Astronomy

[geoffbot]

Space is pretty cool. Anyone onto it? A telescope is on my ever expanding want list.

[popoki nui]

I suppose you could say I'm into it. Since about 1970, when I had my first look through a telescope....which happened to be the 1.8m Plaskett telescope at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory here in Victoria (and the same observatory where I'm now fortunate enough to offer that same wonderful experience with people of all ages).

I remember my reaction when I looked through this massive telescope. We can't look directly through the scope anymore, so we use smaller ones for our visitors to look through. I just love seeing the same reaction I had so many years ago, on the faces of our visitors now. Especially the little ones.
Yep...space is definitely cool.

~Sherry.

[Colin63]

I love space and have an old telescope (not as big as Sherry's) that gets used sometimes. Clouds and light polution are a problem where I am.

[popoki nui]

I love space and have an old telescope (not as big as Sherry's) that gets used sometimes. Clouds and light polution are a problem where I am.

True story: the last three times I've moved, I asked the real estate agent to show me houses for sale only in places where there were no streetlights (or malls, traffic lights etc). I got funny looks. Seems most peole are afraid of the dark and want to live in brightly-lit places. I had to explain that I'm not a vampire or a whacko or some sort, and that like my light to come from stars, not streetlights. I'm pretty sure they didn't really understand.
It's pretty cloudy here, too. Not much I can do about that, except whine and stomp around and drink vats of Merlot. Such is the life of an astronomer.

[Colin63]

This is where I am going on holiday this year. Just need clear skies.

http://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.u...-do/stargazing

[popoki nui]

This is where I am going on holiday this year. Just need clear skies.

http://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.u...-do/stargazing

Looks great! I hope you get clear skies and a wonderful holiday under the night sky. Looks like a good place to try a little astrophotography.

[Der Amf]

This is where I am going on holiday this year. Just need clear skies.

http://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.u...-do/stargazing

If cloudy console yourself with ponies and scrumpy

[geoffbot]

More pics please Sherry!

[popoki nui]

More pics please Sherry!

lol. It's 1:00am here....and cloudy....got to get my beauty sleep soon. But for anyone wanting to try a little night-sky photography, you don't need expensive gear, or even a telescope. There are some nifty tracking devices that are not expensive, such as AstroTrac, Vixen Polarie, and iOptron Star Tracker. You just need:
1) basic DSLR with a 15-55mm lens and Bulb setting (use the camera's timer, or a plug-in remote release)
2)star tracker
3) tripod.

With almost no setup or practice, you can take pics like this:

It's so easy and inexpensive now, compared to even just a few years ago. I'll be happy to guide anyone wanting to give it a try.

~Sherry.

[is that my watch]

funnily enough there was a full moon last night with a 100% illumination as for tonight we will be having a waning gibbous and have 99% illumination and due July 27 there will be a meteor shower delta aquariids which is from the parent comet Marsden but as the illumination that night is at 0% it will be hard to see