Dogs are better than cats, Lagoon neb

[Marvin Jenkins]

I woke at 05:30, up by 06:00. My dogs Marvin and Lixy (french thing) pronounced Lexy to anyone, knew something was different.

Anyone who has a dog knows there is no better alarm clock, mine are set for 07:00 so anything earlier is a surprise.

I took them up the lane in total darkness which gives a great elevated view to the south. I had my 10x30s as the sky was clear and realised two months of bad weather means Hydra has passed at that hour.

Scorpio was showing nicely although low in the horizon, and I spotted a patch slightly east using averted vision. If you will pardon my adhoc description method, it looked a little like the three stars of The Great Orion Nebula. The difference, it is lying on its back.

I checked Stellarium and it is the Lagoon nebula! Now I have to check my notes, but I think I have seen this before with a scope and may have missed the object due to a narrow field of view. I think I recorded an unremarkable star cluster!!!!

I noted on Stellarium that Triffid was just there, but from my bins in the five minutes, it did not jump out. Who would have have known that such delights can come from small mag bins.

Can you imagine a cat going along with a freezing cold jaunt, looking at the sky at 05:30 UK time? By the way it was -4

Marv

 

 

[andrew s]

Cats are far too sensible. Regards Andrew 

Edited March 9, 2021 by andrew s

[saac]

1 hour ago, andrew s said:

Cats are far too sensible. Regards Andrew 

That me laugh Andrew.  I'm well and truly in the dog camp (2 year old westie)  but I agree wholeheartedly with that -  there is no counter argument there.  

Jim 

[andrew s]

8 minutes ago, saac said:

That me laugh Andrew.  I'm well and truly in the dog camp (2 year old westie)  but I agree wholeheartedly with that -  there is no counter argument there.  

Jim 

We had a westie when I was a teenager,  a rescue dog much fun.  Now a confirmed Burmese cat fan on the 4th pair. Regards Andrew 

[ollypenrice]

Cats are machines, dogs are human...

Olly

[andrew s]

4 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

Cats are machines, dogs are human...

Olly

Cats are purr-fect and independant creatures, dogs mere synphopants to human ego.

🐈🐱🐈

Regards Andrew 

Edited March 10, 2021 by andrew s

[ollypenrice]

11 hours ago, andrew s said:

Cats are purr-fect and independant creatures, dogs mere synphopants to human ego.

🐈🐱🐈

Regards Andrew 

The evidence is against you. When we had both, I would frequently say to our dog, 'Cachou, eat the cat!'  While Cachou was absolutely clear on the matter of eating the cat's dinner (which she would do even when not at all hungry) she steadfastly failed, despite wishing to please me, to eat the cat. She couldn't bring herself to do it. She was, bless her, simply too humane...

🤣lly

[andrew s]

8 minutes ago, ollypenrice said:

The evidence is against you. When we had both, I would frequently say to our dog, 'Cachou, eat the cat!'  While Cachou was absolutely clear on the matter of eating the cat's dinner (which she would do even when not at all hungry) she steadfastly failed, despite wishing to please me, to eat the cat. She couldn't bring herself to do it. She was, bless her, simply too humane...

🤣lly

Either that or she was more scared of the cat than devoted to you. We had people complain that our first two neutered male Burmese were chasing their dogs.  

Regards Andrew 

[Nigella Bryant]

Definitely cat's. Mine frequently keep me company while observing. Or should I say, trying to image, lol. I've had dog's before who wouldn't stay with you very long in the cold. 

[Tomatobro]

I don't have a cat but my neighbours cat Thomas will pay me a visit in the observatory and checks that I am doing everything correctly before going off on his night patrol. Telling him to be quiet has no effect.

[johninderby]

There are dog people and there are cat people and that’s basically it. 

This gives the result of a survey of cat and dog people by the University of Texas. and their different traits. Do you agree or disagree? 🤔

https://pets.webmd.com/ss/slideshow-truth-about-cat-people-and-dog-people

[andrew s]

33 minutes ago, johninderby said:

There are dog people and there are cat people and that’s basically it. 

This gives the result of a survey of cat and dog people by the University of Texas. and their different traits. Do you agree or disagree? 🤔

https://pets.webmd.com/ss/slideshow-truth-about-cat-people-and-dog-people

I would tend to agree. I am more cat like than dog like. Regards Andrew 

[Orange Smartie]

Having had 1 dog (Lakeland terrier) and 2 cats during my married life, I like both and for different reasons. Our cats have both been quite "dog-like", especially our current one, Frank. He has taken to accompanying me out for my observing sessions and will happily sit next to me while I'm at the scope.

[Marvin Jenkins]

Now I know I started this cat dog conflict but not a mention of the lagoon nebula!

I was quite surprised by how bright and obvious it was. I went back through my observing diary to two years ago and my first sighting of this incredible nebula.

I wrote ‘star cluster with some nebulosity next to it’ ! Wow I am a descriptive fellow, is that it? In all honesty I don’t think I even knew what I was looking at.

And just to prove dogs are better than cats here is a picture of one half of the team that took me to the lagoon and back.

[chiltonstar]

Our cats have usually helped with my observing, sitting alongside my chair and protecting me from attack by any mice etc, even at -2 degrees. There was that clip a year or so ago showing a cat fending off the attack by a dog on a small child - proved it for me that cats are really mans best friend, despite what doggy owners say....

Chris

[johninderby]

The important point is that if you are a cat person or a dog person is that you have something in common. You both love animals. 👍🏻

 

Edited March 13, 2021 by johninderby

[ollypenrice]

On 11/03/2021 at 09:37, johninderby said:

There are dog people and there are cat people and that’s basically it. 

This gives the result of a survey of cat and dog people by the University of Texas. and their different traits. Do you agree or disagree? 🤔

https://pets.webmd.com/ss/slideshow-truth-about-cat-people-and-dog-people

Interesting. I discovered that I had the virtues of both types and the vices of neither...  🤣

No bias there, then!

Olly

[ollypenrice]

On 11/03/2021 at 20:11, Marvin Jenkins said:

Now I know I started this cat dog conflict but not a mention of the lagoon nebula!

I was quite surprised by how bright and obvious it was. I went back through my observing diary to two years ago and my first sighting of this incredible nebula.

I wrote ‘star cluster with some nebulosity next to it’ ! Wow I am a descriptive fellow, is that it? In all honesty I don’t think I even knew what I was looking at.

And just to prove dogs are better than cats here is a picture of one half of the team that took me to the lagoon and back.

Splendid!

I find the Lagoon only so-so, visually, though not as disappointing as the Eagle. My favourite around there is the Swan, which really does look Swan-like at the EP, as in the images. The Trifid is also a nice strong visual target, I think. But the Lagoon is a gorgeous, creamy target to image.

Olly