mcrowle

Actually the early hours tomorrow are now looking reasonably clear, so I plan to give the comet a try - despite it being a work night! Regards, Mike.

Comets are probably my favourite subject, having seen or imaged 102 since my first in 1983, so I'm hoping to see Leonard soon! I didn't think to try last Thursday morning due to the bright Moon. It was the first clear night for ages, and likely the last for a while. Judging by images I've seen posted so far, the Moon would not have been such an issue. Anyway, regrets aside, good luck all over the next few weeks! Regards, Mike.

I rushed out following the 9pm and 1am alerts, but was clouded out to the North from 9pm. After 1am it was very clear, and on camera I did get a purplish glow towards the North - but nothing more. As it was a work night, I didn't hang around too long though. Of course, I'm about as far South as you can get in England, but I have seen aurora 6 times from here, the last in 2014 . Regards, Mike.

Not a bad first attempt at all, Stuart! You're not doing anything wrong, but it's probably worth taking a few frames, say 5 - 7 with the same settings, in quick succession. Then you can stack them in the free Sequator software to reduce noise, before increasing the contrast in the resulting TIFF file. That should enable you to bring out the Milky Way more. Regards, Mike.

Wow - that looks fantastic, Nigella! Certainly brings back memories for me too - I used to collect them as a kid, and I'm pretty sure I still have them (and the book) somewhere. Regards, Mike.

I mentioned my disappointment with attempts to image the planets with a 12" Newtonian on another thread, but for the record here's my far inferior capture of the closing stages of the Io transit the previous night with that 'scope. I really should stick to the 127mm refractor . 12" GSO/Revelation Newtonian, 3x Televue Barlow and ZWO ASI120MC. Regards, Mike.

Thanks, Craig. For me it clouded up during the evening after a mostly sunny day, but luckily was clear again after 11pm. Then, once the 'scope was allowed to cool outside for a while the views were superb. Yes, it is the triplet. I like it a lot, and have taken my best astrophotos through it over the years, and had some of my best views of the Moon and planets. Only my Meade 12" Dobsonian bettered it, though very sadly that one is long gone. Unfortunately it gets less use these days for deep sky imaging, as I normally employ either a 12" f/4 Newtonian for shorter subs, or a Sky Watcher 80mm for the wider field. That's a pity, really, because the Meade has a far flatter field than either of those and always produced superior results (all be it with longer subs being required, especially compared to the Newt). I think a lot of users of the triplet replace the focuser with a Moonlight one that has better weight handling. I had some issues early on, but tightened up all the screws - to the extent that there's now no unwanted movement at all (though this has marred the finish on the draw tube). To be fair there is a little purple fringing on the Moon's limb and bright stars, no doubt something absent on the more prestigious (and expensive) refractors, though I've never found it an issue when viewing or imaging. Regards, Mike.

Thought I'd quickly process one AVI of tonight's Ganymede transit, before I go back out and continue watching. Meade ED 127mm refractor, 5x Barlow and ZWO ASI120MC. Regards, Mike.

Many thanks, Craig - I'll take a look at that. The only mod I've done so far was to replace the support springs with stronger ones (also following a recommendation on this forum). Regards, Mike

Just watched the end of the transit - although Io was only visible to me as it left the disk, followed closely by its shadow. Seeing is not great here, either. Using a 12" Newtonian, though not one I've ever had the best planet views with, sadly. Regards, Mike.

Superb work, Craig! I must say I'm a little jealous, as I've been hefting a 300mm Newtonian to and from my observing position in the garden for the past 9 years and have never once had an impressive view or capture of a planet! Mine appears to have the light-gathering power of a 300mm, but the resolution of a toy 'scope! Regards, and clear skies. Mike.

Yes, certainly always worth checking the sky! For me the display below NEOWISE was only visible though a low point in the valley side, but fortunately Friday's display extended higher in the sky. Regards, Mike.

Thanks, Pete and Paul. Yes, it was lucky that I looked out when I did and that the sky was clear (of low cloud at least ) - it's been mostly cloudy since. This was only the 4th noctilucent cloud display I've seen - the first was back in 1988, and the last was during one Comet NEOWISE imaging session in July 2020. Friday night's display was definitely the best of the 4. Regards, Mike.

I looked out of the bedroom window late this evening, just to check conditions (as is my habit), and was surprised to see a vivid noctilucent cloud display! Having grabbed some gear and rushed out, unfortunately it took a while to find a suitable vantage point - as I'm in a valley. However I did manage to grab a few pics before the clouds faded. This is slightly cropped 10-sec exposure at f/5.6 and ISO 400. Canon EOS 5DMkIII and 100mm lens. Regards, Mike.

