Look back at the year. I know it’s not over yet.

[Marvin Jenkins]

I sometimes find myself thumbing through my Astro diary, not just for the year but year’s previous. I looked back through 2018 and other than my own personal milestones I noted the final page. Aims for 2019.

More detail and accuracy in recording my observations.

If possible, never miss a clear night, no matter what. It may be three months till you get another.

Get a Goto kit for my EQ5 mount.

Buy a bigger OTA which can take a DSLR.

Reading my reports for 2019 I can say yes. But I now realise in the rush to bag Messier’s I can do a lot better. As for the second point ‘ I was on it’ but the weather did not play along. Got the  Goto kit (thanks mrs Marvin). Just ordered a SW 150 pds from FLO so there goes the weather for another two months.

I am relatively happy with my years observing. How about the rest of the forum? Have you fallen short? Knocked it out the park? Or after a lifetime, observed that one elusive dso?

Marvin

[scarp15]

Best memory so far this year was when I went on a wild camping trip and took along my 16x70 binoculars and monopod. Combining my passion for both backpacking to remote places and visual astronomy. The night sky was largely gaps in the clouds, but I got to roam and explore some summertime dark nebulae. Now that I know that it is doable, it will be something that I will do again.

[Paz]

My year has felt like a thin one with mostly short opportunistic sessions in mostly light polluted conditions.

However every year when I count up from my notes I always find I've done more than I thought.

Edited December 1, 2019 by Paz

[Rob Sellent]

Been quite a year. In terms of benefits to my astronomy :

Gear-wise

• finally bought a house in a village in Spain with a darkish garden with clear views running from east to south.
• finally found a dream scope: a Vixen FL102S f9 Fluorite Apo. I really don't think another scope will be needed.
• changed the Vixen's 30 odd year old focuser to a more modern Moonlite
• experimented with binoviewers and although not necessary, feel they're a nice addition.
• upgraded the Skytee 1 (now used solely for Ha and white light solar work) to TS's AZ5
• purchased another Mark IV to go with the BVs, a small Tak 1.25" diagonal to counter balancing issues and a few other bits and pieces.

Brain-wise

• joined SGL around end of August after many months of oohing and aahing
• re-read Cosmic Clouds by Kaler and Stardust by Gribben which has sparked a deeper reading into star evolution, chemsitry and astrobiology.

Creative-wise

• finished buidling a scale model of Voyager space probe and a Mars Rover
• sadly in the house move my entire collection of scale model rockets (soyuz, vostok etc) was destroyed. Oh well.
• slowly working on Bandai's Perfect Grade Millennium Falcon

Observing-wise

• one would have to be hypo-obsessive to observe on every cloudless day and night here. Needless to say, I don't suffer the same cloud/rain frustrations as my SGL colleagues further up north.
• enjoying this year's (and last year's) anti-aperture fever: superior convenience, frequent use and exquisite views.
• partial lunar eclipse in July, Mercury's solar transit in November were nice events to catch.

Disappointment-wise

• in terms of white light and H-alpha surface features (not prominences) it's probably been my worst year in solar viewing in over a decade
• very little observing of Mars and Jupiter and Saturn were a tad too low
• garden is fine but local council refuse to remove unnecessary street light

 

[Stu]

It's been a fairly poor second half to the year in terms of weather, but I felt like I got out a reasonable amount in the first half.

Highlights for me (ironically all in the second half) were:

The partial lunar eclipse in July. I didn't get good views in January because of the weather, so this made up for it

My night on the coast in Pembrokshire with my 14" with fabulous views of the Veil

The recent Mercury transit, observing with our local group. I really enjoy this group which is small, but growing and greatly adds to the pleasure of observing.

Aims for next year? I try never to put pressure on myself as that spoils the enjoyment for me. I just do as much as I can, even just five minutes outside looking up before going to bed keeps me engaged between proper sessions.

I intend to simplify my kit in terms of mounts as I have six at the moment! Craziness and quite unintended. I will likely end up with Giro-WR, Ercole and Rowan AZ100 to simplify things. Scopes should stay with what I've got currently.

Observing wise, I would like to get some decent Orion views in the early part of the year, and then work on adding to my Messier tally which I still haven't completed after 20 years observing! Last but not least, Mars! With opposition in October 2020 I would like to get some good views of it through the Mewlon 210 and/or 8" f8.

Let's have some nice winter skies to start with please!

[John]

I think "patchy" would best sum up 2019 in terms of astronomy for me. The observing conditions seem to have been more challenging than in previous years but that might just be my memory playing tricks on me !

I seem to have settled now on my scopes, mounts and eyepieces. I've had a play with one or two new things during the year but not with any seriousness in terms of longer term changes I think.

I probably need to substantially downsize my collection of gear at some point. Being honest with myself about it, there is quite a lot of stuff that is only getting occasional use (ie: a couple of times in 12 months !) but I'm always plagued by the "you might miss it when its gone" thoughts

It is interesting looking back over the past 3 years, especially since I was able to acquire some marvellous scopes and eyepieces during that period. It's been a delight to be able to observe with top end scopes such as the Tak FC-100DL and the TMB/LZOS 130 F/9 triplet and satisfying to experience the purity of their performance but have they actually been game changers in terms of my enjoyment of the hobby ?

Not really, in all honesty. Thats a tribute to my trusty Vixen ED102SS, Skywatcher ED120 and Orion Optics 12 inch dob there

Anyway, I'm hoping that the coming months will provide more observing time and more outreach opportunities. I really enjoy sharing this hobby with others more perhaps than any other activity

 

[Marvin Jenkins]

Great stuff. Thanks to the posts on this site I feel like I have been along for the ride, so thank you all.

As I am quite new to this utterly addictive pastime/way of life, I have so many firsts that many of you probably saw years ago for the first time, so here goes....

At least 60 of the Messier list including M1 which disappointed and made me dance at the same time. I am now up to 80 of the 110.

Comet Iwamoto with much effort, but found it with pure determination.

Planet Uranus, couldn’t quite believe my own eyes.

Jupiter shadow moon transit from Ganymede.

Captured a bolide by accident in a wide field shot of the Orion area of the sky.

Comet C/2018 W2 Africano, epic star hop for over an hour until I was sure.

Plus some fantastic Lunar observations and most important of all getting to do some of this with like minded friends and being able to share the experience on here.

Here’s to December and rounding out the year well and Here’s to a great 2020.

Marvin.

 

 

[Mark at Beaufort]

Whenever I undertake a detailed observing session I usually write a report  on SGL. In saying that I seemed to have started well in 2019 but it appears I only had one good session in October onwards. I am fortunate that my local Astro Society has a good dark site and I had various good sessions throughout the year using a 6" Skywatcher Newt. At the sessions I usually viewed favourite objects.

I did enjoy observing the Mercury Transit whilst on my canal boat with the PST on the towpath.

Scopes have stayed the same but I did obtained a TeleVue 6mm Ethos which I have only used a few times - with the 12" Dob + 6mm Ethos I was able to see Triton which was a first for me.

[Marvin Jenkins]

Mark, well done, nothing like getting involved with like minded people. I lived in Church Crookham near Fleet in Hampshire. As a kid the Basingstoke canal dominated my life. The woodland all around, The villages dating back to the doomsday book, float fishing for perch and roach.

I hope the canal life is still going strong, as my parents chose France over a narrow boat.

Marv