Memorable Moments 2021

[Sunshine]

2021 has been another year of dodging Covid, supply shortages, horrible weather etc. For those who managed some decent time under the stars, have there been any memorable moments in the past year? a new scope, new objects discovered, first astro photo? Let’s forget everything that made 2021 forgettable and share what made it memorable!.  
 

For me it was acquiring my 102 which has been the most exciting acquisition in my astro career, every time I use it it feels like I’m using it for the first time.

[JeremyS]

 Best observing moment: seeing the recurrent nova in eruption last Aug.

Best equipment momentum: arrival of my Tak FOA 60Q, rolling back 50 years of astronomical experience for me

[Roy Challen]

Seeing the sun for the first time in HA.

[Peter_D]

One nice memory I have is seeing the Milky Way for the first time in years when we visited the Ardennes - an absolutely amazing sight just scanning the star fields with a pair of 7x50s. It wasn't even a really dark site which makes me want to really experience a Bortle 1 or 2 zone soon.

[cajen2]

Best experience for me: getting my first proper scope and seeing M42 (for example) for the first time with my own eyes.

[RoloFanatic]

Getting my first good image of Andromeda was definitely a highlight for me!

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

Obtaining a reasonably hefty goto EQ mount, leading to...

... using a dslr and a planetary cam. Some degree of success and comical failure, nonetheless still good learning experiences.

Trying a Vixen 4mm SLV eyepiece with my 102ED refractor and on the first look during a night of great seeing, observing Saturn's atmospheric banding.

A perfectly clear September night under bortle 3 skies whilst camping in the Yorkshire Dales.  The best Milky Way view since my visit to Kielder twelve months earlier. On this occasion clouds didn't ruin the session and I got to see several extended DSOs for the first time, going to bed very happy.

Convincing the local astro society they should let me in. 😁

[GSmith]

Seeing the rings of Saturn through an eyepiece for the 1st time. Tiny and wobbly but still fantastic.

[Pixies]

• The nova in Cas and the work that went on in the forum posts here to help people locate it.
• First proper dark sky visit with the dob.
• Observing a moon transit on Jupiter on a night of exceptional seeing.

[jacko61]

Getting my ROR shed built and making a proper start in astrophotography has kept me sane during a year (and longer) when my band hasn't been able to get out gigging. 

Graeme

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

1 hour ago, Pixies said:

• The nova in Cas and the work that went on in the forum posts here to help people locate it.
• First proper dark sky visit with the dob.
• Observing a moon transit on Jupiter on a night of exceptional seeing.

Great. 👍 I forgot about the Jupiter transits. Add a first Ganymede transit to my list too. 😀

[SuburbanMak]

My first year as a (grown-up) telescopic observer so many memories made - a few highlights: 

- Firstlight with the Mak 127 on M42 & the trapezium, instantly hooked. 
- Staying out until 4 am in March chasing coloured Doubles finishing with first sight of Alberio as it rose & , frozen by then, with my first sight of M13. 
- M51, wow. 

- First humbling look at a Markarian’s chain. 
- First time at a darker site on the South Downs in May. seeing structure in some of the Virgo Messier galaxies then lots of globulars & M27 for the first time. 

- A brush with Hampshire constabulary whilst splitting doubles in the park! 

- A couple of warm Planetary all nighters in July. Watching transits on Jupiter & Saturn’s rings. 

- M8, 16,17, 20 & 21 from the beach in an ST80 converted to 2inch focuser. 

- The Moon through my “new” 120 year old Clarkson 3inch (& the joy of old refractors generally). 

-  Many nights trudging back from the park through silent friendly streets for a warm (and occasional wee dram). 
 

- All the fellowship, advice & banter here on SGL, a most welcome and unexpected bonus to what I imagined would be a very solitary interest. 

So not a bad year really  

Edited February 1, 2022 by SuburbanMak

[Gfamily]

This year would be getting my very own Lightwave 72mm ED-R  - having had one on loan, getting one on ebay was a great find.

 

If this thread had existed for 2020, it would have been Mrs Gfamily and myself simultaneously seeing a Perseid pass right next to M22 through eyepieces.  I was using a low power refractor, while she was using a pair of binoculars.

