Never poo poo the Moon

[Kn4fty]

Last night was the first clear night here in quite awhile (one that I didn't have to work during at least). I had a whole night planned. These included Neptune, Uranus, Juno ,21p Giacobini Zinner, Pleiades, and the nova in Ophiuchus. I get all my gear set up and waited. I'm sitting there all excited as Sol set then I looked east...... Luna!!!! I had been so busy with life that I hadn't been watching the Moon's phases lately. Then when planning my session I forgot to check the current phase. Here it was in all its bright full glory lighting everything up! So bright the only stars I could see clearly was the summer triangle and Arcturus. I couldn't see any of my reference stars for the planned night! Augh! Curses! ..... Ok I didn't say that. I figured to try something different. Now if you have ever watched the Moon's RA/DEC in a computer program, it changes quickly. But if I'm quick enough...... Nope I'm wasn't fast enough. Couldn't find my first target which was Neptune. Even with 8" of light gathering ability I couldn't see enough stars to confirm the planet. Personally I don't think I was even close to it. What is a night dweller to do? I was defeated by the Moon and it's bright presence! Or was I? Many people don't bother when the Moon is full. After all we've all seen it all our lives. How interesting can the Moon really be? Those of us who have turned our scopes to it know that the Moon is an amazing and beautiful thing to behold. No other object out there gives up it's details so easily. No averted vision, no colored filters (maybe a lunar filter if you don't stop down your aperture), no squinting hoping to tease out details, no hoping seeing is good enough. Nothing but easy viewing! So I swing the LX 70 R8 ,aka Copernicus, back to the Moon to enjoy some easy sights. Augh! Curses! ....... Ok maybe I did say it this time. The Moon was starting to move behind a tall pine tree to the South! Ok I'm not going to waste this night! I grabbed my 10x50 binos, aka Kepler, and a chair. I settled in and began to enjoy all the wonders of Luna. I started with Mare Crisium and started down then up and around. I'd observe then scribble, observe then scribble, on and on. It was one of the most enjoyable nights in awhile! I know this is long winded, but there is a point to it. If you have never had an interest in the Moon because it's so "familiar" then maybe you haven't truly given it a chance. The Moon can be a loyal friend when it's too bright out. It has so many different features that you can spend a lifetime on it and still see something new. But whatever you do, don't poo poo the Moon! ?

[Tim]

We know someone that did poo poo it, but we poo pooed their poo poo.................... and so on

[Stu]

Great post Kn4fty! I agree, sometimes best to go with the flow and just enjoy what is there. I did a similar thing on Saturday night, was somewhere reasonably dark with a little scope and the moon was so bright I ended up largely just looking at it. Plenty to see, and even if near full there is often a tiny fragment of terminator visible to add interest. I even caught the craters Messier and Messier A despite it being 99.6% illuminated!

Great sketch by the way.

[Alan White]

I never consider the Moon a curse unlike others, to me it’s a lifelong blessing.

Started this great hobby observing Lunar and no doubt will end this great hobby observing a Lunar too, my dear Dad, now long passed from this life, set me looking at it with binocular at 4 years old and have never stopped looking.

Yes the bright light can wash out other fainter objects in the sky, but with some moves about to hide Lunar I can observe other things from home ok. But why hide.

As Stu says above, go with the flow, sage advice indeed.

[mikeDnight]

11 minutes ago, Alan White said:

I never consider the Moon a curse unlike others, to me it’s a lifelong blessing.

Started this great hobby observing Lunar and no doubt will end this great hobby observing a Lunar too, my dear Dad, now long passed from this life, set me looking at it with binocular at 4 years old and have never stopped looking.

Yes the bright light can wash out other fainter objects in the sky, but with some moves about to hide Lunar I can observe other things from home ok. But why hide.

As Stu says above, go with the flow, sage advice indeed.

No book ever held my attention long enough for me to read it from front to back ( with the exception of the Beano ), until I bought Guide to the Moon. I devoured that book from front to back,  pictures and all, in six and a half hours. When night time came, that first view of the Moon through my dad's binoculars was a real pivotal moment for me. It suddenly became real! Leaning on the corner of the house for stability and desperately trying to stop my heart beating, as it made the image jump, I was in awe of that magnificent orb as it hung there in 3D. The occasional cloud passing in front of the Moon just added to the magic. I've loved it ever since!

[RayD]

I'm one of the few "imagers" (if there is such a thing) who loves the moon.  I just image narrowband when it's doing its thing.

