Difficult viewing !

[cotterless45]

Spurred on by Kerry's early start , I was out in the early hours. The Moon was thankfully low, but bright. The Milky Way was just about there by eye.

Mars was glaring and glinting by eye. Got the Lightbridge out . Mars was so low that shrubs hid the view.  I had to move the garden seat , take the ota off and put the base and scope at this eye level height. However it was just a bland wobbling fiery disc . Just a hint of central dark features with a moon filter.

Took some time to find C/21 G-Z. in Cepheus.https://www.heavens-above.com/comet.aspx?cid=21P&lat=0&lng=0&loc=Unspecified&alt=0&tz=UCT  It was very faint and took x90 to bring out some contrast. Probably due to the light sky,

Had a scan around some targets, including M27,M57, M31 and company and the double cluster. Quite bleached out and from  my position , couldn't get onto S3 Panstarrs in Auriga. Here's to waiting for the New moon and clear skies ! Nick.

[Moonshane]

I was trying to find this last light until 12.30 am and this and even Panstarrs were drowned out by the light skies.

[wookie1965]

I kept popping in and out as the BBC said we would have clear skies at 12.30 and clouds thickening I gave up, forecast tonight is clear from 10 until 1am not even worth setting up.?

[Special K]

Here’s to a new Moon, and settling the matter of a little eclipse beforehand!  I plan to try for these comets soon as it gets darker. Thanks for raising awareness of them.....and raising the bar!!!   Clear skies

[Tim]

Shame, because when the seeing settled eventually, around midnight here, I was finally managing to get extreme magnification on bright objects, over 500X on Saturn and even the moon with patches of quite reasonable viewing. But as you say, the sky as a whole was so bright that anything faint was just washing away.

It'll be that bit darker again next new moon though....bring it on