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The dark is coming back!

Kaptain Klevtsov

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Kaptain Klevtsov

Kaptain Klevtsov

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Last night at midnight I managed to see several stars, some of which I could recognize. The limiting magnitude was around 2.3, as in I could only see the three "handle" stars in Ursa Major. This level of darkness is just about enough for me as it means that I can polar align and set up so I'm getting towards a happy bunny. At 1AM the sky was satisfyingly black, something I haven't seen for a while now.

The forecast had been clear and I would have liked to set up and have a go, but work got in the way. I am fortunate in that "work" in this case was a cash flow planning meeting and it occured within walking distance, with beer, and I took my gorgeous chick, my boys and their bikes as well. I'm thinking of specialising in these meetings, though the profits are fairly unworkable. The meeting convened at 9 PM and lasted for two hours. After we had reorganised how people ought to pay on time, the punishments that should be meted out etc. I was sufficiently tired and emotional that I thought better of the setting up.

Nice to see some dark again, though!

BTW has anybody else noticed that the moon is broken, it only manages to creep above the horizon at the moment.

Captain Chaos

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Kain

Kain

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I saw the moon reflecting off the clouds about half 11 last night, looked really spooky! I did try for a picture but the sodding camera was being a gimp.

I have noticed it's getting dark abit better now, problem is I'm usually totally knackered by then lol

Kain

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Kaptain Klevtsov

Kaptain Klevtsov

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I know what you mean.

I started this hobby in about November, pointing the DSLR at the moon, and being quite surprised that I was getting results that compared favourably with pictures in textbooks from my youth, taken by professionals. After some messing about I dabbled in deep sky with the camera and ended up buying a (well a couple of) telescope in Jan. this year. Until this year I was only vaguely aware of how it works, the changing of the seasons WRT constellations etc, as well as how fast the stars move across the sky. I had no idea, really, didn't realise that I had just a few weeks to snap things in Orion, M31 was a "do that next time" and it all went away. The spring and summer skies were upon us and I didn't recognise anything up there, except the plough (Orion having migrated for the summer). I also didn't realise that dark doesn't happen in June, I'd expected to have to wait until 10 ish before going out, but this not worth it at midnight thing came as a shock almost.

The stuff I have learnt is as amazing as finding out how much I didn't know.

Captain Chaos

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GordonCopestake

GordonCopestake

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I had a nice black sky at 11pm lastnight and not a cloud in sight. However when i tried to look at jupiter heat haze covered everything :). The moon was too low to see and i gave up in disgust. Still havn't had a "proper" first light of the SPX200 yet! This could take some time.

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Albireo380

Albireo380

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Last Tuesday evening I tried using the Meade LPI to take a few trial shots - the lunar seas were blue - must be a mixture of a sun still high above the horizon and high hazy cloud. OR - who filled the lunar seas with water ?

Last night it was hot and very hazy here - we had an orange Moon.

Sooner it gets dark again and people stop monkeying around with the Moon's colour - the better.

It is only just dark enough to see a few stars here at midnight - Vega, Arcturus etc.

Roll on August.

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daz

daz

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Trouble is, I'm a Summer guy! I love the warm days and nights, but now I find it really conflicts with my most favourite hobby!!!

Solution - move somewhere warmer and darker! :)

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Naz

Naz

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When????

Taken last night at 00.40, clearest night(!) skies for ages, 2sec exposure @ f3.5 200ISO. The moon just about crawled along the ridge south of here, hiding behind the clouds, Jupiter stayed hidden! Why bother, the scope is collecting dust instead of light! Roll on September, warmer nights, dark skies, cheap wine, might even have the new scope by then?

naz

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Astroman

Astroman

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See, it's threads like this that discourage me posting observations. I feel so bad for you guys when my skies are dark, the Moon works just fine thank you, and I can see Delphinus with no problem. I get shadows from Jupiter and Venus, and you read the paper by the Moon. I don't want you guys to feel I'm boasting or anything, so I quietly hope for clear dark skies for you, and bite my tongue. :)

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GazOC

GazOC

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See, it's threads like this that discourage me posting observations. I feel so bad for you guys when my skies are dark, the Moon works just fine thank you, and I can see Delphinus with no problem. I get shadows from Jupiter and Venus, and you read the paper by the Moon. I don't want you guys to feel I'm boasting or anything, so I quietly hope for clear dark skies for you, and bite my tongue. :)

You get shadows from Jupiter? Lucky man!! Please do post you observations though Astroman. :)

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Astroman

Astroman

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Ok, well, the other thing about my observations is they're mostly random fileds of stars related to something not-so-spectacular. Say, an asteroid occultation or a variable star or gamma ray burst. I tend to save the bright stuff for school kids and their parents and hardly ever do it myself, for myself. I guess I could post the observations I made to get my Messier Certificate, or the Lunar List or Best of the NGC. Yeah, I'll give that a shot.

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Kaptain Klevtsov

Kaptain Klevtsov

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I took my gorgeous chick

Is it Easter or have you been watching James Dean movies CC :D

It's me being PC. She doesn't like "me tart", "me bird" etc, so she get's that name. "Our Lass" doesn't translate overseas " 'Er indoors" doesn't suit my accent and SWMBO is not quite true. "The accounts department" is accurate, though not flattering and "The Missus" is somebody else.

HTH

Captain Chaos

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Ambermile

Ambermile

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She doesn't like "me tart", "me bird" etc, so she get's that name. "Our Lass" doesn't translate overseas " 'Er indoors" doesn't suit my accent and SWMBO is not quite true. "The accounts department" is accurate, though not flattering and "The Missus" is somebody else.

HTH

Captain Chaos

:hello1: :D :D

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The Warthog

The Warthog

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I hadn't quite realized what you meant by it not being truly dark at night here in summer, until I went to bed at midnight last night, ans looked out the window. It was partly cloudy, but what sky I could see was blue, like I'm used to seeing about an hour or so after sunset, just as the brightest stars start to appear. I am glad I didn't lug my scope over here, even the little one.

My brother-in-law has a 'skylux' 70mm f/10 refractor, with a 20mm Kellner on it. He doesn't use it to look at the stars, but I'm hoping to have a word with his neighbour, who is an amateur astronomer.

The refractor is on an EQ mount, a little more substantial than the one that came with my Meade. I set it up like an Alt-az for him. I don't think he has the patience to learn how to use it as an astronomical scope, and hs's not really interested. He uses it to watch ships going up the Forth

Well, I am enjoying Scotland, even if I'm not seeing stars. Maybe I will if I drink enough Scotch...

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Naz

Naz

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I know it's sad times for you and your family, but enjoy what you can of your visit to Scotland WH.

Come back in midwinter, then it's dark at 3.30 pm! light by 9.30 am!

naz

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