NZ Update

[moondog]

Well, almost halfway through my stay in NZ.

The night sky has completely changed since I first arrived. To the south the 2 pointer stars, the Southern Cross,Jewel Box and Omega Centauri have vanished. In their place the Large MC and Small MC now hold sway. The most dominant object in the east is Orion, with the Pleiades and Hyades to the north east. To the West the crescent Moon,Venus and Jupiter make a fine sight.

Still not able to borrow a driven EQ mount to do any further imaging with the WO ZS66. Limited to using the DSLR on a fixed photo tripod.

At tea time tonight (Thursday), I'm going to the Nelson AS Xmas BBQ - held outside in the sun by the looks of it.

Friday night I'm taking the borrowed ancient orange tube C8 to the public invited evening at the observatory. I'll be showing some of the public the best objects visible in the evening sky. I'm also taking the laptop and webcam so a few people at once can see close ups of the craters on the moon. Hope the weather cooperates!

MD