Skye finale.

[cotterless45]

Moonset at 3.43, got up at three to a very light sky. Set up the Dob for cooling and watched as the moonglow vanished and the constellations filled , Auriga was packed with stars and a setting Cygnus showed the Milky Way to the ground, you could almost walk over to it ! It was like entering a huge planetarium when the lights start to fade right out.

I returned to some favourites and by the light of a very dull headtorch scrawled a few rough drawings to compare the views at SGL and from home. M33 was just so lovely , more detail coming with averted vision and turning off the head torch.What was very striking was the amount of stars into each target and the simplicity of star hopping instead of hoping. The views have been just awesome, often so huge that just by eye I kept thinking of what our ancestors would have thought and the terrible light pollution that most of us have forced on our views.Thanks for wading through my reports, hoping you can get to dark and clear skies !

Old Nick.

 

[Pig]

Nice set Nick..... It sure is great when you get dark skies and it must have been wonderful before Edison & Tesla poked their noses in  Mind you they have kind of helped in other ways ... LoL@ Hopping versus hoping.

[Linda]

Lovely sketches.

I looks like I will be home alone the next two weekends and I am planning to travel to darker skies somewhere, camp out and have a real astronomy weekend. Your reports are inspiring.

[Paul73]

Great report Nick.

I really need a dark sky fix soon. 

NGC891 & M33 are looking particularly fine! It is amazing how a bit of proper dark brings these targets to life.

Roll on SGL12!

Paul

[Tiny Small]

Some very nice sketches there.

[wookie1965]

Great sketches Nick I hope the sky is half as good at SGL I`m hoping to see a few objects I cannot see from my light polluted sky including M1 and M51.

Paul

[alan potts]

Early morning call is not one of my strong points, I was up at 3.00 my time and sky was stunning but I am working so hard at the moment rendering, it was back to bed. Your reports are always a pleasure to read and I notice on the one of your lovely sketches of M33 that is about what I see here from my site with a bigger scope, maybe not as good as where you are, M33 is always dependant on dark sky and sometimes I struggle to see it.

[swamp thing]

Nice one Nick.

You know M33 is buzzing when you see the "eye" in the core looking back at you  Love this object from those dark skies. 

[cotterless45]

My favourite, came a long way just to see it and NGC 891, plus that endless galaxy of ours.

You'll have to send in the "Spanish Inquisition "as I'm not converted to aperture, yet. All the very best and clear skies !

old Nick.

[YKSE]

Great sketch  Nick! you've somehow ordered the good weather with your vacations. Can it be "no aperture feber"?

[scarp15]

Wonderful, a very wholesome holiday and succession of enjoyable inspiring reads, which will no doubt enthuse and spread cheer to all readers on SGL. Haste ye back to Skye. 

[Piero]

Great sketches! Thanks a lot for sharing them with us! It makes a bit clearer what one can see under dark skies with a bit of aperture!  

[alan potts]

Nick,

Don't forget, No one expects the Spanish Inquisition.

Alan, cumffy chair specialist.

[laudropb]

All good things must come to an end Nick. It has been great to read your reports and mull over your lovely sketches. 

[mapstar]

Really nice last report Nick.

Looking forward to heading north at the end of this month.

And fingers crossed further north at the end of next month to peruse the same skies you have been doing.

[faulksy]

another great report nick, so glad you had brilliant weather, hope we have the same the end of November. cheers nick