A Murphy session

[Casus belli]

I set up my ETX hoping to get a webcam shot of Saturn. Now either my laptop is afraid of the dark or it doesnt like meade autostar as it kept locking up the program. After a few threats involving a hammer the three of us settled down to play "Hunt the planet".

I'd get Saturn smack dab in the middle of my 5mm ep, syncronise, remove the ep put the web cam in and look at a blank screen. I'd slowly focus all the way out, I'd slowly focus all the way in. Nada. Remove the web cam put back in the ep only to discover that Saturn wasnt there. Re-center etc etc, still nothing. I tried this four times, same thing every time. I reset the scope from scratch with same result.

Then I noticed my cat. He was rubbing up against the tripod.

Now in a cat free zone I tried again only for the program to freeze up again.

Time to give up as Saturn was disappearing behind a house.

Drag out the lightbridge and try out my new 8mm hyperion ep that just arrived this morning. I set up the scope and dropped my laser coliminator ... onto flagstones.

I pick it up expecting it never to work again but I turned it on and it works. I start coliminating and I was surprised to see that it was so far out. (yes I know NOW) Anyway fiddly bits done I put in the new ep and swing the scope round to Arcturus. Well frankly it was awful. I checked the trusses, they were ok, so I rechecked the colimination. Yes you guessed it, way out. At that point the batteries died.

I take it inside to change batteries. I unscrew the bottom and bits fall out. The fall had jarred loose the laser from its housing.

I stiffle a scream and try to manually coliminate the scope. I finally get it to a semi reasonable state, look up to see the clouds rolling in.

I know when I'm beaten. I take the top half off the lightbridge grab my gear and take it inside. I come back out for the bottom half to find next doors cat sitting in it. Theres muddy cat prints all over my mirror.

I think I'll take up a new hobby. Anyone want to buy a pair of mittens that I've made? 100% genuine cat hair*.

*Relax cat lovers. Both felines live and are totally unharmed. One is sitting on my knee as I write this, purring away. The other one is fine apart from possible deafness

[jgs001]

Crikey CB, someone had it in for you last night... Nicely written report though and what restraint you showed. I hope nothing is damaged (too badly in the collimators case)

[Sam]

Oh dear CB! that is certainly a bad run - cats and astronomy don't mix - nor do dogs and astronomy (our little dog ran off with my bino eyepiece cover last night - lucky I found it again, though it was all wet). I hope you can get your mirror cleaned up easily and I can certainly see how easy it would be for something get in the mirror bucket.

Sam

[lunator]

CB

That is a frustrating session. Congrats on not losing it completely.

Regarding Autostar software it always freezes on my home PC. I reckoned it was because my aged machine just wasn't up to the task.

Cheers

Ian

[jakey]

You are a very restrained person. If that was me my laser collimator would have beeen converted to the cats eye colllimator.

[George]

Animals always make an observing session challenging

[Casus belli]

I should have known about my own cat. He is my constant observing companion. When Gnasher (my cat) see's me getting ready to go out with the scope he gets quite excited. It's like mentioning "walkies" to an exciteable dog.

Normally its just the dob I'm out with so theres no problem. He knows not to climb into the scope (again!) The worst I normally get is when observing something low, he'll reach up on his hind legs and put his front legs around my neck. Ever tried obseving the ring nebula with a large and affectionate cat wrapped around your neck?

Aurora watching is probably his favorite. Im about 100 yards away from the moray firth and uninterupted views to the North. By climbing down a bank and onto the rocks I can get away from the light pollution. He knows where we're going as soon as i set off, he even knows my favorite rock for sitting on. He goes mad down there, jumping in rock pools and once getting scared by a sleeping seal.

He's fun to have around most nights and I cant leave him inside as he howls. Loudly. I can hear him from the back garden if the front door is shut.

Anyway my mirror is now free from paw prints and I've fixed the coliminator. It just needs a little zeroing in and all will be well. Next door's cat runs when he see's me now so I must have scared him off for a while.

[Sam]

I bet you had a fairly direct conversation with the neighbour's cat! Good to hear your mirror is ok and all cleaned up.

[Astronut]

I'm really sorry but I'm laughing out loud

At least your sense of humour's not damaged