Crescent Venus 15th February 2009

Venus - Skywatcher 150mm/f8 refractor.

“For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.”

― Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark

The wonders of Vega viewed through an achromatic lens.

The Moon and Mercury

Occultation of Venus 18th June 2007 14.21 gmt

I lost this picture many months ago.

Luckily I found it recently, hidden on one of our cd disks!!

Total Lunar Eclipse 21st February 2008

I sat outside, early hours of this morning waiting for the total lunar eclipse.

Huddled sitting on a rug, with blankets and warm clothing, hoping the clouds would move away.

Luckily they did long enough for me to capture these images.

I spent a lot of the time leaning against my chair nodding off....or using the binoculars to view the totality.

It's wonderful to see stars in such close proximity to a full moon, the blackness of space around that shining lunar disk is a sight not often seen..

I took full advantage of it.

NEARLY NINE YEARS AGO.....!!!!

Crescent moon 9th February 2008

First chance to image the Moon in 2008

Tonight has been the first chance I have had to image the Moon. 

The past few weeks have been WET!............VERY WET!....it seems to have been raining forever here in Pembrokeshire. 

Luckily the clouds moved away tonight just long enough to capture this image, and about five others.

Here's hoping 2008 will bring Clear Skies......AND LESS RAIN!!!

Burning ring of fire...on the Moon

Earlier this week I was observing the gibbous moon, I noticed what looked like a burning ring of fire to the north of Plato.

It turned out to be the crater Fontenelle.

The whole rim of this crater was sunlit, giving a wonderful light show down here in Simpson Cross.

The main body of the crater was on the terminator, further enhancing the effect of the bright ring.It was mesmerising, I had not seen this event before.

This was approximately 6.00 to 6.30p.m. 18/12/07.... the moon was gibbous.

I was outside again at 10.00p.m. the effect had lessened, the sun's rays had moved on slightly.

As long as I time it right, hopefully in 28 days time +- I will see it again....

Colour in the gibbous Moon

Took this with a 60mm refractor. Camera: Nikon D50+ Camera Adapter (25mm plossl)

Using PaintShop Pro, I tried to highlight some of the various colours of the Moon. 

Orion and Sirius

Orion is now rising in the evening skies....here comes the winter.

Here comes the Orion Nebula...