Wow moments

[Radman40]

What has been your best ‘wow’ moment in astronomy?

I have so many it is hard to choose. The first time I saw the moons of Jupiter as a kid with a pair of 10 by 50 binos is one.  Moving up from an 80mm newt to a 150 mm newt was another. Actually seeing things like the ring nebula actually resembled something like you see it in the books was fantastic. The first view of M42 in my 250mm newt also sticks in my mind.

My best wow moments have come from meteor showers, especially the  Perseids. A bright fireball that casts s shadow is always a jaw dropping moment.

What have been your most memorable moments?

 

[Craney]

Seeing the Northern Lights from the Moor near Pateley Bridge.  The Geo-mag forecast looked like  it might go Kp=7, took a chance and there it was..... I literally said "Wow" on that dark desolate B-road at 1oclock in the morning....

[teoria_del_big_bang]

7 minutes ago, Craney said:

Seeing the Northern Lights from the Moor near Pateley Bridge.  The Geo-mag forecast looked like  it might go Kp=7, took a chance and there it was..... I literally said "Wow" on that dark desolate B-road at 1oclock in the morning....

How long ago was that ?

Steve

[Radman40]

Nice one! Never seen them myself except from a aircraft flying back from the states. 

[Oldfort]

I'd say my most recent was seeing a shadow transit of Io (22 Aug 2019), when i was just casually having a look at jupiter with my TV 76.  It brought back memories of seeing comet Shoemaker levy 9 hitting Jupiter back in 1994.

[Stu]

Have had plenty over the years, but possibly the most memorable one was the Venus transit. Thought I was going to be clouded out, but then a clear patch came through for about 6 minutes before 3rd contact. Venus was much bigger than I expected, it was an amazing view.

Best event overall was probably the SGL10 Star Party. The partial lunar eclipse was wonderful, beautiful clear skies, and 4 clear nights over the weekend, two of them with pretty good transparency. Had my 16" dob and had a ball scooping up galaxies by the dozen. Best views of M101 I've ever had.

Various others like the SN in M82, and some of the white light solar views of large ARs in excellent seeing have been breathtaking. Always plenty going on!

[tooth_dr]

My first deep sky image sub - M57 appearing on the lcd screen of my DSLR, fantastic moment.

Seeing Saturn for the first time in a scope - another WOW moment.

Seeing the ‘black sun’ (aka solar eclipse) with my wife and kids - won’t forget that!

In fact any night I’m out something always surprises me - it could be 2 satellites crossing in an image, or a meteor or just my equipment working without any fuss!

[Andy R]

Being new to astronomy I've had a fair few wow moments over the past 12 months. From Andromeda filling my binocular field of view, seeing Saturn's rings to capturing the N.American Nebula on a modified DSLR. But seeing the Milky Way on a moonless Bortle1 night sky over twenty five years ago has always stayed with me. More of a mouth gaping fly catching moment than a wow moment.

[paul mc c]

I have loads of wow moments....but i will always remember my first real one, was probably when i was around 11 when i was bought a little 50mm Tasco telescope for christmas,now at that age i would hunt the house before christmas looking for my presents when i found the scope,it was a windy night with clouds flying past, and a moon out,so in a rush in case i was caught, i pointed it at the moon,out the bedroom window and saw craters on the moon for the first time.....that was it for me,over 40 years later the thrill is still there for this hobby.

[djpaul]

Seeing Saturn for the first time was one.

Finally finding Andromeda  was another.

Seeing Orion in all its splendor every winter on a crisp clear night.

 

[Marvin Jenkins]

Having always wanted to persue astronomy, then getting a 5 inch newt for my 44th birthday.

Second wow, first galaxy, pinwheel by accident looking for Andromeda.

Third has to be Saturn late 2017, popped my eye ball out!

This list could run forever. First Glob, First open cluster, First plan neb, Andromeda, First comet 46p Wirtinen, First wide field long exposure photo of the milky way, first meteor caught on camera, and the best by far......

Showing a good friend some of the above for the first time. Life changing.

Marv

Lets not forget the moon.

[Kn4fty]

So many WOW moments. But I guess my greatest WOW moment was the total eclipse here in 2017. I was absolutely amazed. Just beautiful!! Everything going dark with stars and planets popping out. Totally unforgettable! Can't hardly wait for the next nearby one in 2024!

Rob

[Nigella Bryant]

A total eclipse of the Sun in Turkey in 2006 with a group of other astronomers and the sky at night team right next to me. Love to see another one but can't justify the silly price's to far off lands so waiting for the 2026/7 solar eclipses nearer home. Attached two image's taken with a 90mm mak and dslr from the turkey eclipse. 

[robin_astro]

14 minutes ago, Nigella Bryant said:

A total eclipse of the Sun in Turkey in 2006 with a group of other astronomers and the sky at night team right next to me.

