CLEAR SKIES ALL NIGHT IN MOST PLACES - WED 10TH TO THUR 11TH !!

[JeremyS]

1 hour ago, F15Rules said:

Yes, Les, I'm old enough! (65 2 days ago😱).

I learned quite a lot of star names from almost memorising Patrick Moore's "Observers Book of Astronomy", a little pocket gem of a book back in the 1960's👍.

I actually picked one up on eBay a few years ago for about £2!

Dave 

Belated happy birthday Dave!

I hope you can handle being 65 😊

Any chance of getting your old avatar back? I can see you might want to relive your rock and rolls years, but the scope pic was much better - and much more eye catching 😊

Edited February 15, 2021 by JeremyS

[F15Rules]

1 hour ago, JeremyS said:

Belated happy birthday Dave!

I hope you can handle being 65 😊

Any chance of getting your old avatar back? I can see you might want to relive your rock and rolls years, but the scope pic was much better - and much more eye catching 😊

Tell you what, Jeremy..I'll restore my old avatar if you change yours to one where you're not trying to lift your handle-less observatory with one hand ..might be easier if you actually fitted a handle and used both hands? 😜

Edited February 15, 2021 by F15Rules

[kirkster501]

We've had no proper clear skies at all other than the odd 20 mins here and there.  Certainly nothing suitable for astrophotography.  I got in a bit of time with the Dob but seeing was rubbish.

It has been brutal for astronomy since last summer.  Utterly terrible.  Winter is now the off-season in astronomy in these parts.

[smr]

5 hours ago, kirkster501 said:

We've had no proper clear skies at all other than the odd 20 mins here and there.  Certainly nothing suitable for astrophotography.  I got in a bit of time with the Dob but seeing was rubbish.

It has been brutal for astronomy since last summer.  Utterly terrible.  Winter is now the off-season in astronomy in these parts.

In 2020 I managed about 4 images with my DSLR, and that was with no other commitments, so anytime it was clear skies, I was ready. 

So far this year I've managed to get one image.

Edited February 15, 2021 by smr

[Les Ewan]

18 hours ago, F15Rules said:

Yes, Les, I'm old enough! (65 2 days ago😱).

I learned quite a lot of star names from almost memorising Patrick Moore's "Observers Book of Astronomy", a little pocket gem of a book back in the 1960's👍.

I actually picked one up on eBay a few years ago for about £2!

Dave 

Another star that seems to have changed its name over years is Alkaid I knew it as Benetnasch in the 70's. Regarding the Observers books I have two editions the 4th issued in 1973 which I inscribed 20th April 1974. I have also have the 6th edition which I didn't inscribe which is the 1978 revision. The 6th has particularly beautiful plates-drawings of Jupiter and Saturn by LF Ball. Another original book I have is Dr HC King's Book Of Astronomy(1966) which I've had since 1972 (which is now more than a little bit dog eared). As far as I know no further editions of this book were printed .

 

[Laurieast]

@Les Ewan I used to live just down the street from LF Ball, I visited his garden observatory with (I think) a 10" Newt , great guy. He gave me my first mirror a 6/34" F10, it was perfectly figured and gave me wonderful views of the planets.  

I also have Dr HC King's Book Of Astronomy(1966) , and my favourite was the Larousse encyclopedia of Astronomy with M31 on the cover.

[Planitair]

No clear nights here in W/Yorks, worse weather in 5 year🤔

[Fraunhoffer]

On 15/02/2021 at 10:07, F15Rules said:

Yes, Les, I'm old enough! (65 2 days ago😱).

I learned quite a lot of star names from almost memorising Patrick Moore's "Observers Book of Astronomy", a little pocket gem of a book back in the 1960's👍.

I actually picked one up on eBay a few years ago for about £2!

Dave 

I had one of those. 😁 I also had the Field guide to the stars and Planets, which was easyy beyond me at the time. I thought it had gone, so i got a replacement, only to find my original copy 1st edition a bit later. 

 

[F15Rules]

3 hours ago, Fraunhoffer said:

I had one of those. 😁 I also had the Field guide to the stars and Planets, which was easyy beyond me at the time. I thought it had gone, so i got a replacement, only to find my original copy 1st edition a bit later. 

 

I too had one of those...by Donald Menzel as I recall? Really nice, well produced and high quality printed book☺️.

Hmm, maybe I should look for another one😁..

Dave

[Laurieast]

There's going to be a hole in the sky!!

[Space Hopper]

Thanks for posting.

There should be a good opportunity for some astro this evening here in Derby then.

Big moon though, but will happily take it.

[Paul M]

I anticipate it being clear until about midnight. Unfortunately the 75% Moon dampens enthusiasm somewhat! 

I'm sure that thing orbits the full-moon half of its orbit more slowly than the new-moon half

[smr]

It's my Birthday tomorrow, a few hours of clear skies tonight is all the Birthday present I want! Hopefully first light with my new 2600MC-Pro.

 

[Shimrod]

6 hours ago, Paul M said:

I anticipate it being clear until about midnight. Unfortunately the 75% Moon dampens enthusiasm somewhat! 

I'm sure that thing orbits the full-moon half of its orbit more slowly than the new-moon half

Here in Lancashire, the cloud has arrived already! Crystal clear skies most of the day, and forecast to remain so until about 9pm. I was part way through setting my kit up, looked up and the sky and most of the stars have disappeared. A scan of the western horizon with binoculars reveals nothing but more cloud, so all packed away again. I bought an ZWO ASI533 back in September, and apart from two nights then, the only thing it has imaged has been a couple of trees and Southport water tower.

[scotty38]

Clear here so for my second image ever I’m having a go at Bode’s galaxy..... About an hours worth done and still very clear. The moon is bright but hey ho we’ll see what happens..

[david_taurus83]

Had a clear 90 minutes or so here in the West Midlands. Transparency looked very poor but I set up to image anyway. More of a sanity check than anything as last weeks clear night was a disaster as my guiding was all over the place. My polar alignment was a bit sloppy last week so I took extra care this evening and all is well again with guiding. Packed away now as high cloud overhead but I've thrown the Heritage 150 out for a peek at the moon.

[Marki]

Set up just after dark. Left scope to cool for 40 mins and came back out to a high thin haze with some thicker rolls of cloud. Poor transparency and a milky sky with the scattered moonlight. First "clear" night in ages; its so frustrating. Oh well, good practice in setting up/taking down the kit! Hope the rest of you are having a better time :). Nice moon though!