Anybody just chuck it all and walk outside to look at the sky?

[jjohnson3803]

Feeling a little minimalist today (or just desperately in need of a mojito).  Wondering how often people decide on a great night to leave all the kit inside and just go look at the stars naked eye.

I have five refractors which I love, but sometimes it feels like a hassle to haul any of them out.

 

[Alan White]

5 minutes ago, jjohnson3803 said:

Feeling a little minimalist today (or just desperately in need of a mojito).  Wondering how often people decide on a great night to leave all the kit inside and just go look at the stars naked eye.

I have five refractors which I love, but sometimes it feels like a hassle to haul any of them out.

 

Yes I often do or just use a pair of 10x50 Binoculars in addition to the MK1's 
A good recipe for a simple and troble free evening.

 

[inedible_hulk]

Absolutely! Nothing better sometimes 😊

[Paul M]

I've done that many times. Particularly when each seasons constellations take residence, like saying hello to old friends!

I suppose the bright stars are the harbingers of a new season, and always were. Spring is an interesting season for sky watching. The Sun galloping "up" the ecliptic and the encroaching twilight swallows our winter friends at an alarming rate! The spring constellation seem to get a short shift. Almost every night looks different for the next few months until the summer triangle takes up its seemingly endless residence!

[bish]

When I'm at a dark site I spend a lot of time just looking up, mainly when rhe milky way is overhead and the cygnus rift really stands out.

[Stu]

Even when I’ve got the scopes out, sometimes I just look up, as in this pic! It’s the most relaxed way of observing and if the sky is nice and dark it’s hard to beat.

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

1 hour ago, jjohnson3803 said:

Feeling a little minimalist today (or just desperately in need of a mojito).  Wondering how often people decide on a great night to leave all the kit inside and just go look at the stars naked eye.

I have five refractors which I love, but sometimes it feels like a hassle to haul any of them out.

 

I regularly just sit there looking up in between observing. It's a good way to spot meteors. 😉

Those occasions when setting up the kit ain't happening are when binoculars become the instrument of choice. 10x50s and a comfy chair takes no setup time. 👍

[Craney]

This was the preceding night to the Total Solar Eclipse in  2017.   About 9000ft up on the Continental divide in Wyoming.

Showing my partner what the MilkyWay actually looks like.  Had to hold still for 15 secs......  good job Yogi didn't make an appearance !!

[Phil Fargaze]

When I am camping at a dark site with the scope, I always take time out to just lay back and enjoy the view. 

[Guest]

We actually had a clear night Sunday evening and i went out and just looked up for about 10 minutes... Then grabbed the 10 inch for another 20 minutes.  

[Mr Spock]

I do at a dark sky site. It's not something I'm used to. I look up here all I see is grey...

[Sunshine]

HERESY!!

[VNA]

Hello, tonight no need of a scope to watch Venus, sliver of a moon and Jupiter, and tomorrow night will be the best.

We are having a clear sky but with strong winds and cold at 4c?
 

[Andy ES]

I start with the high tech goto scope with all the setting up and alignments. After that move to the binoculars for a while. Then finish with just my eyes (with glasses 😁).

very relaxing way to end a session.

[Moonshed]

15 hours ago, Alan White said:

Yes I often do or just use a pair of 10x50 Binoculars in addition to the MK1's 
A good recipe for a simple and troble free evening.

I totally agree with you regarding using binoculars. There have been many nights when I too couldn’t be bothered with all the setting up of my gear and instead grabbed the bins and  started with a scan of the Milky Way, never fails to impress.

 

[GalaxyGael]

Oh yes, I used to a lot. Lived in fairly remote area, bortle 2-ish, and the summer sky after midnight with the milky way in full view never got old. Miss it terribly now that I think of it. Even here in B6/7, orion as a constellation always gets a double take when i look up,

[Froglord]

I popped out a couple of days ago with just a pair of 10x42 binoculars and a phone with SkySafari on it for navigation. Really quick and easy! Saw loads of stuff: Andromeda, Pleiades, Orion Nebula, Bode's Galaxy, a couple of passing satellites. Mars was out but didn't seem remotely as red as normal.

I'm always amazed how the different colours of stars becomes so apparent through binoculars.

[Zermelo]

I always start and finish with a few minutes just with naked eye, and wandering about the garden to see the bits that are hidden from my observing spot.

But I am sometimes guilty of getting completely absorbed in the object under investigation, or in making notes, or in checking what's up next from the list. And then I'll suddenly look up and find that the sky has become marvelous while I've had my head down. Then I'll feel like the parent at the nativity play who's so busy filming it that they didn't actually experience it fully.

I suppose one reason is that we get relatively few good nights in the UK, and the temptation is to make every minute count.