First Report

[wainscottbl]

This is my first time out, so tell me if I might improve my method. I observed with the naked eye around 3:30. I peaked out to see if just maybe those clouds that had kept me in earlier had move out, and wonderfully they had! Here is what I wrote from taking my laptop outside:

Did not have printer (tonight) to print of monthly star chart, so brought my computer outside. Though could not turn it upside down obviously, able to locate Jupiter and from there Venus.

Light pollution prevented me from seing Polaris, that star everyone thinks is the brightest when it is actually rather dim. Moved on to the brightest start, Sirius, which made me realise I was in error when I though I found Venus earlier, but given the map is not correctly aligned, that is to be expected.

The moon is full and thus makes the sky harder to see, but there is romance to the full moon, and there is a halo around it!

Back to Jupiter to confirm that I see Castor and Pollux, two of my favourite stars because I alluded to them in a sonnet I once wrote. It was about a woman who had beautiful starry eyes, “brightly expressive as the twins of Loeda” as Poe himself wrote about a certain woman's eyes, which I used in my own fashion. So the stars have a special place in my heart.

I stayed out for about half an hour altogether. The halo was nice to see and though the star map unable to be turned upside down properly hindered my sense of direction, I still was glad to find what I could. I will try to go out tommorow if it is not cloudy

[andrew63]

You may have noticed high up in the south Mars - bright with a ruddy hue and low in the east Saturn. Something to ponder on for your next report!

andrew

[todd8137]

lol

[wainscottbl]

Is somethig funny, Todd? Yes, I have thought I might be seeing Mars, given it is supposed to be arounds the moon I have read tonight, I think, or maybe tomorow.

[todd8137]

no nothing is funny it was this that made me chuckle

I once wrote. It was about a woman who had beautiful starry eyes, “brightly expressive as the twins of Loeda” as Poe himself wrote about a certain woman's eyes, which I used in my own fashion. So the stars have a special place in

it made me lol thats all i hope you do not think i was lol in at the report i was not so i hope i did not offend you in any way

pps have you got stellarium on your pc its a free download you could rewind the time function to the time and date and see what it was i should have put this at the start

[wainscottbl]

No, Todd, you did not offend me. I am glad I could make you chuckle.

[JimStan]

You can turn the sky around in Stellarium, so you are looking at any horizon point on the compass . No need to turn your computer upside down !

Jim S.

[wainscottbl]

I will download Stellarium. I had printed out a map from SkyMaps.com

Thanks

B.