Are the planets back at last?

[Probablynot]

I went outside last night (well, Thurs morning at 1.30am to be precise) to dump some potato peelings in the recycling thingie, and saw a lovely half-moon just demanding to be looked at. Quickly took out the little Heritage 130P dob-ette and set it up on the wall that separates my cottage from the A483. Had some super views of the Mare Imbrium and the Plato and Archimedes craters, then noticed a bright-ish star a bit further northwards so I had to have a look.

A disc, with hints of colour and three satellites in view! Obviously Jupiter! Yippee!

Several lorries went by in the next 45 minutes. Big forestry-type lorries. I wonder what the drivers thought must be going on if they bothered to look at me as I peered into my lovely little portable scope? Actually I just stood back and closed my eyes as they went past, to preserve a bit of night vision.

That was a superb bit of fortuitous astronomy!

Uranus seems to make itself available these days (er, nights!), but lowish on the horizon and in places where I have trees. So I haven't seen it yet. The same applies to Saturn and Mars (close together, but frustratingly unavailable to me).

Things are looking up! Although I wasn't as lucky with the clouds tonight, so I couldn't repeat last night's delightful experience!

[swamp thing]

We are a strange lot us astronomers aren't we? Here you are in mid Wales, some of the finest, darkest skies in the country right on your doorstep. A deep sky observers dream, and your looking forward to seeing.................the planets.

[Matt Scunthorpe]

Mars and Saturn are dropping below the Horizon early now, but Venus and Jupiter will be coming round again if your out long enough. I keep looking for Neptune, but i just cant find it

[Monty]

Neptune V Cherry Tree =