What do you do?

[Soupy]

Now the astro season is coming to an end soon for the northern hemisphere, I'm interested to see what people do now they have loads of free time as the skies are not dark enough! Never mind not cloudy.

Is it move to solar? Mod time (and I don't mean Eton rifles)? New astro project preparing for the winter? Or something completely different?

post your thoughts see if we can give each other some ideas.

 

cheers

soupy

[Gina]

Still dark enough here in southern England but rarely do we see any clear night skies!!  Not enough to make it worth bothering and trying to get all the diverse equipment and software working properly together as well as trying to remember how it all works!!

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

It is still dark enough here, but when the skies turn grey I can still watch planets (even though they are low), the moon, and of course the sun.  Having a holiday in southern France and bringing the kit along also helps.

[Chris]

Apart from planetary and lunar observing and imaging, I'm probably going to try more daytime photography (Easier to fit that around summer and family life).

Might try and do more microscope photography too! 

[spaceman_spiff]

I still try to get out with the scope and image brighter targets. I need the practice or i'll go rusty.

[JB80]

I'm a bit of a sissy and summer signals the start of my season, honestly it's much better observing/imaging at night when it's 20°C in shorts.

For night time stuff it's the Moon and planets, occasional meteor shower and possibly some dslr widefield for comets and such. But yeah I do loads of solar work too.

[bish]

Although it doesn't get properly dark here we have bad light pollution, so it just means stopping up later.

[bomberbaz]

Summer just means less clothes but later nights as far as observing goes although due to lateness there may be less of them, like there can be given the recent run of weather we have had but yeah.

Also I do have a microscope and want to nurture this more as so far I have only toyed with it. I have been nourishing a lump of moss in some rainwater for nearly 2 months so itching to see what I have managed to get living in there.

[rockystar]

I got my first scope in the summer months, so started working my way around the summer triangle. and Hercules is better placed for me from my garden - I think M13 was the first DSO that I spotted. So I'll keep going. Also got books to read that I got for Christmas and haven't yet picked up.

[Soupy]

Lunar and planetary are good yes. Deep sky suffers though, especially in more northerly locations.

observing in shorts and t-shirt well that is a luxury. As for stopping up late usually do that anyway

like the idea of going from the very big to the very small, and using a microscope!

[Twiggles]

What do you mean over? Did it start???

I'm hoping to get Mars and Saturn as they start coming in to view a little earlier, the mercury transit and probably some lunar. Other than that I'll be saving for more goodies (better mount and eventually bigger scope).

[John]

Some of the best nighttime targets of all are Summer objects. Ok, you need to wait up later for dark skies but objects such as the Veil Nebula are fabulously worthwhile

[sungrazer]

A lack of "astro" darkness doesn't mean and end to it.  Saturn, Mars, Jupiter still around for many months.  Planning to lug the 925 down to Cornwall at the end of June for some dark sky planetary obs.  Also Mercury transit in May as some have pointed out... need to get onto FLO for a new solar filter though!

[Uranium235]

I dont stop, apart from a couple of weeks either side of the solstice - there is plenty of narrowband on offer around M16 etc. And if the Sun is about, I do some solar instead.

[brantuk]

Yup - I get the solar scope out more - but still do some night time astronomy too when my sleep patterns and weather allow.

Just added some counterweights to the dob and plans are underway for building a whole new rocker box for it over the summer.

[astro mick]

Never stop.(Hardly get started at the mo).

Always something to view or image.

Mick.

[laudropb]

I never stop. There is always something to see even from these Northern latitudes. It does help to be retired when late night/early morning sessions are not a problem.

[Skipper Billy]

I get my 1963 Mk1 MG Midget out of the garage and go fly my model aircraft between April and August !!

My business is very seasonal (and its a short season in Scotland !) so stopping up late in the Summer just isn't going to happen!

[Stu]

Same here, no such thing as the end of season for me. Planets, moon, double stars and as John says, Veil Nebula, NAN and all the southern treasures in and around Sagittarius to aim for plus solar of course.

[Peco4321]

I've only just got back into this recently and bought my new scope a few weeks ago so won't be stoping. Not seen the moon yet with new 150p so looking forward to that, also camping in North Yorkshire moors at end of May so if room will squeeze scope in for hopefully dark skies. Having to wait foe birthday in June for any more spend!  Even Turn Left at Orion is having to wait till then. 

[scarp15]

No moon, clear skies and twilight is welcome compared to no moon, thick cloud and dark sky. Since mid October, there have been few opportunities for dark sky observing here, or at least I have had to miss the few that there have been. So Saturday evenings, as a distraction, have mostly been taken up with watching Scandinavian double bill crime dramas on BBC4. Quite prepared to travel to good observing locations whenever possible, not looking forward to swarms of midges though (must include 'Smidge that Midge' in my astro case). 

[cotterless45]

So pleasing to see so many carrying on throughout the summer. There are some lovely high summer targets in middle England and down south,

Nick.

[ronl]

As Nick and others have said, I never stop observing, there are so many targets to see in the summer, plus I love the late late sessions,

the peace and quiet alone is worth staying up for, and most lights are off when it's the middle of the night. 

[ShrewView]

As others have said I don't plan to stop. I'll just start later each evening. Hopefully planets, sun and the moon will all figure at some point.

I've also been pondering building a little observatory in the garden for the last year or so, and during that time have been trying different spots to set up and test the views; watching the skies as the seasons go by to get an idea of what I can expect, and also where best to avoid the couple of local street lights which don't go off at midnight along with all the rest. So that's likely to be a summer job.

I'll also be hoping to see the Perseids. Ideally from the darker skies of the Stretton Hills or alternatively a comfortable chair in the back garden with a gin and tonic! (apologies in advance if revealing my plan causes a freak snowstorm this august) 

[Paz]

It's much nicer in the warmer weather and apart form the planets/moon/sun there's lots of targets that are still good in the summer without staying up until the small hours - e.g. double stars, variable stars, and open clusters are good. There's targets that are only possible in the summer like the galactic center/Sagittarius, etc. Also there is practicing/refining your field craft in easier weather and sorting out your kit so that when winter comes around you're ready for anything!