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Hi from Chatham

Duke2k

By Duke2k
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Duke2k

Duke2k

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Hi all. I have been interested in astronomy since I was a little kid and my Dad showed me the plough or big dipper. I bought a planisphere out of my pocket money and spent many nights trying to find the other constellations. When I left school (1975) I bought a 60mm refractor from Dixons and was amazed at the views of the Moon. One night a friend was looking through the scope and stumbled upon Saturn. I didnt believe that he could see it but when I looked through the eyepiece there it was. WOW!

Not having a great deal of money I couldnt afford a better scope at the time, and so I used the one I had for several years but never had that same Wow moment. As the years went by my interests changed but I always tried to keep up with astronomical events and managed to see Halleys comet when the local society had an open evening. A Tasco 114mm reflector was given to me in the 1990's but I simply couldn't get used to using it.

Earlier this year I joined my local Astro society Mid Kent Astro and found everyone to be very friendly and very helpful. I then bought a used Skymax 150 Maksutov and eq5 pro goto mount and although I have had a few problems with the mount (bent bolts etc) I am very pleased with my scope. I now seem to get a wow moment most times I observe and I only wish that I had got a bigger scope many years ago. :grin:

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alan potts

alan potts

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A big SGL welcome from Bulgaria. I was born in Chatham many years ago and went to Highfields school which I think has finished. I lived in Sturla Road and moved from there in 1971 I was 15 at the time, I now live in Bulgaria. SGLis a great site join in and enjoy.

Alan.

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alan potts

alan potts

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Fairly ironic I bought my first scope from Dixons at the same time but I got the 3 inch version, I thought it was the biggest scope on earth at the time, still I was only young. I guess we are the same age give or take a year I wonder if we both know someone that is one and the same.

Alan.

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Apatheist

Apatheist

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Hey, I'm in Chatham too. Maybe we're getting enough to start a Medway society?? I couldn't find one when I looked.

One problem that I'm finding is that viewing isn't great when looking towards the town or the dockyard (which is unfortunately my best viewing direction) - way too much light pollution. Do you know of anywhere in the area that's public, safe, with low light interference and 360 degree viewing?

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Duke2k

Duke2k

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There is the Mid Kent Astronomical Society of which I am now a member. They meet every second and last Friday of the month at Bredhurst village hall near Gillingham. Alternate weeks are at their observatory in Canterbury which houses a C14, which will soon grow into a 20" Grubb Parsons scope courtesy of the Edinburgh Royal Observatory. http://www.midkentastro.org.uk

The field behind the hall at Bredhurst is quite dark for the Medway towns, but like you the glare from Medway city estate and the dockyard put anything in the N west to N east region out of the running, as I live near the town centre. However the club ran a BBC Stargazing live event from the Dockside car park with great success. I suppose the Medway Hospital Heli-pad is out of the running as the view from there would be great. :cool:

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