Hawksmoor

As the weather forecast -Lowestoft seafront for the 20th March - was for cloud, cloud and more cloud, my partner and I set off for predicted 'clearing skies' in rural Lincolnshire. This required an early morning call at 4.30am. Strewth this was just like being back at worK! Anyway after quick coffee and cereal, we leapt into rhe 'family wagon' and headed at a brisk pace north west. It was a dark and stormy morning, but as we approached our favoured observation site, a recently manured field twixt Gedney and Holbeach in Lincolnshire, the clouds began to evaporate. As we set up our camera and laptop the sun suddeny appeared through and between the clouds. Donning our eclipse glasses we assumed our default nerd personae and were approached almost immediately by a journalist and photographer from the local newspaper. Clearly, we were a two for the price of one photo opportunity. A number of passing and local folk enquired as to our purpose and state of mind. Many were genuienely impressed by the live view image on my Canon DSLR, of the moon moving infront of the sun. We managed to capture some nice images and video of the eclipse. After packing our kit in the back of the car we adjourned to the near by tea room for mushrooms on toast and hot chocolate. At midday, we set off back home to Lowestoft. Days later the memory of the eclipse still lingers, as does the smell of manure in our car!

Have been coughing and sneezing my way through February. When you add "am I feeling up to setting up my scope" to "are there clouds" to "is there too much moonlight" ?? Its all too easy to leave the scope in its box and rack up in front of the fire. Anyway, the 21st February presented a fine clear night and I enjoyed imaging the ‘king of planets’.

Last night, I stood and watched as my ten year old grandson looked through my old 10x50 binoculars and found for his first time; the Andromeda Galaxy and then the Pleiades. Looking out into space and back in time is and should always be very exciting! He was very pleased with himself. Binoculars are a great way into astronomy for the younger child. Negligible set up and minimal supervision required - wide variety of observeable treats and maximum time taking in the view! Have set him a challenge to find the monthly binocular highlights in my astronomy magazine and am looking forward to his reports..

The manuals generally help, so does reading what 'skilled and experienced' members on the lounge have to say on many and various subjects, but I find I have also learned much by trial and error. Its a lot slower process and punctuated by mini-disasters but generally exciting! Thanks for the comment!

Well normally I'm a bit of a " give it a go" or "I wonder what happens if I push this button" sort of bloke. Anyway for whatever reason I purchased a couple of ledger type books from Poundland and started two observational logs. One log for visual observations and one for the LVST (the Lowestoft Very Small radio Telescope). So last night, I used the moon to calibrate the focus points for my camera - telescope -barlow lens combinations and wrote it all down in my log book. Train spotting next! The sky was a bit cloudy and the moon was in one of the gum trees at the bottom of my garden, so imaging was not really on but I quite liked this photo. Nice craters on the limb.

Thanks for your helpful comment.

Thanks for your comment. As you say, for an eclipse to occur the two moons and the sun would need to be in alignment but our position as observer on Earth does not need to be on the same line. My thought was that my view was at an oblique angle to the line of the eclipse. Hopefully this makes sense of the image?

Last few days it has been very hot, so quite unusual for us folk on the windy East Coast. Even went in the sea and it was WARM! Due to haze and visiting grandchildren didn't use either of my telescopes but on the plus side had some great wide-field views through my 11x80 binoculars . M13, M92 and M31 :smiley: :smiley: :smiley: . Managed to view a number of very bright slow moving meteors, quite beautiful! I also thought that with averted vision I could just pick out a grey dot where M57 should be, but this could be old eyes and wishful thinking! :shocked: Worst shock horror! Visiting my friends on their boat I dropped my trusty and well used Lumix compact camera in 6 feet of murky salt water. :mad: Good news my long suffering partner bought me a new one. :kiss: I am still testing my homemade meteor detecting radio telescope (The LVST). Have been building a website for it. If interested please visit at http://missbissuk.wix.com/lvst