An old post from this day in 2018.

Where did the last eight years go !  -  An old post from this day in 2018.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

June 3rd 2018

Last night's planetary sketch of Jupiter.  

22h00m UT Antoniadi II/III 

Skywatcher  90mm Maksutov x125

It was great to be outside last evening under the stars. 

Even better to be able to grab a decent sketch of the planet Jupiter, with the added bonus of capturing the Great Red spot.

90mm Maksutov telescope

That "mighty" Maksutov 90mm telescope is able to deliver great views of the planetary features, and considering its small aperture, I'm well pleased with the final results. 

This little scope, so far; has returned some lovely images of double stars, craters of the Moon and now I find that Jupiter is also holding up well...  I hope Mars is as good in July.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

No Meteors ~ Welcome to HIYA.

Back in August 2009, whilst camped out on the Preseli Hills, awaiting the main Perseid shower maximum, I had an idea...

I had an idea for a poetry form that might be of interest to poets, 

I later called it HIYA.

Firstly you make a chart, as follows:

Then you choose any word you want to make your poem.

For example I will use the letters of my name: MARK.

Look up each letter of your word on the above chart.  

Write down the corresponding number you see above it.

My word MARK would read as follows:
M=4, A=1, R=9, K=2

Once you match a number to each of your letters, you then use this number as a syllable count for each line of your poem.

Poem for the Perseids

                                                                                               Syllable Count

Throughout the night                 4         M

Clouds                               1         A

Rest upon the Preseli hill tops      9         R
I sigh.                              2         K

Any word or combination of words can be used, plus the poem can be split up into any length verse you see fit. 

Have a go, see what you think.

Have a guess what my initial word was in this poem. 

Tea Party for the Perseids

We sit so patiently waiting

Surrounded by clouds

Time for tea

Time for cake

Time to talk with old friends.

That evening back in August of 2009 may not have revealed any meteors (it was clouded out most of the night!), but I'm glad to say it revealed the HIYA.

The voice of Mr Elgie.

"armchair" study of the stars was no substitute for standing out in the night air and feeling the "beauty of the heavens."  Joseph H  Elgie 

One of my all time favourite astronomy books has to be The Stars Night by Night, by Joseph H. Elgie.

Joseph Henry Elgie (1864–1927) was a British astronomical writer during the early 20th century. 

He was best known for his ability to translate complex celestial movements into poetic, accessible language for the "backyard astronomer."  

​He was a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society (FRAS), and a member of the British Astronomical Association.

​Elgie’s writing was a wonderful blend of poetical  phrase, blended with  a "star-gazer’s" eye for detail.

His most fabulous book; as far as I'm concerned is:

​The Stars Night by Night: 

Being the Journal of a Star Gazer (1914): 

This was his most influential work, structured as a journal that guides the reader through the constellations and celestial events as they change across the seasons. 

It included star charts and mythological stories.  

He often used evocative prose to describe his own observing experiences.

This made him a favourite for those who viewed astronomy as a romantic or philosophical pursuit rather than just a mathematical one.  

This book goes everywhere with me.

Printed over a hundred years ago, my copy is now well worn and tatty.

The book may be worn but, the spirit of the writer's words still shine bright from every page.

It also contains a very useful planisphere, which is often used to check my celestial bearings and future observing sessions. 

If you have an interest in the non technical side of astronomy, you can't go wrong with an Elgie book.

Well worth finding a copy.

Solar Observe on Star Wars Day

It's that "May the 4th be with you" day.

Here's a photo capture of today's Sun, burning bright and beautiful with a stunning May time radiance.

The little Vixen telescope is back in the motorhome, where it belongs.

Recently I bought myself one of those camera adapters that fit over the eyepiece.

It cost the princely sum of £2 !

The adapter did a great job of holding our smartphone in place.

Seeing that the phone was now held tight I could spend some time adjusting the manual focus settings, which made all the difference.

May time "What's Up" - Blue Moon and Halley's Dust.

The Moon dominates this month with two full moons.

​May 1: The first full Moon. 

​

May 16: New Moon. 

This is the best May night for peeps at the Milky Way. 

Because the Moon is at its closest point to Earth (perigee) during its new phase, the skies will be at their darkest.  ​

May 31: The Blue Moon. 

This is the second full moon in a single calendar month, so it takes the "Blue Moon" title. 

It will also be an apogee (its farthest point from the Earth) Full Moon, so it will appear slightly smaller in the sky. 

Planetary & Meteor Highlights:

May 6: η-Aquariid Meteor Shower Peak. 

These fast-moving meteors are debris from Halley’s Comet. 

While they are usually better seen from the southern hemisphere, Pembrokeshire's low southern horizon over the Atlantic gives us a decent chance to spot them in the early morning hours.

May 14: Venus at Peak. 

Venus reaches its highest altitude in the evening sky, shining brilliantly as the "Evening Star" in the west after sunset.  ​

May 19–20: Triple Conjunction. 

A spectacular close approach between the Moon, Venus, and Jupiter. The three brightest objects in the night sky will cluster together in the western sky just after dusk. 

Milky Way Season: 

May marks the start of prime Milky Way core visibility. 

For the best views, head to south-facing out of the way spots around the New Moon on the 16th.​

Noctilucent Clouds: 

Late May marks the start of the season for these "night-shining" clouds. 

Keep a look out towards the northern horizon about an hour and a half after sunset for electric-blue, wispy formations in the upper atmosphere.