Society for Popular Astronomy

WIN_20220624_06_35_01_Pro.jpg During WW2, Cliff, my father was called up and was on Searchlight Duty on the South Downs...I bet they really lit up the night sky! This photograph was taken in December 1939 at Standard Hill. Ninfield. My father is the guy with the cap on the left of the Searchlight. ...

Since I acquired a standard Plossl eyepiece for the MAK80 to which I could attach filters ( the ones that came with it did not have that facility), I have been experimenting with filters. I find the 'green' sky weird to say the least. The 'Orange' view seems helpful for the Moon and 'Venus in Daylig...

22/6/22:0335-0410 BST: Awoke to find the sky clear. The Crescent Moon, with Jupiter up to the right of it, and Mars across to the left of the Moon. Moon & Jupiter just fitted the fov of 8x30 binocular but Mars & Moon did not. Examining Jupiter in the MAK 80 (x32) saw three moons, Io to the e...

Most comets, Cliff, now seem to be discovered when very faint and far away, using large, complicated, expensive, professional equipment, hence many are named by initials relating to technical programmes, rather than individuals observers. And, currently there seems to be a dearth of bright, binocula...

Observations this morning, were in two parts: First, observing the Moon & Jupiter from the garden with MAK80 and the Second, from Foredown Ridge, observing the Solstice Sunrise, with welder's glass (#14) and Canon digital camera SX170 IS. The morning was cool - cold, reasonably clear but later w...

I do not think it is so much out-of-focus (although perhaps it is), as over- enlarged, and it certainly does not really show the phase clearly even in the scope alone at x32 now it is smaller. And was no doubt also affected by daylight 'bubbling' on a hot summers day and the Camera was just handheld...

20/6/22: 0855-0910 BST. Used the MAK 80 (x32), this time tried the yellow filter rather than the orange one. The yellow one seems to make the sky almost green!? Bur not as dark as the orange filter. Tried photographing at the eyepiece with Canon SX170 IS. Then printed out in the shop and again photo...

20/6/22: By about 0715 BST, the clouds had parted and had a much better view of the projected solar image, including 'lots of spots'. With an obvious complex group of spots c/w attached string of smaller ones (13028): A single very distinct single spot (13034), and three obvious spots bear the limb ...

An attempt to project the Sun, projected onto the wardrobe door. Rather too much cloud to show spots though. Used 7x50.[attachment=0]WIN_20220620_06_03_19_Scan (2).jpg[/attachment] regards mike f.

Sunday, very windy, clear sky c/w passing clouds. Located in MAK80 (x32) c/w orange filter. Attached photography shows set-up under the yew-tree . Followed Venus from 0940-0945-1000BST and then clouded-out(Regards mike f.

While checking on comet observing possibilities ... all currently far too faint for my small equipment, came across a couple with names as initials which were new to me. Comet 2021D2 (ZTF) and Comet 2022E3 (ZTF), the latter perhaps being 6th magnitude later on. Had to look up what ZTF comes from. &q...

Hi Cliff et al. Your drawing rather encouraged me to project the Solar Image and see for myself. Having recently acquired for £5 a 7x50 binocular with a chipped prism on one side, I had blocked off the damaged side with the plan to watch the Solar Eclipse later in the year, using it as a Solar Proje...

Whenever possible, Cliff, I do like to observe from the comfort of indoors and through the double glazing unless an important target - a bright comet or planetary conjunction or an eclipse - just cannot be located from indoors, and then I use the garden or adjacent Park. If I can, viewing the easter...

WIN_20220614_10_58_46_Pro.jpg 14/6/22: Full Moon setting behind Southwick Hill, in the southwest at 0310 BST. until it set at around 0335 BST Used MAK80 (x32) with an orange filter as a Moon filter. Just a very thin sliver of terminator- shadow in an arc from West ( beyond Riccioli) - North ( beyon...