Confession time

[Marvin Jenkins]

I cannot believe I got away with this. Actually saying I was so bored viewing double stars I fell asleep at the OTA! Then calling into question the validity of open clusters, and not a single comment!

After the initial rush of ‘judgement’ by the great and good of this forum after admitting never having purposefully viewed a double, I will never feel guilty again.

Shame on you all for not keeping up a watchful vigilance on my blasphemy. I am very disappointed in all of you.

And to make matters worse I have no interest in observing variable stars either. What’s the point! The clear nights to observe fluctuations are at a minimum one month apart.

Marv

[wookie1965]

When I purchased my first scope a 150p on a eq3-2 I had galaxies in mind I bought Turn Left to Orion, I tried my best and in a year I saw 4 I just could not see anything. 

After a couple of star party's and meeting Nick (Cotterless45) I now have two long focal ratio Achromatic refractors and my nights are spent looking at clusters, double and multiple star's from light polluted skies I am enjoying my hobby and cannot wait to get out there. 

Get a good double star atlas Haas or Cambridge and you will be blown away by the amount and colour of these wonderous things. 

Paul 

[Alan White]

@Marvin Jenkins you shall be known as Naughty Marv from now on,
Tut, Tut, Trolling your fellow Astronomers with these blasphemies.

It sounds like you need a non Messier avenue to go down, 
perhaps you need to take up Cloud Observation as a penance 😉

[Marvin Jenkins]

3 hours ago, Alan White said:

@Marvin Jenkins you shall be known as Naughty Marv from now on,
Tut, Tut, Trolling your fellow Astronomers with these blasphemies.

It sounds like you need a non Messier avenue to go down, 
perhaps you need to take up Cloud Observation as a penance 😉

It seems my punishment is here. Nothing but heavy cloud and heavy rain. It is that bad, that cloud observing is not possible due to the low cloud obscuring the main clouds.

Even if it clears and I get a full January clear I will be DSO hunting. In all seriousness I understand the double star observing. It just doesn’t do it for me. When I first joined this amazing forum I wondered why some members refused to look at the night sky and only took pictures. 

I realise now that Astro is as a whole, like spokes in a wheel. The whole thing keeps on turning and most of us pick a bunch of spokes, some us just one.

I think that our observable sky is amazing and I have the greatest respect for any avenue that an astronomer chooses, even if it sends me to sleep, each to there own. Clear skies to you all, and magnificent transparency.

N Marv

[Alan White]

12 hours ago, Marvin Jenkins said:

I realise now that Astro is as a whole, like spokes in a wheel.
The whole thing keeps on turning and most of us pick a bunch of spokes, some us just one.

I think that our observable sky is amazing and I have the greatest respect for any avenue that an astronomer chooses,
even if it sends me to sleep, each to there own. 

Marvin, fully agree on both and I knew you did too.
As you say we all have a favoured spoke and show enthusiasm for it, which is great.

I am the present Observing Director at my club, I spend my club time encouraging everyone to get out and look up,
be it DSO, Planets, Lunar or whatever floats your boat, I even encourage them to take images when they can and to sketch too.
Not all of those are my spokes, but I encourage all the same as for some it is the spoke they follow or like.

This hobby is great and very diverse, wonderful.

Clear skies to you and happy January DSO hunting, enjoy.

[LukeSkywatcher]

In 40 yrs, I've never even observed a double, let alone split one.

Off with my head.....

[Mr Spock]

13 minutes ago, LukeSkywatcher said:

Off with my head.....

Be careful what you wish for 😜

[Marvin Jenkins]

23 minutes ago, LukeSkywatcher said:

In 40 yrs, I've never even observed a double, let alone split one.

Off with my head.....

You may think we have something in common, but 40 years! You are in trouble now.

At least I have only waited three years. Observers like myself John and Stu take a very dim view of your proud statement. You wait till Steppenwolf gets on your case, even offering to buy his books will not save you.

Although you could offer to buy his totally unused EP collection, they are clearly wasted on him.🤣

Marv

[cloudsweeper]

21 hours ago, LukeSkywatcher said:

In 40 yrs, I've never even observed a double....

Bet you have Paul, since at least 50% of all stars are doubles!  😉

Doug.

[theropod]

In a similar vien.

Last Thursday I focused on M-42 with my C-90 Mak for the first time after owning the scope for four years. A combination of my 2X Barlow and 12mm EP pointed/mounted on the new Skywatcher mount. I was flat out blown away. Dust lanes, and that cluster of blue stars at its heart, fairly jumped out of the EP. I didn’t know the little scope could do this well, but conditions were near perfect.