Seeing any meteor pass through an eyepiece view is unusual for me, but for us both to be looking at the same target at the exact moment was a supreme coincidence. 

 

[cajen2]

@SuburbanMak Do tell us about your 'brush with the Hampshire constabulary'!

[Marvin Jenkins]

Finally observing Ceres with just two days of the year to go.

The best has to be sharing a completely clear week with a friend from the UK who has just started in astronomy.

Marvin

[tomato]

Here are three from me:

Managing to image (I think) from my back garden, the plasma jet emanating from the pulsar 3C 273 . It is probably the roughest image I have ever taken but the scale of what I was looking at just blew me away.

Acquiring a second hand 16” Dobsonian for visual astronomy. I’ve only used it a couple of times so far but I have experienced some “Oh Wow!” moments that the visual astronomers write about on here.

Coming second in the SGL PN and SNR imaging competition. For the first time I felt I might actually be making proper use of all the time and money I have sunk into AP.

 

[Tomatobro]

My neighbours fostering 4 year old  lad and she brought him round because he could see the top of the Pulsar from his bedroom window. We sat him in the observatory an let him press buttons to open and close the shutter, move the scope and rotate the dome.

She tells me he has added "Observatory" to his limited vocabulary.

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

4 hours ago, Marvin Jenkins said:

Finally observing Ceres with just two days of the year to go.

The best has to be sharing a completely clear week with a friend from the UK who has just started in astronomy.

Marvin

I forgot about that one too! Seeing Ceres shimmering in the 10x50s was a mini event for me. 

[Kon]

For me the whole of 2021 has been memorable in terms of astronomy with so many highlights. I only got my first ever telescope (8" Dob) in Dec 2020 so everything I observe is making me excited and I have written several reports here with the wonders I have observed. The best moments have been:

1. Seeing the rings of Saturn for the first time in the summer with my wife 

2. I would put two side by side here: M42 nebula with colours coming through and Veil nebula with its intricate structure

3. Jupiter moon transits observed and discussed 'live' in SGL with other members who were observing at the same time

[Sunshine]

19 hours ago, SuburbanMak said:

A brush with Hampshire constabulary whilst splitting doubles in the park! 

🤣 What was their reaction when you said you were just "spotting doubles" at the park? 🤣

[SuburbanMak]

17 hours ago, cajen2 said:

@SuburbanMak Do tell us about your 'brush with the Hampshire constabulary'!

I wrote about it here at the time:   (p.s - I was wrong about the Pup that night btw, not seen  ) 

 

[SuburbanMak]

4 hours ago, Sunshine said:

🤣 What was their reaction when you said you were just "spotting doubles" at the park? 🤣

I didn't actually phrase it that way at the time, I was initially quite bad tempered about being illuminated with a bright torch & had to backtrack a bit when they used their special "police voices"  to identify themselves.

(If I were a copper I don't think I'd be able to resist using phrases like "  'ello, ello. ello, what's going on 'ere then?" and "Evenin' all..." . Or "Oi, I want a word with you!" would be great fun).

[cajen2]

4 minutes ago, SuburbanMak said:

I wrote about it here at the time:   (p.s - I was wrong about the Pup that night btw, not seen  ) 

 

Entertaining, SUM. I had a horrible feeling you were nearly arrested for voyeurism! I always feel a trifle uncomfortable setting up in my back garden....

[cajen2]

"Yes, Officer, I have this terrible weakness for nubile blondes hanging upside down in their bedrooms!"

[SuburbanMak]

Actually had that happen in one of sessions that re-kindled my current astro phase, I'd just had one of those special views having caught comet Neowise in a pair of 10x50s from the car-park out that back, it was low in the NE above the houses.

A car full of what my Mum used to call "youths" sped past, windows down, and the shout of "PERVERT!!"  gave a brilliant demonstration of the doppler effect...

Another weird one recently when my normally deserted South Downs spot was occupied by a lone car - "uh-oh" I thought.  Turns out it was a radio amateur using the elevated position to talk to a mate on the other side of the Isle of Wight.    "Astronomy" I explained and carted off my gear. I could then hear him laughing with his mate about "big telescopes" and what a "weird hobby".  This. From a radio amateur in the age of WhatsApp???