whats the funniest thing

[bottletopburly]

whats the funniest thing to happen to you whilst out observing im sure theres some stories to be told whilst crashing around the shed at night .

[sologuitarist61]

Standing in the dark with a wet leg when a dog came and pee'd up my leg!! Not one of mine either they were curled up in the warm.

[Davey-T]

Spending 20 minutes trying to find a star in the finder the other night having forgotten I'd stuck a rubber 2" cap inside as a precaution while practicing for the non transpiring transit of Venus.

Another joke

Davey-T

[bottletopburly]

doh davey t

[Capricorn]

Stood in bare feet one night on a concrete base, not grass, and a hedgehog walked towards me and literally walked over my foot. Didn't hesitate and made no attempt to walk round. Straight over one foot and off to search the other side of the garden.

[notaclue]

Well not a funny story but one that to me is funny.

When in the army we did a weekend of E&E (escape and evasion) up near Scarbrough in a large woodland area. So after a day and night freezing in a ditch and catching some sleep , me and the two others had to move. The person with the map and compass (pre Garmin and GPS was just starting) got us slightly lost in the woods as we hooked up with another group.

So while they were deciding where north was and which way the map was supposed to be I stood at this clearing overlooking a valley and seeing all the stars. After 10 minutes or so of whispering I said a compass direction and pointed. This confused the corporals. I stand in the middle of night and say over there pointing is East. They dismissed it until I put the map right, pointed the map east and then to all the celestial points relating to the map and put my finger on the map as to where we were.

When they asked how I knew which way is east I said that Mars is that red star over there and all the other stars are rising in that direction. Also there is a building with a light on so map to ground with that point of the house and stars located us on the map.

And they are the ones supposed to be good at oriontation of maps and compass?

lol I say

[rory]

taking every pecuation to keep dark adapted eyesight...then while making a brew with my red headtorch......i open the fridge , doh !

[Andy McK]

Recently, on top of Bleanavon (south wales dark sky site) I noticed, of to the west, quite close to the horizon, a very bright star.

Now I have 5 year old specticles, and was a bit cold (eyesight a little blured) but, i was thinking to my self.

"that looks really wierd, Venus? no!! "

So I swung my ota round onto it. and had a look throught the very excelent finder in my TAL2.

To my shock, the "star" seemed to have satalietes/moons.

Im a proud and happy voice, I said, "what the hell is that !"

Then I heared the engines.

[notaclue]

taking every pecuation to keep dark adapted eyesight...then while making a brew with my red headtorch......i open the fridge , doh !

A tip for you in regards to night time and lights. When going insode, close one eye. This stops your night vision from being fully impared. If you ever happen to look into a book called Soldiers pocket book (a guide to all things army from field operationd to first aid and ranks within) on page 6-19 (chapter 6 page 19) it says to close one eye and look around. This closing of one eye stops the RODS in the eye being overtaken by the CONES (which see detail in daytime). For the short while of the fridge closing one eye will not damage your night vision too much to wait a half hour until your night vision is fully returned.

[bottletopburly]

Stood in bare feet one night on a concrete base, not grass, and a hedgehog walked towards me and literally walked over my foot. Didn't hesitate and made no attempt to walk round. Straight over one foot and off to search the other side of the garden.

haha i stood on a hedgehog once barefooted middle of the night took a short cross to the shed to lock it up frightened the life out me lol

[rory]

A tip for you in regards to night time and lights. When going insode, close one eye. This stops your night vision from being fully impared. If you ever happen to look into a book called Soldiers pocket book (a guide to all things army from field operationd to first aid and ranks within) on page 6-19 (chapter 6 page 19) it says to close one eye and look around. This closing of one eye stops the RODS in the eye being overtaken by the CONES (which see detail in daytime). For the short while of the fridge closing one eye will not damage your night vision too much to wait a half hour until your night vision is fully returned.

good tip. im an old squaddie,so i remember that one.trouble was i just completely forgot about the fridge light altogeather .

[notaclue]

What is learned in the army always stays with you. Anything from night vision to knowing how to walk in hills and making camp. It never goes away.

[stevetynant]

setting up on top of the Epynt Mountain range in Mid Wales( which is used by the army for artillery training) - really dark and remote in the freezing wind and not observing for 20 minutes until I realised the two helipcopters with search lights were not actually coming towards us but were Jupiter and Venus with the clouds being blown past them

always laughed at people reporting these two planets as UFOs but now know exactly where they were coming from.lol

[LukeSkywatcher]

Not funny at the time but i can laugh now. I set up and pointed the scope at the Moon. I couldnt see it. I checked the scope and all the bits to see if they were all in place and working. I couldnt see any problems. 20 mins later i still could not see the Moon so i went to pack up and go inside. I went to put the dust cap on the scope but could not find it.

I couldn't find it because i had forgotten to take it off of the scope.

This has happened more than once also.

Another night i packed up and went to bed. The next day i found the dog outside in the garden. I had locked her out by accident. I thought it was funny,she didnt. She has a doghouse outside big enough to house an adult St. Bernard. It has all the modcons that a dog needs.....................a blanket.

[carastro]

Well my husband locked me in the back garden once because he locked up and went to bed thinking I was out somewhere (he had been out himself and didn't know I was out in the obsy!!!)

Luckily we have a side gate and I was able to go round the side and knock on the front door.

He always checks now!!!!!!!!

Carole

[notaclue]

This has happened more than once also.

Another night i packed up and went to bed. The next day i found the dog outside in the garden. I had locked her out by accident. I thought it was funny,she didnt. She has a doghouse outside big enough to house an adult St. Bernard. It has all the modcons that a dog needs.....................a blanket.

The fresh air would have done her good.

[Wobbly Bob]

Leening back in a plastic garden chair to get a better angle with me bins ANDDDD you guessed it, one leg broke and over i went, DIDNT HURT, DIDNT HURT, ouch.

[LukeSkywatcher]

The fresh air would have done her good.

You would think so.

Ohhhhhhhh no............she made my life hell for a couple of days after.

[Astro Imp]

Well my husband locked me in the back garden once because he locked up and went to bed thinking I was out somewhere (he had been out himself and didn't know I was out in the obsy!!!)

Luckily we have a side gate and I was able to go round the side and knock on the front door.

Not astro reated but I locked my wife in the shed, didn't realise she was in there potting on some seedlings. Realised when I got half way down the path and heard her YELLING.