I thought, it would be of some help if we can have a place where we share what we are hoping to observe/capture so, some of the casual observers can try and make some plans and not miss out on anything rare. It would also help the regulars to try something different and maybe out of our comfort zone. So, I’m starting it off here.
This week, we have Mars passing through the Beehive cluster between the 1st and 3rd June. Even though it is going to be awash with glare here I’m hoping to catch a glimpse of it and praying for clear skies. But in Chennai, it’s placed decently. Best wishes for those who plan to observe/image.
If there’s anything that you are planning to see, please share.
Thanks for the heads up Mani. Unfortunately after multiple attempts with a 8 inch dob and 4 inch mak and 5 inch refractor, it still remains an elusive target from my home. However, many at my club here have captured it on camera even from Greenwich. Lack of darkness due to the time of the year and the almost full moon, doesn’t seem to be helping. Am planning to visit a friend who lives in a decently less polluted area in a couple of weeks and also has a permanently mounted 14 inch sct in his garden. I’m am praying for some luck, we’ll see how it goes. I’ll keep you posted.
Hello all, did anyone manage to view/sketch/capture Venus and M44 in the last three days? Even the cloudless brilliant skies I’ve been having for the last couple of weeks didn’t come handy. M44 was awash with glare where I am. But would have been good at Chennai’s latitude. You guys are having a few Messier objects lining up beautifully in the coming weeks including the Ptolemy cluster. Things don’t even make it above the neighbouring rooftops here. So, all I could do is to send my best wishes for you all in Chennai or similar latitudes.
I’m still hoping the weather I have here to stay put for a couple of more days so that I could glimpse at that supernova in the pinwheel.
I don’t know about other areas, but my place is almost always cloudy. In the last one month, hardly there was any clear night. But I wasn’t even able to make use of the few clear hours that I did get some times due to my hand injury.
By next week, I should be able to carry my 8 incher and the mount to the terrace. We’ll see.
That is the name of our hobby @vijay . I had almost two straight weeks of clear skies until Friday, but now, I’ve got rains for atleast the next few days. Even though it was initially forecasted for Monday, the heavens decided to open up couple of days early.
Most here might understand about ‘Kal, Naai and Aal’, that’s how it feels. I was hoping to glimpse at the supernova at my friend’s home, but when that’s going to be am not sure now.
Wishes for a speedy recovery and also for some clear skies close to next New moon.
Hope you all had some clear skies and managed to see Venus and Moon today. I’m enjoying it now. Hopefully it’ll darken a bit more by 11 or 11:30 and am hoping to catch a glimpse of it before I get to bed today. I’ll try and capture it on my phone again and post.
As luck would have it, one hour was ample time for the gods to send in some clouds. Venus was also fast to get below the rooftops. Unfortunately, all I saw at about 11:00 was as below. Just before 11:30, the clouds dispersed for the beautiful cresent moon to bid goodnight. Unfortunately, I didn’t take any pictures to share.
I’m calling it a day as I still need to get ready for work tomorrow. I’ve got clouds forecasted for tomorrow, hope you all are a bit lucky as you are going to have M8 placed brilliantly. For me it will be grazing the rooftops here. So, if anyone’s imaging or sketching, please do share it.
Good night and clear skies.
Hello @vijay , hope your hand is better now and you are able to carry your scope to the terrace. We have the New moon already and all you lucky people have a whole array of Messier objects to choose from once the sun sets. You are missing out just M1, however, it’s not that appealing visually unless you are looking at an image anyway. You also have a whole lot of other areas of the southern sky, which I’ve been only able to see through virtual planetarium these days. So, all my best wishes for clear and calm skies to all of you.
Hi @Gnana, thanks for asking. My hand is okay now and I can carry stuff now. However, it’s been cloudy with no clear nights for the past several weeks, at least in my area.
In the meantime, I received the OnStep PCB I got manufactured by Robu (robu.in). This is the fastest controller for now and I’ll get it assembled in the next 10 days or so. I thought I might make use of this time to upgrade.
As I had promised before, I’ll start a new thread explaining my conversion to OnStep.
If anyone is keen on planetary lunar occultations, there’s one coming up this weekend (Sunday from about 06:25) albeit, a daytime one of Mars. Again, only if you are going to be in Nagercoil or Kanniyakumari. Even then, it’s only a grazing one. All the best. In Chennai, it would be a case of looking at both in the same field of view of the telescopes.
