Thin cloud, bright moon ..... but no wind for a change !

[John]

First evening without those buffeting winds for what seems a long time 

I'm having a rather nice session with the 12" dob this evening despite the variable thin cloud and the moon about to pop it's face over the confers and send the DSO's scurrying.

While M82 was far from it's best in these conditions, the supernova was still beaming at around mag 10.8 I reckon. Perhaps a slow fade setting in ?. Time will tell.

I've also been following a Great Red Spot transit on Jupiter and managed to catch about 80% of it. The thin cloud is doing a great filtering job on the giant planet and the belts, spots, eddies and festoons are standing out pretty well. There is a really nice large white spot that has trailed the GRS across the disk and it's bang in the center of the south equatorial belt, preceded by some lesser pale eddies and the GRS hollow with it's pale and dark framing.

While not the steadiest view I've ever had of it, I was very pleased to manage to split Sirius again with the "Pup" star glimmering faintly as it trails the Dog star across the field of view. It comes and goes with the seeing and sometimes because I concentrate too hard on it I think but it's consistently there, most obviously with the 6mm Baader GO but also glimpsed in the Ethos 6mm and Pentax XW 5mm.

[Mike73]

Hardly a breath of wind here, really calm and peaceful night almost forgot what thats like!

So much happening on Jupiter tonight like you say John, numerous white eddies preceding the GRS in the SEB, a trio of white spots right on the border of the SSTB and STZ and some strange almost dot like marks across the NTB which I haven't seen before.

I had 15 minutes of this then had to go to the shop...came back and the Maplins power pack had died so I got the big scope out and it was like looking at Jupiter through jelly so I gave up without even a chance to make a sketch.

Nice to be out though although for me it was a very brief session! 

[scarp15]

It would appear then that the wind has moved North. The seeing was very good on Jupiter tonight and I to enjoyed the GRS transit staying at 203x. Yet my observing location, close to home, was a bit exposed to some buffeting winds and then the clouds closed in at ten. 

[John]

It would appear then that the wind has moved North. The seeing was very good on Jupiter tonight and I to enjoyed the GRS transit staying at 203x. Yet my observing location, close to home, was a bit exposed to some buffeting winds and then the clouds closed in at ten. 

Sorry about sending the wind to you Iain but I'm glad you saw something tonight at least.

[scarp15]

Cheers John, it was good to be out even if a challenge. At least the forecasters are indicating a return to 'normal' winter weather patterns. 

[Mr Spock]

Sounds like you had a good night. Weather here wasn't so favourable