Saturdays (21st Feb) Session report

[jgs001]

My youngest wondered what I was up to in the garden with my scope setup, so we trotted out and I showed him. He was very surprised what I was getting when he looked at the preview screen on the camera. He wanted to have a bit more of a look around, so I grabbed the 15x70's popped them on a tripod and showed him some sights.

First off, M45, such a lovely sight in bins. I had him look both around the bins, and then through the bins, and he was astonished at the number of points of light in the darkness. So we went on a little tour of some of the grander sights, better suited for a 7 year old. M42, and he could see the glow easily enough. He wanted to look at that orange dot, so I pointed the bins to Betelguese for him, not really a lot different. I pointed out Orion and Gemini and the Big Dipper, nothing wrong with learning the constellations, should be easy for him. He asked me what that "twinkling bright star" was, a bit below Orion, ah said I, that's Sirius, the Dog Star, brightest star in our night sky. We had a quick discussion then about the distances involved, how Sirius is pretty close, the Pleiades, about 450ly's away, really meant we were looking back in time 450 years. He thought this was pretty cool. When I told him, how far away M31 was, he wanted to see that too. And was amazed we could see something so far away that the light we were looking at it left it 2.2 million years ago.

Then back closer to home, and the Beehive cluster (although, apparently it's the Beehive galaxy... a reference to Super Mario Galaxy, but quite sweet). And again, he was astonished by how many stars there are that you can't see without bins. Then onto M38, and more importantly the Smiley Face. I thought he'd like that one, and he did. Then a quick turnaround, back to the Big Dipper for a look at the Horse and Rider (he passed his Roman army eyesight test) and mummy came out to check. So we showed her the Pleiades and I think she was quite impressed, and we went inside. Where we spent a little while looking at the planisphere and explaining to him how to use it.

[irishbloke]

It's great showing folk the stars isn't it. I love it. Glad your son enjoyed it. Thanks for the report. I'll take my binos out with me to have a look through.

Brian

[jgs001]

Brian, that it is. Thanks for the comments

[Doc]

I done a similar thing with my son James he is now 8 years old. Lovely report John it sounds like you both had a great time. These mempries will be with him for a lifetime now.

[jgs001]

Nice one Mick. A similar age, mine is 7.5. Thanks very much, he seems to be interested, so I'm going to encourage it. That way in a few years time he can cart the HEQ5 and scopes into the garden...

[argonaut]

Nice session you had with your son.

I'm in the grandchildren stage of life. They are all into "Mr Moon"

Glen.

[jgs001]

Cheers Glen. Gotcha, although maybe soon they'll get into the real thing..

[argonaut]

I really hope so.

I'm just a little bit bothered about buying them binoculars. I wouldn't want them to look at the Sun when they're not supervised. It only takes a second or two and it's to late. Time for a warning for everyone.

NEVER LOOK AT THE SUN WITH BINOCULARS OR ANY OTHER OPTICAL INSTRUMENT.

[jgs001]

We've had long conversations about that with my two before letting them have the 10x25's, we use them at the local nature reserve and never unsupervised.

[argonaut]

I think I will wait until next year before buying them their own. I would never forgive myself if something happened.

Back to "Mr Moon" for now.

Glen.

[Viking]

John,

Nice report to get the bins forum off to a good start.

These 15x70s do seem to be the business. What tripod do you use?

John

[Sam]

Great report John, It's great when the kids get to see something!

[jgs001]

Thanks guys.

Glen, I've a redsnapper tripod with a 3 way head, a crimbo present. They are rated at 10Kg legs and 6.5 Kg head. It will take the C80ED quite comfortable, so have no problem with the 450d or the 15x70's

I got asked at tea if we could see the stars so we could go out and look at them...

[argonaut]

That's great, he's hooked.

So good to hear your son is involved.

Glen.

[jgs001]

It's great, a few months ago we kept looking for flares and the ISS, he thought that was great as well.

[argonaut]

I remember my first Iridium. Whoa! it was good.

I always look here www.heavens-above.com

You will probably know the site John, but some may not.

Glen.

[jgs001]

They are quite amazing. I even built myself a little Alt Az mounting thingy for shooting them. I know that site, also check out orbitron (software download), but we digress.

[mdstuart]

So where is this smiley face everyone goes on about?

[jgs001]

If you look at M38 in Bino's you can see the Smiley Face next door... This image of M38 I took may help (It's not the best of the processed ones, but I've annotated it)

[Taff]

Hi John' Nice write up on your night with your boy.My son use to come outside with me when i was useing the scope and he use to have my 10x50s bins to have a look around the night sky asking me questions on what he saw.The first time he saw saturn through the scope he was landed because he saw the rings the next day when he went to school he told his teacher that he saw saturn through a scope the teacher told him you can't see saturn and it's rings with a scope from the garden, if only he new sad person.Mark

[jgs001]

Thanks Mark. Sounds like you had some similar sorts of sessions, has he stopped now ? It's quite astonishing isn't it. I was at quite a dark site with a group of people a while back and was pointing out Saturn and Mars and most of them thought there was no way you could see the planets.