2nd time star gazing

[vienna2]

So there was me, in the middle of the Vienna racecourse at dusk awaiting my next voyage through the stars.

The first star spotted was Sirius but it was faint and the sky a little cloudy. I couldnt get a view of it with the telescope as my red dot needed set. To my luck the clouds to the east dissapeared for a brilliant Venus. I found Venus quite easily and the crescent was clearly visible for the first time to me. WOW. (those guys on that forum were right all along).

Venus gave me a good chance to aline my red dot and then go across the sky. I had a look all over Orion, although there was a lot of mist and loads of airtraffic, Orion was visible unaided. I panned across the belt and then down the sword and there was the nebula like a puff of grey smoke. As I was watching the nebula a white light flashed over my view in a second, what was that? It was much the same size as the stars around it although irregular in shape like a rock. Is it common to see this?

After a couple of hours alone in the middle of a big field, freezing cold with strong winds I wished I hadnt been in such a rush to get out and should have filled my flask with soup. There was a bit of vibration from my gear, but it was tollerable.

My ability to see all of these thing is credited to reading posts and links provided here, if I knew it was this easy I would have tried long ago. Once I'm able to balance and polerise the tripod it should be easier :oops:

Once packed up I headed into the city on the underground, the thought of seeing betelgeuse as it was 600 light years ago is enough to make the most mundane journeys go quicker and a cold beer in a warm bar all the more comforting.

So I hope your skies are as crisp as your beer.

Form Vienna over and out.

[Doc]

What a great read.

The enthusiasm you have for this hobby is lovely.

I'm glad you had a great time.

[Casus belli]

Nice report. Thanks for sharing your experiances

[proflight2000]

Yes, it is normal to see things moving across the sky, satellites are a plenty once you get going, I love it when an aircraft goes across the eyepiece upside down. Nice report.

[Doc]

I think their are 3000 satelites orbiting the earth so you always see little streaks of light in your eyepiece. But when you look with your naked eye there gone. To dim to see.

[Starjumper]

Great report Vienna.

John