I think, for me, it isn't even about the beauty of it, although I do still find it stunning to look at in certain lighting conditions, it is the importance to us of such a seemingly insignificant little lump of rock.  Without it things here would be very different with wildly varying seasons and extremely clam seas, with only solar tides affecting them, so perhaps even affecting marine life.

It's a beautiful and extremely important moon to us.

[Alan White]

On 27/08/2018 at 09:25, mikeDnight said:

No book ever held my attention long enough for me to read it from front to back ( with the exception of the Beano ), until I bought Guide to the Moon. I devoured that book from front to back,  pictures and all, in six and a half hours. When night time came, that first view of the Moon through my dad's binoculars was a real pivotal moment for me. It suddenly became real! Leaning on the corner of the house for stability and desperately trying to stop my heart beating, as it made the image jump, I was in awe of that magnificent orb as it hung there in 3D. The occasional cloud passing in front of the Moon just added to the magic. I've loved it ever since!

Our Dads did us proud then Mike, both supplying binocular for use.

Funny about books, I was the same with 2000AD and Judge Dredd, he held my attention until we got a set of Britannica, I could not leave them alone, devoured the lot.

 

[Alan White]

2 minutes ago, RayD said:

I'm one of the few "imagers" (if there is such a thing) who loves the moon.  I just image narrowband when it's doing its thing.

I think, for me, it isn't even about the beauty of it, although I do still find it stunning to look at in certain lighting conditions, but it is the importance to us of such a seemingly insignificant little lump of rock.  Without it things here would be very different with wildly varying seasons and extremely clam seas, with only solar tides affecting them, so perhaps even affecting marine life.

It's a beautiful and extremely important moon to us.

Ray, glad you see it that way, yes rather an important lump of rock for dear old planet Earth.

[paulastro]

If you 'poo poo  (on) ' the Moon, you'll have to pick it up, put it in a plastic bag and take it home with you

[paulastro]

48 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

................ until I bought Guide to the Moon. I devoured that book from front to back,  pictures and all, in six and a half hours. 

Blimey Mike, I'm surprised it took you six and a half hours.  Remember, I've been out for a meal with you many times! 

[Kn4fty]

Thanks yall. The Moon is so important to our life's, but many people think it's boring because"it's always there". So wrong on many levels. I absolutely love it! 

[mikeDnight]

5 hours ago, paulastro said:

Blimey Mike, I'm surprised it took you six and a half hours.  Remember, I've been out for a meal with you many times! 

I was but a scrawny pup back then Paul, and there was little competition for food. Only when eating with you did I recognize its survival of the quickest! ?

[bingevader]

On 27/08/2018 at 09:02, Alan White said:

I never consider the Moon a curse unlike others

Myself and werewolves find the full moon a bit challenging.

It's a bit washed out and not much detail when totally full, but you only need to be slightly off full to get  a bit of relief and some cracking detail.

Lovely sketches.

[Alan White]

16 minutes ago, bingevader said:

Myself and werewolves find the full moon a bit challenging.

I could hear the howling as I read this Ben. 
 

[Stub Mandrel]

On 27/08/2018 at 09:50, Alan White said:

Our Dads did us proud then Mike, both supplying binocular for use.

Funny about books, I was the same 2000AD and Judge Dredd held my attention until we got a set of Brittanica, I could not leave them alone, devoured the lot.

 

I was always 'bookish' but teh best thing my parents did for me was buying the 'part work' "All About Science" which built into a big 10-volume encyclopaedia.

[Kn4fty]

Hahahaha, I laughed so hard at the werewolf comments that I almost choked on my soda!?

Thanks yall for the compliments on the sketch. Never expected that since I'm no artist. Plus I've seen the awesome sketchs folks have done on this forum. 

[Kn4fty]

My parents bought me the little"How and Why" series as a kid. The astronomy and space ones were what jump started my love of the cosmos. Still have them.

[Trikeflyer]

1 hour ago, Kn4fty said:

My parents bought me the little"How and Why" series as a kid. The astronomy and space ones were what jump started my love of the cosmos. Still have them.

Loved those books. Haven't got mine anymore but they were just fab to read.

[Kn4fty]

I still have mine ,but they are in storage back home in the black hole known as my parent's basement.

[Demonperformer]

8 hours ago, Kn4fty said:

Hahahaha, I laughed so hard at the werewolf comments that I almost choked on my soda!?

It’s not nice to laugh at those of us who are afflicted in this way … ?