Odd Moon and Friendly Viewing

I woke up really early on Saturday morning and after tossing and turning for an hour, I decided to take a look out the window. Just to see if there was heavy cloud cover or anything interesting up above to see. Sitting low, just above the horizon and only visible from the upstairs window was a large, waning sliver of moon with a noticeable orange tint. I decided I ought to try and take a few photo's of this (to me at least) unusual sight. I hadn't realised at the time, that there was a tree waving spindly branches in just the wrong place, I only spotted this after downloading the pictures later in the day and stacking them. Still I've tried to process it anyway and here's what I could manage.



We had some friends coming to visit us, and they had expressed an interest in taking a peek through the telescope. I kept a close eye on the sky and forecast throughout Saturday. As you would expect, the day started brilliant, no clouds, bright sunshine and gradually deteriorated throughout the day. To the point that, as soon as the sky had got dark enough at about 1830 I grabbed the Bins and the Scope and ducked out in the garden with my Friend.

The sky was not great most objects and dimmer stars were hiding behind what I can only describe as high level mist. The viewing was not helped by the house being lit up like a Christmas tree but What we did see was worth it. Firstly, I located the Pleiades, naked eye, so that he could get an idea of what we were looking at. Then I checked through the bins (to be honest, given what I normally see, I was a tad disappointed but this soon changed) to be sure that something was visible. I then handed them over to my friend, who soon found the sisters and started the oh wows!!!. Then I focused the Konus with the 20mm eyepiece and this made things a little clearer. Then using a combination of Bins and scope, we looked at the Hyades Betelgeuse and M42. We only got in about 30 minutes of viewing, but in that time my Friend uttered oh wow or various equivalents about half a dozen times.

I couldn't show him any of the clusters like the double in Perseus, they just couldn't be seen through the murk, and there was absolutely no chance on Saturn. By the time Saturn was up high enough, there was no sign of anything behind a thick layer of cloud. (Note to self, must perfect that cloud transparency filter one of these days). (note to self again, must get around to figuring out how to make a cloud transparency filter). Still a successful 30 minutes all told, and perhaps a new observer in the making. He already possesses the minimum requirements, a pair of eyes, and to aid them, a pair of Bins. So we shall see.

Tonight (Sunday) is a total wash. Heavy clouds. So I've settled, instead on a nice glass of wine, and trying to learn Photoshop Elements a little better. Of course the wine may be hampering this aim, but hey, such is the way of these things.