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Hello from Saudi, not Mars

Silent Running

By Silent Running
in Welcome

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Silent Running

Silent Running

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Hi Everyone,

I just joined today after reading the forums for a while. I'm based now in Saudi Arabia and get out camping in the desert whenever I get the opportunity. Sometimes it feels like living on Mars. A recent camping expedition took us to this amazing chain of seven craters, photographed by a friend from a commercial flight from Riyadh to Jeddah. It does get a bit monotonous sometimes... every night clear, where's the excitement that comes with cloud cover closing in... can I get my kit back inside before it rains. Back in Scotland I used to use an 8 inch Newtonian from Orion Optics UK. Out here, my interest rekindled I treated myself to a lovely pair of Swarowski binoculars and camping in the second crater from the top enjoyed the best binocular views of Andromeda galaxy and Orion nebula I have ever seen. Inspired, last time I was home I brought back a small refractor. It's so exciting to read all your posts on here... Further inspiration for sure

_1 volcanoesb.jpg

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saac

saac

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Cracking photograph - it may well have been shot on Mars.  Make the most of those lovely inky black skies in the desert and the weather :)  I spent a few months in Saudi (Dhahran) and loved trips out to the desert, the stone roses were fascinating and beautiful. 

Jim 

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Silent Running

Silent Running

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Haha... yes. It was quite amusing. We had a screening of the movie 'The Martian' recently, and the terrain Matt Damon was driving through was so similar! Sometimes when the wind blows up some dust, the sky here even has a red tint! I just wish there was a bit less light pollution in the city. I was delighted to find a Telescope shop in Riyadh recently... with scopes out on the forecourt. I couldn't resist stopping and the enthusiastic guy there was so happy to show me a nice view of Saturn.  I've got a set of narrow band filters and  a CCD camera too. Just waiting for delivery of a mount... then I'll be seeking advice! 

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Galen Gilmore

Galen Gilmore

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9 minutes ago, Silent Running said:

Haha... yes. It was quite amusing. We had a screening of the movie 'The Martian' recently, and the terrain Matt Damon was driving through was so similar! Sometimes when the wind blows up some dust, the sky here even has a red tint! I just wish there was a bit less light pollution in the city. I was delighted to find a Telescope shop in Riyadh recently... with scopes out on the forecourt. I couldn't resist stopping and the enthusiastic guy there was so happy to show me a nice view of Saturn.  I've got a set of narrow band filters and  a CCD camera too. Just waiting for delivery of a mount... then I'll be seeking advice! 

It's good that you have a telescope shop nearby! The closest one too my house is...errr... 470 miles away...

:rolleyes:

 

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