What are your observing plans for tonight ?

[sulaco]

even just to get the scope set up would be a start, maybe i'll get better views from on top of the Ark i've been building......maybe the animals might bump into the mount..

[Moonshane]

it's cloudy here currently but suggests it will be clear later - will believe it when I see it but the scope will be out for sure.

not done much in Draco before so will be having a go there I think. Saturn of course and followed by trips round Hercules and Bootes. Then where the mood (or maybe moon) takes me.

[Marki]

My current forecast has it becoming cloudy as it gets dark after a sunny early evening...sod's law! Still tomorrow night looks good... .

I want to try out a new mount and maybe try split some doubles, and generally try and remember which end of the tube thing I need to look into . Very LP location where I live, so I imagine no fuzzies for me... .

[Mark1970Vintage]

My plan for tonight is FIRST LIGHT on my 1st ever scope (150p) !!! (assuming distant street lights dont count)

Practice Polar alignment.

3 star alignment set up on my EQ5 pro + generally getting used to focussing, changing eye peices.

I think i'll then have a general explore around the sky using the brighter stars/constellations. I plan to put a named star in the synscan and see if the scope goes to where I thought that star was (using turn left at oriion as my guide)

If i have time left and depending how I get on I'll refer to the advice I got re. 1st objects to look at and see if I can find M65/66 from my light polluted area.

... and ofcourse I can't wait to show my 2 eldest kids (11/8) some views if they're still up by the time i'm set up.

I'm very excited at th e prospect of clear skies tonight.

[ianaiken]

It has only just stopped raining. I see blue for the first time since long time. Mind, it's only a small bit. May get the mount out later under the cover in preparation. Still not looking overly promising.

[Mike73]

Just been playing with Sky Safari making a 'route plan' so I don't get lost while galaxy hopping tonight.

Bit sad I know but just trying to kill some time..

[ianaiken]

Mike, good plan, I think I will get Astroplanner running. I wanted to have a look at Venus if it's still about, which I think it is, more than anything else at the moment, as I think I could do that with gaps in the cloud. But, its gone black outside and its heavy hail... soooo... who knows. Sat shows it might just be clear.

[MadAlbert]

If fully intend to see a galaxy (M51) for the first time tonight! No Moon so fingers crossed...

[janew]

Clear skies? Tonight? I'll believe that when I see it! I'm hoping the skies clear soon as I'm getting the Baader Hyperion zoom EP for my birthday in a couple of weeks and know I won't be able to wait too long before trying it.

My 'scope has been sat unused in the study for weeks. I haven't even seen Saturn yet, so if it does clear up then I'll be on the look out for that tonight.

[Mike73]

Mike, good plan, I think I will get Astroplanner running. I wanted to have a look at Venus if it's still about, which I think it is, more than anything else at the moment, as I think I could do that with gaps in the cloud. But, its gone black outside and its heavy hail... soooo... who knows. Sat shows it might just be clear.

Thanks Ian. I wasn't sure how to do it with Astroplanner? Just wanted something very basic to follow so hopefully won't get sidetracked by all the other NGC's!

[ianaiken]

Mike - apologies I was thinking more of a target plan than a route plan. While I can print charts and observation templates with Astroplanner I think you have to mark the route on the printout manually.

[cotterless45]

Hopefully will try out the HEQ5 pro mount .Been out of the shed , but for the last two weeks it's been bad weather, nice.

Nick.

[Frank the Troll]

No plans, unless this wind drops a bit, and then it will be ad-hoc

[Tyr]

I'm out for a few quick drinks after work today, but I'm looking forward to getting back home and setup by the time it's getting properly dark (well as much as it ever does here). Hopefully I won't have impaired my observing ability too much.

I think like a lot of people I'm hoping to have a look at Saturn, since it was rather low in the sky last time I looked before the clouds first rolled in 6 or 7? weeks ago now.

After that I'd like to see a globular or two again, I've been learning a bit more about them recently and would like to connect that to some observing.

It's been such a long time since I actually got out under the stars now, I'll probably want to spend some time orientating myself with the constellations currently visible in the southern sky.

More generally I've got my observing notebook from about this time last year which I can look back over and maybe rediscover some things I discovered for the first time a year ago and hunt down some of the ones I couldn't find a year ago when I was starting out.

Hope everyone gets a bit of clear sky this weekend

Tyr

[acey]

I'll have no astronomical darkness at my location, but if it's clear then it should be dark enough from about midnight until around 2a.m. (moonrise). Will hope to do some galaxy hunting then. If not tonight then tomorrow night looks promising too.

[Crunchard]

Tonight's targets...

1. Firstly I will be observing a white round object, the Plate I believe it is called, upon which I will be able to make out craters and gulleys resembling white bait.

2. Then I will move on the Plates bigger brother, namely the Dinner Plate, similar in shape, but sometimes oval at this time of year. Upon which I will clearly be able to see at least 1 mountain of meat product and numerous smaller mountains of green, generally covered in a brown substance.

3. Lastly I will venture on to the stunning curvy object, known as the Bowl, within which you can clearly see two or three large asteroid shaped objects, icy in texture but quickly melt at room temperature

All this will be with Mark 1 eyeball, and mark 1 knife, fork and spoon.

If I am very lucky the Wine Nebulae will play a big part in proceedings ...

Well it is for my birthday after all

[Stargazer_00]

clear skies for your birthday, what better gift? happy birthday

[RogerTheDodger]

I'll be testing a new coma corrector/LP filter/QHY5 guide cam combo tonight if it does clear up, probably imaging M13, M81/2 NGC4565 depending on how it looks.

[Crunchard]

Cheers

[Codmate]

My garden faces SSW, so apart from Saturn, I'm going to do a little tour of some binaries and Messier objects in Virgo:

Gamma Virginis

17 Virginis

M49

NGC5634

M87

M86

M60

M84

M58

3C 273

Wish me luck

[rory]

im wanting to set up my old scope AND new scope to compare views, record them and maybe report back to the forum. but as for what, i really dont give a monkeys, just wanna see something. a planet, a glob and a galaxy would be fine.

best get the scopes out to cool off .

[chownsie]

After the last few weeks I dont care what I end up seeing, or not! I will be looking into the night sky and I will be happy and content with my lot!

Beer may also be involved.......

[JamesF]

The fan for my LX-modded SPC didn't arrive today, so I shan't be testing that. Will try out my 50mm binocular finder though, and have another go with the modded lifecam to see if I can learn to live with it, otherwise it might be headed for ebay.

There's a fistful of Messier objects between Scorpio, Ophiucus and Scutum that I've never seen though, especially those in the late teens and twenties, so I think they have to make it onto my list of targets for this weekend.

I must give M107 a try, too. I tried last year and I *know* the scope was pointing right at it, but it just wasn't there. It's right next to a little asterism that I think looks like an arrow, but could be seen as Orion in miniature, and I could find that, but M107 was nowhere to be seen...

James

[SFlowers]

My step daughter's friend is over so I am hoping to watch her see Saturn for the first time - always nice to see someone else's first "wow" moment.

[dtr42]

have just had an hour sun scoping ,now fueling up [curry and beer ] firepit loaded with wood ,beer in chiller and scope outside waiting for dark [about 11ish ] will catch saturn ,always a first choice then whatever my goto has as a tonight selection .