What kind of telescope are you using?

Fangirl Three wrote:

What kind of telescope are you using?

Just an SLR with a 500ml Lens.

I do have a 5" Refractor a 12" Reflector and a Solar Telescope but the effort of setting up is beyond me at the moment.

Zarniwoop wrote:

Took a pic of some deeply shadowed Lunar Craters tonight.

It didn't have any craters until NASA started firing rockets at it.

That's what a scientist told me.

Zarniwoop wrote:

Fangirl Three wrote:

What kind of telescope are you using?

Just an SLR with a 500ml Lens.

I do have a 5" Refractor a 12" Reflector and a Solar Telescope but the effort of setting up is beyond me at the moment.

I have an 8" SCT. But similarly I don't feel like traipsing up and down the garden with it and the mount.

Yes, I know this looks crap, but it is a pic of the International Space Station taken hand held with a cheapo 500ml lens...it was approx 300miles away at the time..the equivalent of taking a pic of a Bus in Cornwall from Colchester...you can just about make out the Solar Panels.

Venus will pass in front of the Pleiades over the next few nights.

It's clear out there now....have a look!

https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/skills/see-venus-against-pleiades-star-cluster/

Thanks, I've just been out for a look!

Venus isn't in front of them tonight, it's to the south of them, by about 1.5 times the distance between Maia and Electra I would guess.

Yep, it will be much closer tomorrow.

Though I see from the chart that it won't quite get into the central 'box'.

This sort of event is where binoculars come into their own

High 'scallop' altocumulus preventing me from seeing tonight's closest approach.

Yep...Typical, I actually had the enthusiasm to attach my camera to my telescope mount to give a few longer exposure photos a go...going to bed in a sulk now as I have to be up for work at 4 tomorrow.

Fine seeing tonight - Venus pleasingly as far from Atlas as Atlas is from Alcyone.

Also the Moon was bracketed in between gamma, eta and alpha Leonis. (I couldn't actually see eta in the glare, but I saw it on yoursky when I checked later).

Hang on....

Here you go....

Lovely stuff Z. And bearing out my statements about the Venus-Atlas-Alcyone distance.

I always think of the Pleiades as being like a shopping trolley.

Overflowing with bog roll and spaghetti.

Nightjar wrote:

Overflowing with bog roll and spaghetti.

Or in my case Wine and Chocolate....I have 2 weeks annual leave from work now..

Thought I would have a go at Orion tonight, bright Moon is no help need to get my mount powered up for longer exposures.

That's a fine picture though I myself think Orion is more of a Nov/Dec object. These last few evenings Sirius has been flickering and winking through my SW facing front windows about 7.45pm BST, saying 'Are you sure you want to be indoors watching Survivors? Wouldn't you rather be outside gazing at me, the brightest star in the sky?'