Things heavenly move so fast, like a turning wheel. Why is Leo over my flats as I put the van away just? It only seems last week Orion wasn’t even that far west. And why wasn’t Orion here so long this year? (of course, he was, we just didn’t see him so often).
I’ve just got back from the observatory and the 16″ scope needs adjustment, or something. Using the barlow on my SLR and T mount I could get some shots, but the focus was rubbish. Neither of the large-mirror society telescopes I’ve used have performed anywhere near as good as my old 10″ Dob, or even my never 8″. I really should put that dob back together for the summer, with a ‘correct view’ finderscope and a red dot finder. That’d suit me.
Anyway, I was fed up with the large scope, but did get a bit of bino action in later, and saw the Ed Asich Star Field, (Draconis) and the double star Pherkad, one of the ‘Guardians of the Pole’. Cool! I get lots of fun from the Sky at Night Magazine Binocular Sky section.
And in other news, I did a talk at a school, (in the church of the school yet!), and I’ve got three lovely books on astronomy history, about Copernicus, Galileo and the Hershells.
I Need my Space 