An Astronomical Leap Forward This Week!

[solarbreeze]

Just have to share this really.

My viewing has been binocular bound for about a year now (10 x 50) but the other day, I purchased my first ever telescope. It's just a comparatively naff, second-hand, common all garden refractor which came with a couple of lenses....but the sky gods were smiling on me as there was clear, moonless sky on my very first night after taking possession and I spent a couple of happy telescopic-honeymoon hours transfixed by Jupiter and it's moons.

Inspired by this.....and having read THIS THREAD...

http://stargazerslounge.com/astro-lounge/105978-stellarium-landscapes.html

(Thanks lukebl)

....I then decided it was time to personalise my own copy of Stellarium.

At the rear of the apartment building I live in, there's a pretty decent panorama which gives about 180 degrees of viewing, but to get a full 360, (and far less light pollution) I tend to take the five minute stroll to the flat, sprawling beach where I live.

I was in two minds about which 'home' landscape to create for my Stellarium.

The rear of the apartment would obviously present a few more challenges in terms of stitching a landscape together....given that the landscape in question is dominated by some pretty challenging 'urban' perspectives, but it would also be the most central and homely version of an area of sky that I have immediate access to.

Anyway, I reluctantly opted to do a full 360 on the beach taken from a dune which surveys both inland views and some pretty impressive seascape.

THEN !!!!

Before I had even finished editing the beach landscape....a wagon arrived at the apartment block and within a couple of hours, a scaffold tower had been erected at the back.

(Talk about serendipity)

The apartment block has a flat roof, and this week it is being torn up and relaid.

That was Friday last, and the roofing work wasn't due to begin until Tuesday.

The upshot being, that I have since been able to scale the scaffolding and, standing upon the roof.... photographed a full landscape (complete with 360 degree horizons) of the entire area which surrounds my apartment.

I'm a very happy man!

I now have a new(ish) telescope and TWO personally meaningful (and pretty darn accurate) landscapes on my Stellarium.

The universe has just edged a touch closer to home!

I cannot ever remember looking forward to winter's dark crisp, cloudless nights as much!

SB