No scope required 12/08/18

[domstar]

With clearoutside inaccurately predicting clouds, and a meteor shower at its height, I decided to leave the telescope at home and venture out with just a bread roll in my pocket and cheap binoculars in my backpack. It was great just lying down looking at the milky way and having a go with binoculars. I'd never really had a serious go at star gazing with them and it was satisfying until my spindly arms started to get tired and my eye-sockets sore. Sagittarius is great in binoculars especially the globular cluster M22, the Lagoon nebula and the Eagle nebula (in Scutum). Cygnus and Cassiopeia showed the milky way in a different way to my scope. I was really satisfied apart from my shaky hands and terrible aim. The great cluster in Hercules eluded me despite extensive efforts.

While I was resting, I saw around twenty meteors. My count would've been higher if it wasn't for nearly dozing off a couple of times. The highlight was three in twenty seconds and seeing trails from the orange ones (is that vapour?).

All in all, a lovely relaxing night and great to have no kit and just a walk up a hill. I also got a little souvenir as a mosquito bit the palm of my hand (a first). My grandfather would've predicted that I'm going to come in to a lot of money.

Thanks for reading.

Dominic

[Stu]

Nice one Dominic. Cheeky mosquito!! They have been bad this year, but largely around the ankles for me.

I’ve seen a grand total of one so far....

[mark81]

A nice clear, night a pair of binoculars and a bread roll? 

Sounds perfect

[scarp15]

Good plan and good count, not surprised that made you sleepy. 

[Eastman]

Nice one Dominic. Sometimes a pair of bino's is enough.

[Littleguy80]

Very enjoyable report. My wife came home last summer to find me asleep, lying on the garden path, during the Persieds meteor shower!

[Stu]

The biggest puzzle for me was, what was in the bread roll? I'm going for cheese

 

[dweller25]

Nah - good crusty bread needs nothing......

Apart from wine ?

[domstar]

2 hours ago, Stu said:

The biggest puzzle for me was, what was in the bread roll? I'm going for cheese

It was truly a grab and go so @dweller25 was right apart from the wine. Keeping binoculars steady is a skill I'm so far not up to.