What are your GOALS.......

[Doc]

What are your observing or Imaging GOALS in this fantastic hobby of ours.

I've started sketching and I think it's great. Really gets you involved in what you are observing. So my GOALS are..

To revisit the 49 Messiers that I have so far seen and sketch them so I have a record off how they looked. Then any future objects I see try and sketch them to.

What are yours.......

[ncjunk]

My goals are:-

1- To master the photography with the ATIK over the Winter

2- Start looking at either photographing variable stars or Asteroids and starting to build up a log of data

3- Starting an Astronomy course or learn more about the mathematics/physics involved.

Point 3 will be more difficult due to finances and time involved but I have a free course, it is in spanish but what the hey I should be ok, so may start with that and then watch some of the Uni stuff on you tube.

Thats the plan but this will all take a while unless I organise my time better. I spend too much of it on this forum reading posts....

Neil C

[Talyn]

I have seen quite a lot of the Herschel 400 since I took up serious observing in 1992, but have not actually *done* the H400, if you see what I mean. So I am aiming to complete that.

Glad to see you have taken up sketching, Doc. As a sketcher myself, it's always great to see others just getting into this fabulous aspect of amateur astronomy!

[lunator]

My goal is to view 1000 doubles by the end of the year. I am currently on 400 so got some work to do

Cheers

Ian

[Beulah]

Great thread, Doc!!

It's fabulous seeing your sketches - and how they are just as important as imaging.

Here are my goals:

1) Work my way through the Messier Catalogue - I have an 8" reflector under dark, rural skies, so it will be interesting to see how many I am able to identify.

2) Work my way through the Herschel 400!! (which will obviously affect some Messier identifications too!!)

3) Hopefully sketch what I see also, in time. I need a kick up the bum to get me back into drawing. Astronomy would be a great excuse!

4) I have some of (and still collecting) the equipment to build me a telescope. My long term goal is to grind my own 12" glass, and make a Dobsonian reflector with a coopered cherry wood tube. This is something I am going to absolutely relish.

[Mark at Beaufort]

Mick

I had a number of visual goals - transit of mercury, transit of venus, annular solar eclipse and total solar eclipse and was successful in 2003. 04, 05 and 2006 in the above order date. I also wanted to complete the Messier list - I have had two goes at it and failed each time simply because of those objects below -30 dec.

This year British rail removed trees from my southern horizon which allowed me to observe M54, 55, 62, 69 and 83 which now only leaves me with M70. I have tried several times over the past 6/8 weeks and although I have the star field I cannot see the globular cluster. I cannot use the 10" Dob because of the angle of the scope and rely on the 6" SCT or 4" APO frac. So hopefully, I might get the chance at Salisbury.

After that I will try and complete the 67 Caldwell objects that are visible from the UK. I have seen 40 so far.

Good topic. Hope to meet you at Salisbury.

Mark

[Beyond_Vision]

Find a job so I can keep hold of my kit

Regards

Kevin

[Doc]

Find a job so I can keep hold of my kit

Regards

Kevin

Fingers crossed for you Kevin.

All these are great goals and I'm sure with alot of determination they will be achieved.

Also looking forward to meeting you Mark.

[Talitha]

Actually, i think i've accomplished my goal already... i've pushed myself and my equipment to the limit, and have become a better observer as a result. Can't ask for anything more, really.

Come to think of it, i can, lol. One thing i'd really like to do is get a big Dob (20" or more) and go through the two Herschel 400 lists again.. maybe sketch them all this time around. And definitely re-sketch the Messiers and a number of other jewels.

I'd also like to spend a few weeks (during different times of the year) observing in the southern hemisphere.

But before any of that can be done, i'll need to find a money tree (or the gold at the end of a rainbow). So for now, i'll just keep on doing what i'm doing... seems to have carried me pretty far.