The forecast for me was for 100% low cloud cover. However I'd say that it's closer to 300% . Regards, Mike.

I've taken a couple of days off work to watch and image the eclipse - and also in the hope of photographing Air Force One passing overhead (I'm in Cornwall, under the flightpath to Newquay). It's not going great so far: the forecast for the eclipse is low cloud, fog and/or drizzle. Just to rub it in, Air Force One did fly low overhead about an hour ago, i.e. in the dark and invisible above the low cloud. Good luck with the eclipse, all! Regards, Mike.

There is a YouTube channel (though this presentation is not posted yet): StarGaZine - YouTube. I do hope to catch it again, as I missed the discussion at the end due to an incoming phone call. Regards, Mike.

I live on the edge of large village In Cornwall and have Bortle 4 skies at home, so I'm relatively lucky. However the streetlights stay on all night, and various houselights are an issue unless I wait until everyone else is in bed. I don't drive, but I often take portable equipment to a beach 25 minutes walk away. It's only slighter darker there to be honest, but the horizons are less obstructed and south is over the sea - so it's ideal for Milky Way views in the Summer . Regards, Mike.

Wow, just checked and my last DSO image of 2020 was taken in September! I did manage a couple of wide-field sessions in November and December though. This was the September image, of the Pegasus galaxy group centred on NGC 7331. Not great, to be honest due to the tilt, coma and a heavy crop, so I hadn't posted it anywhere until now. Equipment: Revelation 12" f/4 Newtonian and astro-modified EOS 600D. Happy New Year and clear skies! Mike.

Looks like Thursday is now my best bet, too. I got as far as having my kit ready in the bag for a walk to the beach, but I didn't even set out. What clear patches there were just recently were all too brief, and the nearly unbroken cloud is fast-moving. Best regards, Mike.

As expected the conditions were very poor here yesterday, with thick cloud and either drizzle or rain all day and into the night. Looking a little more hopeful today, though, with only around 50% cloud expected around 4pm. I think I'll get some kit together for a walk to the beach and its low horizon. However, the same forecast shows nearly 100% cloud by 5pm, so I'm still not terribly optimistic. Good luck, and skies, all! Regards, Mike.

Totally clouded out here in Cornwall, too, with rain expected to last for the next few hours. Yesterday evening was mostly cloudy, though with a few clear patches overhead - not much good for attempting to view the conjunction just above the horizon. In any case I would have had to set up away from home for an adequately low horizon, and was expecting visitors from 4pm, so I'm afraid I didn't even try! Maybe next time . Regards, Mike.

Looks like I won't be setting out to see Comet Erasmus after all. Referring to theskylive.com, it will be half a degree below the horizon at the end of astronomical twilight and less than 4 degrees up by the end of nautical twilight from my location. Meanwhile the forecast of clear skies on Sunday morning has changed to high cloud and possibly mist, all with a nearly full Moon of course. I hope that someone more suitably located can spot the comet! Regards and clear skies. Mike.

I spent a few nights photographing aurorae with a Canon EOS 7D in Finland last year - at down to -27°C. While I was aware this is well below the operating range, I encountered no major issues. Certainly the battery drained more rapidly, but I kept a spare in an inside pocket to keep it warm (plus in fact I was never far from the hotel and my battery charger). I did notice that the camera sounded different when taking images, though, as if the mechanism was struggling a bit. It never actually stopped working. Although I also have a 600D, I didn't have it with me so unfortunately I can't say whether it would have worked just as well. By the way, a cheap, 3rd party cable release did not survive the cold - the cable became very brittle and snapped. Best regards, Mike.

Has anyone seen or imaged Comet C/2020 S3 Erasmus? According to Spaceweather.com, it's currently visible low in the SE at dawn, about magnitude 7. Unfortunately, although it is expected to brighten over coming days it quickly becomes more challenging to see due to still lower elevation and the proximity of the Sun. Of course the weather has not been helpful of late, though it was clear this morning so I fear I may have missed an opportunity! Still, the forecast for Sunday morning looks good so I plan to head to a local beach with a low horizon in the right direction. There's a gallery on the comet on Spaceweather.com, and I must say I'm envious of those taken in Namibia! Spaceweather.com Realtime Image Gallery (spaceweathergallery.com). Good luck and clear skies, all! Regards, Mike.