I'll second that, particularly  after missing out on totality in clear skies by a couple of minutes after driving across Europe in 1999. Are you in any of these photos I took in Kizilot by any chance?

http://www.threehillsobservatory.co.uk/astro/spectra_27b.htm

Robin

[Nigella Bryant]

15 minutes ago, robin_astro said:

I'll second that, particularly  after missing out on totality in clear skies by a couple of minutes after driving across Europe in 1999. Are you in any of these photos I took in Kizilot by any chance. 

Hi Robin, I've had a look but can't see me in any, I was right next to Chris. Small world though. 

[niallk]

My most recent 'wow' moment earlier this year was my best ever view of M51 from a local spot - not even a real dark site, several light domes around.  Conditions were just really good in terms of transparency, and I swung up to M51 near zenith to be treated to knotty sparkly spiral arms obvious with direct vision,  along with the bridge.  I've observed it many times before: sometimes hard to see anything but dim cores, to wondering if averted imagination was at play to pick out the arms in averted vision.  But this time, literally muttered wow out loud - just delighted 

When conditions are right- dark, transparent, no wind, good seeing, cooled & collimated scope, and my own eyes not tired(!) then a lot of things give all sorts of wow moments in my 15" - both DSOs and planets.

My LS50DS has also provided several jaw dropping moments - especially memorable was catching a bright sharply defined loop prominence- like in this pic (borrowed from the web):

Double stacked surface detail when there are decent sunspots visible is always enthralling, imho - watching things evolve in real time.

[Rob]

Like you, just so many to choose from!. I have 30 years worth of events/observations out of my 50 years of being on this planet.

I'll list but a few though......

Hale-bopp comet (just jaw dropping) : Planet oppositions with high in the sky planets and staggering detail : Solar & lunar eclipses : Jupiter Moon transits : seeing a massive over head fireball with smoke trail : meteor showers : finding galaxy's by star hopping!

The list goes on and on!. Been nice just to rethink of some while typing

Rob

 

Edited October 13, 2019 by Rob

[DirkSteele]

Been doing this since I was a child so racked up quite a few, but off the top of my head, and in no particular order, some of the highlights include:

The Total Solar Eclipse in 1999, as seen from France.  Was cloudy until a few minutes before totality, and then the entire sky cleared.  Very lucky!

Hale Bopp was amazing, and I got to meet Tom Bopp a few months after it faded from view.

Seeing M42 for the first time through a scope.  It was my first Messier in a telescope and it blew my socks off.

One night in the desert in Oman stands out as probably the single most impressive night of stargazing I have ever had and I have had a few!

My first time exploring Argo Navis (Carina, Vela and Puppis) from Namibia.  Eta Carinae just W.O.W!!

Seeing 47 Tucanae for the first time.

The 2003 Mars opposition.  It was high in the sky and the closest approach in a very long time!

Seeing Saturn for the first time in a scope (imagine everyone has that on their list).  Also using Saturn to propose to my wife with a scope pointed at it in Namibia.

Working as the resident astronomer in gold rated NamibRand Nature Reserve in Namibia for a couple of weeks in 2014.  Certainly made the most of a 12" scope and those skies.

Edit: cannot believe I forgot the transit of Venus in 2004. Took the day off work, headed to my parents in Hampshire where my C11 lived at the time and had completely cloudless skies for the entire event.

I bet I could go on and on!  But I will let someone else have a go.😉 

Edited October 13, 2019 by DirkSteele

[chiltonstar]

Some of the most memorable:-

- first sight of Saturn through a real telescope!

- a horizon to horizon fireball complete with sound effects (hiss-whoosh)

- M31, naked eye, huge from near the summit of Monte Rosa

Chris

[bingevader]

Still having them!

No one has mentioned Hale-Bopp yet though.

[Craney]

11 hours ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

How long ago was that ?

Tuesday 17th March, 2015

 

 

[teoria_del_big_bang]

Just now, Craney said:

Tuesday 17th March, 2015

 

 

Certainly one you will always remember 🙂 

Steve

[Gina]

Imaging Saturn complete with rings with my first telescope and a webcam.  Never to be forgotten.

[Peter Drew]

My whole astronomical life has been a WOW!    😊

[Rusted]

First wow was looking through a school friend's 6" commercial reflector at the Moon.

Seeing a colourful Saturn [briefly] through my first and only aerial telescope.
2m f/l x 60mm aperture spectacle lens with simple lens, 3/4" eyepiece. OTA hung over the washing line post.

Seeing hundreds of lines in the solar spectrum with my home made spectroscope. 

Seeing the sun directly through a Baader Solar foil filter on my 90mm Vixen instead of by projection.

Seeing the sun in H-alpha with proms for the first time after waiting 60 years from first reading about it in ATM Vols. 1-3.

Capturing minor craters in Plato.

Then there's M42 in my 6" f/8 refractor in my dark back garden. Venus and Mercury transits and solar eclipses.

Saturn through the 6" looking pixelated on a rare night of perfect seeing. Crepe ring, Cassini and Encke Gap, Polar shading and belts all etched in my memory.
Like watching from a spacecraft in orbit.

Staying up so long at the telescope that I developed monochrome night vision.

Having my own observatory when it rained and I could just close the shutters. Instead of scrambling about like a headless chicken to put everything away.