2006 Observing Log:
28th December 2006: F**k me, where has 2006 gone? I have done no observing whatsoever during the latter half of the year due to both crap conditions and also work. Even my Milky Way naked eye sketch is going to have to wait until summer 2007 now to be completed.
I sincerely hope that, with global warming seemingly really happening, this unending cloudy, murky weather isn't a portent of things to come. The UK is pretty bad for observing anyway without extra cloud cover making things completely impossible...
12" nearly completed (so near, yet so far), but with the shite conditions it doesn't actually matter that much.
Hopefully 2007 will be an improvement on this bollocks...
23rd-24th July 2006: After an eternity of crap weather (May was a complete write off due to non-stop rain and cloudy conditions) and the summer solstice (practically the whole of June and early July can be written off to short nights and twilight) I actually managed a bit of observing last night. However, due to an injured back muscle I can't carry the scope and nor can I look through the finder as it involves bending. So, decidedly pissed off at the prospect of no observing at all, I decided to get ambitious and sketch the Milky Way naked eye. I devoted an entire sketchbook page to this and have begun by drawing in the constellation outlines as well as the outline of the 'Way itself. I can see this taking more than a couple of nights due to the scale of detail involved. I just hope I can keep the proportions and the positions of the stars relative to each other right. An ambitious sketch like this will go one of two ways - it'll either be absolutely excellent or it'll be a disaster. We'll see.
25th - 30th April 2006: Observing from the Texas Star Party. See article.
7th - 9th April 2006: Not an observing session but the annual BAA Winchester Weekend. I was able to go for the whole weekend this year and for free because I was one of the main speakers. I am pleased to say that my talk about visual observing and sketching went very well and I have had lots of positive feedback from it. I must admit I enjoy public speaking, especially on a subject I love. This year's Winchester was, as usual, a convivial event and only slightly marred by the fact that the student union bar nearly ran out of beer and what little was left was - horror of horrors - WARM. Despite what folks from other countries may think, us British mostly HATE warm beer! Anyway, despite this minor setback it was a very enjoyable event.
29th March 2006: It seems like ages since I updated this site - that's because it IS ages since I updated it and absolutely nothing whatsoever of any astronomical note has occurred within these past couple of months. The weather's been shit (when the stars have been visible, mist and high cloud have prevented any serious viewing) and I have had no time to do anything when it has been clear as full time work - more of that in a minute - also prevents pulling late sessions. Mentioning work, the company I work for is making all of us redundant in a couple of months. I am particularly gutted about this as it was the first 'permanent' (ha!) job I'd had in a long time and I thought I was sorted. Bloody wankers in charge cocked up their sums and expanded the business too soon. On the bright side, I still have my Texas trip and I can do more observing - that's if this crap weather ever clears up.
The 12" is now at the assembly stage. Not too long. It's been so long I keep forgetting about it...
I have also bought an old Helios 4" refractor on a little equatorial mount. It's a pretty decent little scope and I have actually managed to try it out on a couple of nights when it hasn't been totally clouded out.
8th January 2006: So far on the observing front 2006 has been crap, with endless cloud and gloomy conditions. It's been like this since Christmas, with no opportunity to do any observing which just adds to the post-holiday period depression.
I bought a couple of new eyepieces recently (which probably accounts for the crap weather - new astronomical purchases always seem to have that effect!) - one is an 11mm Tele Vue Plossl and a 20mm Moonfish Plossl (which is identical to a Meade one and probably is a Meade one as they all seem to be made by the same manufacturer under different brand names). It's good because I am now gradually replacing all my equipment and the financial nightmares of 2002/2003 are now a rapidly fading memory.
My new 12" scope is - at last - almost finished. I am told that the secondary support has hit a couple of resolvable snags and that the primary mirror cell will soon be finished. All that remains then is for us to make the dobsonian mount itself (a two person job) and for me to stain and varnish the wood and then it's done.
Astronomy plans for 2006? Well, I have registered for the Texas Star Party and now have most of the money saved for it: with the air fare and accommodation fees saved, I now need spending money which is another £300 or so. I also plan to observe as many galaxies as possible in the spring, including Hickson groups - a few of these should be within the grasp of the 12". I also plan to observe and make the most of clear skies far more often in 2006.