Take a look at the sky at night

[DangerousDave]

Stepped outside the shed earlier to have a puff at me pipe and happened to look up at the sky. Don't know what its like where you are tonight, but its clear here and the stars look absolutely spectacular. Orion has just risen in the east and I could just about make out the Orion nebula with the naked eye (looked like a faint smudge, but still...). Went inside and got a pair of binoculars and was amazed at how much I could see. I don't really know much about astronomy and don't really know what I'm looking at :? but the stars looked fantastic through a cheap pair of bino's. Try it if you get a chance on a clear night

 

[Digit]

The vast majority of mainlanders live in cities Dave and never see the night sky.

Roy.

 

[DangerousDave]

Good point, Roy We live on the outskirts of a medium sized town and there's nothing but the Irish Sea to the east and countryside to the south so light polution isn't too bad. Go into the middle of Belfast tho and it's a different story

 

[Digit]

My wife was a city dweller till we moved here and the first winter she came rushing to ask me about something she could see in the night sky.
It was the Milky Way, the first time she had ever seen it.
Now she is an avid sky watcher.

Roy.

 

[RogerS]

You're absolutely right. It is a fabulous sky up there tonight. Can even just about make out the Milky Way.

 

[Steve Maskery]

I was into astronomy as a kid, before I got into magic and before I got into woodwork. I made a telescope with a 2" objective and a 1/2" eyepiece, using a length of carpet cardbord tube and some plastic water pipe. The lenses cost me 7/6D fron Charles Frank in Glasgow. I wrote to him asking what I would need and I got a proper letter back.

7/6 was 15 weeks disposable income when I was 9.

I didn't have a tripod, but I could poke it throung the holes inthe roses trellis ans look at everything east and west. North and south were out of mu technological limits.

I now live in suburbia. The night sky has disappeared here and it never fails to amaze me when I go out to the wilderness and look up.

Now where is that map of the moon that I drew in 1967?
S

 

[neilc]

Nothing but clouds here.
Neil.

 

[SketchUp Guru]

It should be clear here tonight as well but right now (3:10 in the afternoon) it is -22°C with a windchill of -31°C. I won't be standing out there looking at the sky tonight.

 

[Digit]

At the age of 7 I looked through a telescope at Jupiter. I have been a sky watcher ever since and I'm still waiting for an alien craft!

Roy.

 

[DangerousDave]

...I made a telescope with a 2" objective and a 1/2" eyepiece, using a length of carpet cardbord tube and some plastic water pipe...

This sounds like something I could get into. Sounds like a slippery (expensive) slope though. Just been out to have another look. The feckin moon has risen and its light has blotted a lot of the fainter objects out. Although the moon looks pretty freaky through binoculars as well :shock:

I'm up in Bangor here Neil, not a cloud in the sky. Bloody freezing tho

 

[Digit]

A length of 110mm drain pipe a 4 inch mirror and you're off mate!
People have been making their own Newtonian 'scopes for years.
My first one used a length of cardboard tube water proofed and stiffened with varnish.
Take the plunge Dave!

Roy.

 

[neilc]

I'm up in Bangor here Neil, not a cloud in the sky. Bloody freezing tho

I'm in Navan Dave, not too far away.
I installed a couple of generators up there a couple of years ago in the new treatment plant. Stayed in the Clandeboye Lodge, nice part of the world.
Neil.

 

[Ironballs]

First time I went to the highlands I couldn't believe it, was like Keir Dulla from 2001, gushing "It's full of stars". People still don't believe me when I say you can see the Milky Way. Get a good sky here but the pennines are sandwiched between Greater Manchester and the cities of West Yorks so you get some light bleed from the edges.

Went to the USA 10 years ago and camped out on the Colorado plateau, over 7000ft up, that was a good night sky

 

[Sawdust]

You could always combine two hobbies like I did and make one of these:

It's a 12" reflector on an alt-az mount. It can be assembled or disassembled in about 5 mins (in the dark) with no tools. When dismantled it all stores in its own box and will easily fit in the boot of a car

Clear skies
Mike

 

[Digit]

Nice! It's a Gregorian isn't it Mike?

Roy.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Very nice indeed! Do you have any photos taken through it?

If you find yourself in Florence I can recommend the Gallilleo museum just over the river.
S

 

[Sawdust]

Nice! It's a Gregorian isn't it Mike?

Roy.

Thanks Roy,

It's a Newtonian reflector on a Dobsonian mount.

Some day I might make an equatorial mount for it so I can take some pictures with it but as I can't really work out a way of making one in wood, I will have to extend my metal working skills beyond using a hacksaw!

Cheers
Mike

 

[bugbear]

This sounds like something I could get into. Sounds like a slippery (expensive) slope though.

Oh yes.

BugBear

 

[Sawdust]

Very nice indeed! Do you have any photos taken through it?

If you find yourself in Florence I can recommend the Gallilleo museum just over the river.
S

Thanks Steve,

As it doesn't have a motorised mount I can't really use it for photography so it's very much a visual only scope. It has a nice big mirror though so the views through it are very nice.

I will certainly visit the Gallilleo musuem if I'm ever in Florence.

Cheers
Mike

 

[filsgreen]

It should be clear here tonight as well but right now (3:10 in the afternoon) it is -22°C with a windchill of -31°C. I won't be standing out there looking at the sky tonight.

Go on you big Wus