Society for Popular Astronomy

Wow.

Regards,
David

Thanks Brian, Bob Mizon came with another CfDS member and presented me with an award for my decades of work on their behalf. Unfortunately Bob passed away a while ago. He had been unwell. They saw my situation regarding lights. It was awful. But this latest onslaught is beyond all reason. I didn't h...

Without consulting me or others about two weeks ago an electrician who had come on Tuesday to festoon the side and front of the building with lights returned on Thursday. I looked out and was confronted with 4 lights. The first on the left magnitude minus 15 or about 20 to 40 average UK full Moons. ...

I saw Venus and the crescent Moon at 05.02 UT with unaided eyes and binoculars. The view in the 18x50 was nice. I made the distance between Venus and the closest part of the Moon's limb about 1.65 degrees. It was clear that the lower part of the Moon was headed towards Venus. I took a few photos. I ...

2023 October 31 3.04 UT.

Although not noticed visually, all the photos I took show a 22 degree lunar halo with Jupiter below at about the 5 o'clock position on the outer edge of the halo or just outside.

Perhaps the Moon to Jupiter distance about 23.5 degrees.

Regards,
David

Both umbra and penumbra clearly seen in 18x50 binocular.
20.00 to 20.09 UT.

Regards,
David

2023 Oct 28 20.00 to 20.09 UT. After cloud and rain in very clear and transparent large cloud gaps the eclipse was nicely seen to unaided eyes and with binoculars. About 15% of the bottom of the Moon was quite dark with a grey fringe above the shaded part. Jupiter was about 6 degrees to the left of ...

One has to be careful comparing film photos to digital images. Fast colour film was 400 ASA. 800 ASA was available but not very good. About 5 year ago my Sony A7S gave good photos at 100,000 ISO. 200,000 and 400,000 ISO were not useful. 1/13th second at f/1.4 at 100,000 ISO with a secondhand 85mm Sa...

In the last 40 years I think that the faintest stars visible locally are 5 to 6 times brighter allowing for the loss from aging eyes. On many nights no stars or just one or two are visible to the unaided eyes. The Commission for Dark Skies may allow the use of their photos comparing 30 years ago to ...

Millions of people happily go in tubes travelling at 540mph at 35,000 ft. They would only last seconds if something went wrong. Personally, I wouldn't go into space, the Moon or Mars. I joined the Space Studies Institute in the 1970s as an active member. There were plans to build space cities of 100...

Hi, For short time exposures a single RA drive will do if the mount is well aligned. However, I don't know the size and focal ratio of the scope or how sturdy the tripod is. With modern cameras high ISO is easily used. I used to get good planet photos with one second exposures, 200 ASA film and f/72...

2023 Oct 01 23.38 UT.

Moon and Jupiter in same field of 18x50 binocular.

About 3 degrees covered the pair.

4 Jupiter moons seen.

Jupiter below the Moon.

Regards,
David.

Betelgeuse seemed bright a couple of nights ago.

Is this correct?

Regards,
David

The first time I saw NGC 457 was with the 123mm Jaegers refractor in the 1970s. I almost literally fell over in shock. There was this enormous Praying Mantis with outstretched arms ready to eat me. The orientation happened to be exact for this first impression. Nothing has come close to this except ...

Very nice photo.

Regards,
David