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Your Biggest WOW! Moment?

Zaine UK

By Zaine UK
in The Astro Lounge

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PortableAstronomer

PortableAstronomer

Posted
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My biggest "wow" moment was just after seeing the 11-Aug-1999 total solar eclipse from clear skies in France. I dragged a friend along from University to see it, and he said just afterwards "huh, was that it?" (as in, "what was all the fuss about?").

DOH!

Actually I'd been into planetary physics and astronomy for many years before the event, and despite being a science nerd at the time, all my conscience, knowledge, normal awareness just completely shut down in being overwhelmed by experiencing the eclipse for real, and I was shaking for some time afterwards, walking very wobbly and in a complete emotional wreck. And then someone says "huh, was that it?". The apathy of some people is beyond comprehension. I'm not sure if the eclipse, or the realisation of the potential of public apathy, was the biggest 'wow' factor for me.

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SeedyF

SeedyF

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My first planet was Saturn and I still remember being blown away. The first time I looked at M42 I was truly gobsmacked, and I still go back to it every night I am out in the winter. And recently my first look at M13 - my first globular cluster I was on cloud nine when I came back in the house - even though it was 7am and I had been up since 4 :p

Sorry, that's three, I couldn't contain myself at one!

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John

John

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I've a few to contribute:

- Seeing Saturn for the 1st time with my 60mm refractor in 1982 at 3:00 am.

- The 1999 total eclipse with my family on the beach at Marazion, Cornwall. I waited 28 years for that and it was mostly cloudy. Amazing atmosphere though.

- The 2004 Transit of Venus, projected with my 60mm refractor so that neighbours could share it.

- Finding the Veil Nebula for the 1st time with a UHC filter and a 100mm refractor.

- Viewing M51 and M13 with a 20" dobsonian at the SGL star party in 2010.

- Observing a supernova last year in a faint Ursa Major galaxy (not the m51 SN) which happened when the dinosaurs were walking the earth.

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Uplooker

Uplooker

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My first WOW was M42 through my 6" newt but that was dwarfed by the WOW I had when I saw Saturn for the first time. I was jumping about the garden like an eejit. When I described the sight to people I likened it to a picture of "Saturn" on the side of an arcade games machine as it just looked so surreal

Ian

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Matt 82

Matt 82

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Still haven't seen Saturn :p Should easier to find from my garden soon though, as long as it's clear obviously.

Jupiter is the obvious one, though for me my first good look at the moon through the 200 Dob and first seeing a satellite pass across my field of vision were the real (out loud) 'Wow' moments.

I've spent hours just looking at the moon. It never gets old.

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JamesF

JamesF

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There are so many choices. Pretty much anything in the solar system, M13, the Wild Duck cluster, Discovery leading the ISS across the southern sky on its last trip home, seeing two metors in quick succession in the eyepiece whilst viewing Jupiter, the Andromeda Galaxy, seeing the moon at high magnification looking like you could reach out and touch it, and just the sheer spectacle of seeing the Milky Way under a dark sky when the seeing is good.

We are truly tiny and insignificant, but that doesn't bother me in the least because we're part of something that is astounding beyond measure.

James

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Mr Q

Mr Q

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My first was without a scope during a total eclipse in the 1950s during the summer as a young boy.

Though I have had many more while observing telescopically, my latest was when I recently lived in SW US (35 lat.) and saw the great globular Omega Centauri - a bright glob nearly the size of the full moon. That definately was a WOW for me!

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Trull

Trull

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Can I also add that although my biggest wow moment was viewing Saturn through my homemade scope, I got a huge rush from showing 350+ other people Jupiter and other wonders at our recent Stargazing Live event at RSPB Loch of Strathbeg in January.

Sometimes its just as amazing to share the experience as to do it yourself - so if you can, invite your neighbour to see and you might convert someone for life (or at least possibly gain another dark skies sympathiser)

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muttley

muttley

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Jupiter's moons through my Skywatcher 130p on my first night's viewing (just a couple of weeks ago). They were just tiny spots through the 25mm eyepiece, but I didn't dare change it in case I knocked the tube and couldn't find Jupiter again! That's a newbie for you.

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muttley

muttley

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Jupiter's moons through my Skywatcher 130p on my first night's viewing (just a couple of weeks ago). They were just tiny spots through the 25mm eyepiece, but I didn't dare change it in case I knocked the tube and couldn't find Jupiter again! That's a newbie for you.

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Gary23

Gary23

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My first wow moment, like a lot of people in the post is Jupiter. Closely followed by the first time I saw the moon through a telescope and noticed it's detailed surface (I hope I'm not alone with this one).

As a relatively new person to this I hope I still have plenty of wow moments ahead of me.

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Mr Q

Mr Q

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I thought this forum had no place for religious beliefs to be talked about :p

I see no reference to anything religious in his statement - only a scientific fact refering to the vastness of our universe. I also don't want to see religious statements on astronomy sites since we should keep such beliefs to ourselves.

Now that I have hijacked the thread (sorry), lets get back to the "WOWS" of the hobby:D

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