[Tim]

APOD

[ashenlight]

Very concise TJ

I like to keep my goals simple because, I fear, going into the last year of my degree next month my mind will be mostly on my dissertation and the impending essay deadlines.

HOWEVER - when I can I'd just like to keep on doing what I am doing. Getting to know the sky with my new 5" newt. I got such a kick out of seeing my first DSOs this summer so I'd like to continue the trend this autumn/winter. I guess a long term goal would be to complete the Messier catalogue:)

Oh, and to get a big dob.

[JohnC]

To get Dawn into imaging and to spend lots more time on each object. Still find ourselves jumping from one thing to another and not really appreciating what we are looking at. And just to enjoy life.

[George]

To get a full weeks uninterrupted imaging in.........hmmm time to put a lottery ticket in

[minimalist]

My goal is to see the milky way from a dark site... I mean, one of those sites where you can actually see by the zodiacal light and the milky way is a luminous belt from horizon to horizon. I've been to such a dark site once in my life, in my last year at highschool, and I've never forgotten it. I've come close a few times, but not like that one. I fear that soon there won't be any sites like that left.

Daniel

[ashenlight]

Great goal Daniel, really hope you achieve it, it'd be breathtaking

[Macavity]

Having MOVED home for the main purpose of furthering my astronomy (LOL) try to establish some sort of "proper" observatory. At minimum a stable concrete / paving slab platform for my GoTo MAK upgrade. But basically, transfer 40 years of "theorising" into practice. I'd also really like to progress a bit with white light solar CMOS CCD stuff. Still not TOO many sunspots. Of course, I'd LOVE a little Ha solarscope, but...

[Tim]

To get a full weeks uninterrupted imaging in.........hmmm time to put a lottery ticket in

LOL George! i think he meant realistic goals!!

Im up to 5 days in one week so far, and as it was a work week, I was glad when the clouds came in!

[barkis]

I remember TJ very early in his SGL life striving to come to terms with imaging. Having witnessed the vast progress he has made since those days, I don't think an APOD is out of reach of him.

My ambition is Success in the same vein, I omit the APOD though.

Ron.

[narrowbandpaul]

to visit Tivoli Farm in Namibia.....mag 7.8skies, and get this...M8 reaches the zenith!!!!

I have it priced....for a week with scope hire, around £800

i have to do this. and go out with 3 friends and see the central milky way over head from the darkiest skies anywhere.....i hope I do this in my life.

[GazOC]

To see this 'in the flesh'

[Talitha]

To see this 'in the flesh'

Gaz, let us know when they start selling tickets, maybe we can get an SGL 'group discount'.

Tim, APOD really isn't all that difficult... just submit something they don't already have a bazillion images of.

[Herakles]

Nice thread.

My ''goals'' for this winter , as I expect them to change /grow/adapt, is to get a proper imaging rig set up. Coming up for my first ''proper'' anniversary in Astronnmy, I spent most of a visually poor summer learning , thru software ( sadly ) the skies and techniques, mostly from the imagers here at SGL. Should have the last few bits of the imaging jigsaw in place for end of August .

Time is a killer for me though , I work 3 nights on then 3 off. A right royal pain at time's. So careful planning will have to be employed .

I also want to do more ''visual'' stuff , esp when the imaging rig is up and running, two birds one stone so to speak.

Carry on with the Moon as well, such a gorgeous Lady in the sky , I cant ignore her completely. Continue with my L100. Try my hand at some sketching when at the visual scope. Sooooo many options , thats what I like about this mad hobby of our's.

These are a few of the things I would like to achieve over the up and coming months.

So clear skies to all

Pete

[FLO]

To build an observatory and imaging setup in the garden

[Beulah]

To see this 'in the flesh'

*passes out*

[lulu57]

Absolutely no goals.

I refuse to Performance Manage my hobbies!:D

Actually, that's a lie.

I wish to:

• see things that make me go "aaaahhhhhhhh"
  
• feel connected to nature
  
• stay awake long enough for the stars to come out.