Society for Popular Astronomy

On a good night, I can (just) make out a couple of the Auriga clusters from my garden in west Galloway. We get aurorae quite regularly, but of course they are low and to the north. Although the one in April 2000 was more impressive, as you said Mike. I have seen more impressive displays in Scandinav...

It was also a good view through the 9x63 binoculars this evening, Jeff, despite the moonlight. No nebulosity visible but what was tantalising was the sea of faint background stars close to the limit of visibility. Thanks for pointing this event out. It was a haunting sight seeing a very red Mars in ...

The nebulosity is beautiful through the 14 inch....

Thanks for the top-off, Skybrowser. I had a look with my 4 inch refractor and a double polarising filter at 200x, which was just right for viewing the whole thing. I love seeing lunar geology almost side-on. The two little bumps of Montes Cordillera and Montes Rooks were evident. Distinguishing the ...

I've been popping out into the garden during the recent clear nights, too. Enjoying the moon.

I agree very much with your comment that it is as if you have the world to yourself, Jeff. Though for me it isn't quite to myself. Just me and the yaps of the high-flying geese. A magical time of day.

Indeed Brian, fortunate are we to live amongst so much beauty, terestrially and celestially.

Thanks for your comments. I may well wimp out tonight!

I have the horizon and I would, Skybrowser....but during this run of arctic air the bed seems so warm and nurturing!

Ten o'clock last night saw me observing these two. Two targets amongst many other objects during my whistle-stop session of forty five minutes, all I could bear as the temperature sank towards its predicted minus four minimum. I need to build that scope enclosure with its built in star chart perusin...

I'll raise a glass to warmth, Brian! I had another session last night, this time with binoculars, and to my surprise I could see M41 with the naked eye. It's surprising the difference when you know what you are looking for! Skybrowser, I now suffer a little low elevation light-pollution in my new ga...

I observed M41 in Canis Major with my 4 inch refractor last night. I believe I have only seen this through a telescope once before, about ten years ago from a site in the Galloway forest. I was unable to see this from the garden of my previous house, as it is low here in south west Scotland. However...

Yes it was low down. And its illumination very much spoke of being at ninety degrees to a sun just below the horizon.

...this morning. Hanging crisp in the cold morning air (from my perception!) with Arcturus and Regulus looking down.

Nice.

Interesting observation, Brian. One tends to assume...

I don't have a favourite constellation. What I like about our constellations is the wide variation. I must say, I very much agree with you about the Perseus-Cassiopeia region, Brian. One of my favourite clusters is in that region, Caroline's Rose. Especially at large aperture, when it is mesmerising...