W/C 10th December

[swamp thing]

Hi All

Not been around due to silly long days. May be able to get out tomorrow if anyone's up for it?

[Leebert]

Sounds like a plan depending on the escape time from work. It'll be good to have a look around and have a chat

[Astro_Baby]

I have been havin a hellish few weeks BUT weather permitting I will be up for RC this week if anyones going.

I have so much hardware thats not been given much use, it would be god to get ou and blow some cob webs off.

Mel

[Woking]

I'll take any chance we get to actually use the scope for a change.

[PeterW]

Toys?! Got one arriving soon (I hope), forecast not so hot, so I must apologise. Darn chilly again tonight, but a shade less dark.

PeterW

[jam1e1]

Will join if can tomorrow, rest of week won't be able to

[Sir Roderic Spode]

Im off all week on annual leave, so will be up for a session Ive just got back from a night down in Wareham, a proper dark site.... it was the most spectacular thing ive ever seen in my life, could clearly see the milky way and everything.... and I was getting paid to be up on a hilltop stargazing

[Leebert]

What sort of time are people thinking meeting up? I have an early start in the morning and can't do too late

[Astro_Baby]

Last noght was clear as a bell, its looking a bit foggy at the moment. On top of tha I have managed t [removed word] up my back a I am going to drop out. Can believe the firts decent sky in ages and an old back injury has come back.

[Woking]

It's getting foggy here in Woking and knowing RC it will be worse up there.

It's not looking too hopeful for tonight

[Sir Roderic Spode]

skies were looking promising earlier... now I can barely see my hand in front of my face for fog in lewisham......bummer

[Leebert]

Was really clear here earlier too. Sadly no more A real shame - I looking forward to getting out under the stars.

[swamp thing]

Total white out typical

[jimieee]

Tonight? Weather forecast (BBC+Astropanel) looks promising at the moment...

[Leebert]

Going to be on Geminid watch in the back garden tonight. I hope to set up a long exposure camera to try and catch some too

[jimieee]

I was out on Monday night and saw a quite a few meteors - I forgot to check if we were going through any meteor showers at the moment.

If Monday is anything to go by you should catch quite a few (unless it gets foggy again!).

[Astro_Baby]

Fogging up at Rc with a forecast for fog and cloud

[Leebert]

Well, I went out on Wednesday night and saw...

Cloud!

The wife came out for a bit too and saw 3 but I missed all of them - Arrrrgh!

I set the camera off and got around 200 photos that I have made into a short cloud timelapse. So on the plus side, I got something I suppose!

http://www.flickr.co.../in/photostream

[jimieee]

The first time I watched I thought that you'd caught a really bright one!

[Leebert]

Lol! I did the same when I had an initial quick flick through the images.

Looking at the forecast yesterday, I spent some more time in the garden under much clearer skies than the previous night but, again, didn't capture a single meteor. Whilst the sky was clear, I though I'd experiment with the camera. I took the attached on a normal fixed tripod with the lens zoomed out to 18mm and the ISO up at maximum. I was quite surprised how well it came out.

Widefield by MrLeebert, on Flickr

[jimieee]

Not bad at all Lee! Pleiades is particularly clear.

I was out in the garden that night as well. Beautiful clear night, with the odd patch of cloud going overhead. I spent a lot of time poking around Auriga, which was quite hard work because it was near the zenith.

Last night was supposed to be clear as well, but I didn't make it out.