap, we have to get one so little Johnny or Jenny can do some astronomy, they would love it” As yet I have yet to see any of them take the plunge. It is like the vast majority of people have the attention span of a gnat, and forget everything they did five minutes before. I did have one person oooohing and arrring at there first view of Saturn only to run away (for real) shouting over there shoulder “strictly is about to start”. If that is the parents of the next generation then the kids are at a disadvantage regardless of the amount of internet info and computer tools. Just imagine doing astronomy for ten years and then saying “but I haven’t actually looked at anything” This Christmas I saw a five year old get an Apple iPad. They told me they didn’t get the kids a scope because after a week it may get broken so it seemed expensive. Seems odd to me, but then I am an astronomer. Marv

You will be happy you joined. SGL is a great place to be and valuable source of information. Nice Avatar by the way, looks like a nice place to be. Marvin

I have been out out the last two evenings and the have been great for lunar observing. Can’t get my head around two nights back to back. You lucky devil. I was so hoping for a third but the clouds have rolled in. I do not begrudge you though, enjoy. Sounds wonderful. I am an occasional lunar observer, best described by “if you can’t beat them, join them” but it has been a treat. I hope you get tomorrow night as well to compare the difference in terminator position. Good luck Marv

Hello Simon Welcome to SGL. There are so many great people on here who are willing to help you with any questions you may have. Have you done astronomy before or are you a beginner. From your first post you seem to be well educated in tech. Perhaps you would like to tell us something about your astronomy interests. Marvin

One to go Neptune! She may become my nemesis. I like most, do all the lists, but they are not my driving force in astronomy. I would set my lists to zero to start again and see Jupiter and Saturn for the first time. I am currently at 82 of the venerable M Messier’s list. I now have seven of the eight planets (still annoyed about Pluto). My main goal this year is going to be Ceres to complete the gap and the final Messier objects as they are in the summer constellations. If I can get a look at Neptune then I will raise a glass. The rest of my life, I will take my time and enjoy them at leasure, through an eye piece or a camera. Marvin

If it wasn’t for the walk up the lane to high ground (thank you Marvin jr and Lixy) it would have been behind trees. Get to high ground and it will poke you in the eye as long as the weather permits of course. Marv (snr)

I have to say I don’t have one but a mate of mine is just about to buy. One of his reasons is not just the quality for price it’s that the OTA is in tube rings so you can take it out of the Dob mount and put it on an eq mount. Use and time will tell or course. Marv

Yes! 100%. First Mercury and it was so bright nothing but the Mk1 eyeball needed. Just looked it up on Stellarium and there is no possibility of there being anything else present in that sundown. Thanks to the dogs needing a walk up hill to higher ground it was surprisingly bright. No having to decide between competitors. I can’t understand how I have missed it in the past.... No idea about the night sky, mixed with not being a member of SGL and not having #Centaurz to point out where to look. You the man or woman or indeed Centaur. Marvin the most greatfull.

I think I have just had my first view of mercury 30 mins after sunset. Very low as a bright star in the south west in the very illuminated portion of sky above the horizon. Venus was far higher and a bit south. There were no other stars that even come close to that brightness that could show in that sundown, but I will check Stellarium to say for sure. If confirmed thank you CentaurZ.👍 Marv