Happy memories of SGL10 - March 2015

[Stu]

Facebook prompted me the other day that it was seven years since I attended SGL10 in Lucksall. For me, this was my most memorable star party. We had four clear nights under skies that were better than mag 21 at times. I had a 16” Sumerian Canopus scope with push to so I could actually find things! Plus there was a partial solar eclipse and we had some of the only clear skies in the country.

The dob mob were there, probably the last time they attended before seeking better skies elsewhere but we had great fun. Unfortunately @swamp thing’s 20” dewed up so I didn’t get a look through it, but it certainly looked beautifully made.

I saw more galaxies in those four nights than I had in fifteen years previous observing, just to put it into perspective! Markarian’s chain was amazing in the 16”, plus M101 and M33 showing plenty of detail, NGC604 was very clear as I recall.

I think I got down to mag 14.2 in terms of faintest galaxy observed, I’m sure fainter were possible but at the time I had comparatively little experience of galaxy observing.

Happy memories.

[wesdon1]

Wonderful story! It's why we love this hobby enough to tolerate the many many cloud filled, light polluted night skies most of us all have to deal with in uk. But then every once in a long while, one of those memorable magical nights come along, where the seeing is perfect or close to, the clouds are missing, and we get views that for some, including me, make us almost cry with happiness and wonder at just how beautiful the universew really is! I feel it hits us on the deepest most spiritual level on those incredibly rare nights, and they motivate us to carry on grinding through the sometimes seemingly endless cloudy night skies...

[Sunshine]

What a fantastic lineup of dob's, the first one pictured is super sleek looking, I love it but i'm guessing that it may no longer be available as is the case with all the coolest things.

[Mr Spock]

I remember SGL 10 well - I even have the t-shirt 

[Stu]

21 minutes ago, Sunshine said:

What a fantastic lineup of dob's, the first one pictured is super sleek looking, I love it but i'm guessing that it may no longer be available as is the case with all the coolest things.

If you mean the black one, that was my Sumerian Canopus 16”, still available as far as I’m aware.

https://www.sumerianoptics.com/canopus

Some of the dob boys didn’t rate it as it was too floppy for their liking and the motion wasn’t as good. In comparison with a ‘real’ dob 😉 that’s true, but it suited me in terms of portability and ability to assemble it given my dodgy back. It did what I wanted it to do, and gave great views.

[Roy Challen]

I've never been to a star party, hope to do so sometime in the future.

[Mr Spock]

Hard to believe this was 7 years ago 

[Stu]

6 hours ago, wesdon1 said:

Wonderful story! It's why we love this hobby enough to tolerate the many many cloud filled, light polluted night skies most of us all have to deal with in uk. But then every once in a long while, one of those memorable magical nights come along, where the seeing is perfect or close to, the clouds are missing, and we get views that for some, including me, make us almost cry with happiness and wonder at just how beautiful the universew really is! I feel it hits us on the deepest most spiritual level on those incredibly rare nights, and they motivate us to carry on grinding through the sometimes seemingly endless cloudy night skies...

Very true! I still look back on those four clear nights and the eclipse event and want to replicate it again soon, particularly the galaxy views. I’ve got the scope now, just need the sky to cooperate.

[Swoop1]

Lovely memories Stu.

One question however- what is the brown glass accessory on the table behind your scope? I seem to be missing it from my collection.