Lanzarote and the 10x50 bins

[kirkster501]

Having a week in the sun in Lanzarote.  Evening meal and a few sherbets and when back at our hotel Room,  dark and facing south, I get the bins and star map out.

Spent some time on Centaurus, which is low in the south even in lanzarote. Great views of Globular cluster omega Centauri even though only 10 degrees or so above the horizon on the meridian.  Very obvious in bins and no effort at all to find it.  Much more obvious than M13.

spent time in the Antares area and bagged messier globulars that are very hard to see in UK.  Corvus, Libra and southern Ophiuchus.

Lovely to see Jupiter at a reasonable altitude in Scorpio. I’d forgotten what it looks like almost, it’s been so low in the UK for seemingly ages now.

lovely to have clear nights regularly. Shall miss this when I come home to the grey and wet.

[paul mc c]

Nice one....i am going my self in 2 weeks,and thinking of bringing my little Heritage 100p.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Been to Lanz a few times and always pack a pair of 10x50s.

Probably be heading that way next year for a well earned/much needed holiday.

[Paul73]

Can’t beat a pair of 10x50 for holiday friendly viewing.

[kirkster501]

On 24/05/2019 at 23:36, paul mc c said:

Nice one....i am going my self in 2 weeks,and thinking of bringing my little Heritage 100p.

You'll enjoy it very much.  Scorpio and Sagittarius will be even higher and I urge you to make the most of looking at Centaurus first because it is low even in Lanzarote - and never visible in the UK - and was on the Meridian at 11PM when I was there (with it getting dark at about 9:45) so it will be quickly getting past its prime.  This area of the sky is so fabulous to observe.  It is a very great pity we do not get to see most of this well from the UK.  We get to see bits of Scorpio and Sagittarius sure but always very low.

It was clear for 8 nights out of 10.  5 of them the seeing was fabulous.  Was great to do this from the hotel room balcony straight over the southern sea horizon and very little light pollution.

I must get to Namibia one day.