re-starting my stargazing..

[philipok]

My 10" lx200 had been languishing in the garage.. very few clear nights here in damp Buckinghamshire, and I was starting I'd lost interest in the hobby. To boot, my logbook with 3 years of observations was lost, presumed binned by the cleaner.. Even the odd clear night, I was so knackered from work I couldn't be bothered to haul it out in the cold and fiddle with the polar align, dropping eyepieces and filters all over the place.

But on Sunday night I decided it was time to get back in the game.. whipped out the scope (it's on wheels), rough point north, just letting it track without all the aligning malarkey. What's up - m42, chuck in the 32mm WO Swan eyepiece and .. what a view.. greenish/blue mass of nebula taking up the whole field, with two great arcs either side.. tendrils of cloud surrounding the 5 trapezium stars.. truly majestic and eerie.

I had cunningly brought out a small high stool, realised that sitting at the right level, looking down on the eyepiece makes all the difference. I stayed on the nebula for about 20 mins, more detail emerging all the time. the E star winking in and out of view.

Then to Mars - I'm not a Mars-head, and at 12 arcseonds what could I expect. A sudden clear patch of seeing let me ramp it up to x440.. best view I've ever had. The icy pole, then Mare Acidalium, I think, and a southerly patch of darkness.. The meade tracked beautifully, very minor gear errors..

Apparently one should always finish on an easy note, so back to M42, this time with an OIII filter.. instant green cast, with more pronounced curls, tendrils and longer 'arms'..

So - I will be getting out there more often, but a) taking a chair and keeping it simple..

[Doc]

The urge never goes away...

Glad you re kindled your interest.

[John]

Nice report - welcome back to the universe

.... keeping it simple....

Thats the key - it's so easy to overcomplicate things. "Three steps to heaven": 1. get scope out 2. point it at something 3. observe

[russ]

Yep, for me, keeping it simple is the key to enjoying this hobby.

Most of my sessions now involve no electricity, wires or software. Just a dob, plonked down on the ground, 32mm widefield and a 12mm widefield and that's it. Oh and my deepsky handbook.

Russ

[bish]

Recently I've had spells of a couple of months with no observing due to weather/work/illness/general tiredness etc. I always appreciate it all the more when I do drag the scope out. I think it's an interest that will always stay with me whether I get the chance to observe or not.