Highlights of 2014.

[DRT]

My highlight was seeing M13 for the first time through my CPC1100 & 13mm Ethos during the summer. My first globular cluster and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Absolutely mind boggling stuff.

[dick_dangerous]

My 2014 has petered out in the astronomical department, it has to be said, but I've had plenty of highlights this year, especially after getting the 150P. Having said that, my trusty ST80 has gone international with stunning results.

• The M82 supernova, the first I've ever seen.
• M13 resolving its outer parts in the 150P.
• Mars at opposition.
• Realising in Cornwall that I'd never seen M51 before and being blown away under those dark skies.
• Galaxy hunting in Cornwall.
• Finding M6 and M7 in Bushy Park far too late on a school night.
• Locating Mercury, Uranus and Neptune.
• Mind-blowing views of the Veil, the North America and Helix nebulae in Spain with my humble little ST80.
• Viewing the Geminids from the park.

Next year's shaping up to be a busy one - partial solar eclipse in March, total lunar eclipse in September, the ST80 is going to the Dordogne and there's a couple of promising comets around. Here's hoping for a few of those fabled clear skies!

DD

[kerrylewis]

It's been a marvellous year. A few notes from my logbook:

2/1 Comet Lovejoy still clear with a long gossamer tail easily seen with averted vision.

11/1 Venus at inferior conjunction but 5 degrees from the sun  - managed to see the wafer thin crescent; beautiful sight. 

23/1 Saw the supernova in M82. Amazing how comparatively bright it is with two stars 'pointing the way' . Boggling to think that it actually exploded about 12 million years ago and its light has been travelling to my eye for all that time.

3/2 (Aldeburgh) Saw Venus rise and creep above the clear horizon then be reflected in the see, followed by sunrise with huge sunspot visible without filter until quickly swamped by the brightness

18/2 First Orion Nebula with the Dob. Stunning! Distinctly green and the 'wings' very extensive. Could see the two dimmer stars in the Trapezium - a first  

6/4 (First ever star party at SGL9) The last day but unfortunately like all the others with cloud and rain day and night. But good drinking and conversation 

11/4 Superb Mars - best yet for this apparition. Dark markings very clear with sharply defined edges. Real sense of looking at a solid globe in space. 

15/4 Mars again. Small northern cap easy visible with bright Heras region opposite looking like a larger cap. The Syrtis Major region very prominent and dark and moving off the disc as time went on. Hint of cloud over one area. Would have been amazed 12 months ago to think that I could see such a view - makes having all this equipment worthwhile!

4/5 Superb lunar occultation. I could see the faintly illuminated dark limb approaching the star  - Lambda Gemini - and then the disappearance was very sudden  - just like a light being switched off.

12/8 First view of Comet Jacques. (Later became easier to see as as it raced up through the stars) 

22/8 Finally saw The Phantom M74 - it needed the Dob!

24/9 Saw a mysterious group of lights on a formation about 1 degree across moving like a satellite. I5/20 objects of varying brightness. They resembled something breaking up but with no trails. (No-one else saw it but I remain convinced that it was not planes or anything similar) 

I look forward to a great 2015 too

Kerry 

[mjpfc]

Lovejoy and Linear got the year off to a flyer, and then K1 Panstarrs and the Venerable Jaques kept the Comet club very happy

indeed through the middle of the year.

The SN in M82, (2014 j) and M99 (2014 L) were two other transient objects that were great things to see for themselves, but also

because they made me look at their host galaxies a lot deeper than I have for some time.

Despite the appauling weather of Winter/spring, and its wet return from mid-September I have had the most productive year for

Star-Hop finding DSOs since we moved to Sandown in Oct 2001. Currently 180-odd objects this year taking my IOW tally through 1,000 in

early Summer .

I think this is because although I have been out on probably fewer occaisions than normal, I have tended to be out right through until

the sky starts to brighten so I have had the time to find, and observe.

The only planet I still have not seen this year is Venus, but I should make up for that from the new-year onwards.

Currently Jupiter and It's moons are ending the year with a cracking display of Occultations / Ecclipses and other events that are

the current highlight for me.

And then possibly Comets Lovejoy and Findlay if the clear weather of this afternoon holds through Sunset.........

Merry Christmas

Mick

[SteveB72]

Sorry for the extra post, but I would like to add another highlight for 2014 form my observing session last night.

I had tried a few times previously to find G1 globular cluster in Andromeda and finally managed last night after preparing much better for the hunt, with printed out finder charts and notes from various websites.

Steve

[niallk]

Didn't get out as much as I'd have hoped due to various stuff, but still had some memorable sessions:

Going out one morning at 4am seeing several meteors,browsing the virgo cluster and seeing the needle galaxy for the first time - followed by breaking dawn and mercury.

Supernova in m82

Best ever detailed views of Mars

Cassini division unequivocally for the first time - bino viewing rules

Making/using baader solar film filter - again wow with binoviewer - some great sunspots this year!

Bought an O-III filter and saw the veil neb for 1st time - amazing detail - hadn't dared hope that the filter would work so well

Naked eye milky way + messiers in Ballinaskellig Gold Tier International Dark Sky Reserve - bringing my Dob next year

Happy New Year to everyone + thanks for making this such a great website - I'm indebted to so many for getting me started plus all the continuing great advice!!