h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Okay. 14 it is.

So now I'm back from holiday down in deepest, darkest (very dark) Cornwall, up on the edge of Bodmin Moor I can add two more definates to my listing.

M3 on 22-03-03 and M81 on 25-03-03

New Total 16
A.M.

Last night I woke up about half past three and as I was feeling like I was going to be awake for a little while I took a look outside. Dark sky, no clouds, lots of stars.
Checking a couple of books I decided to go out searching for the two clusters in Hercules (M13 and M92).
After much searching round trying to find where I thought Hercules should be I decided to scan the patch of sky which was roughly in the right area. Much to my delight, soon after starting the scan I found a bright fuzzy patch. Mental note of where it was and then move to where the other should be and yes there was another fuzzy patch.
So I can now claim M13 and M92 on 2003-04-03 at about 4-4:30am!
Back from Cornwall now so the sky is much brighter here in the Longdendale valley

New total 18
They're weird things, globs. I'll have to look for those two soon.
I'm having trouble with the fainter object because of the light situation around me. I'm having to wait until very late at night before all the neighbours switch off and retire.
Ah well.
A.M.

you've put that I saw the two in Hercules from Cornwall, not so! I'm back up here near Manchester again and saw them while lying outside in the back garden in the middle of the night Bit chilly but I'd put the big fluffy suit I've got on so I was nice and warm.
I know what you mean about getting the fainter objects, they need to be high up in the sky here otherwise the skyglow just obsures things nearer the horizon.
Can I start a new list for objects I've photographed over this past year as well? I'm trying to get most of the ones I observe with binoculars on film (I might even get round to writing the article I keep thinking of on simple astrophotography as well...)

Oops... sorry, I misunderstood

A new list for photographed objects seems a good idea. I'll enter them on this page if you'd like. It would be good if you'd keep them in a seperate thread though, unless they are new M observations. In which case put them in this thread as well. Have a look at the page and see what think.

How do you get the photo's? is it through the binoculars? I've been trying with my new telescope, shooting thro' the eyepiece and got a few reasonable pics of the moon. I'm quite pleased with them for first try.

Have you taken a look at Jupiter in the Beehive yet? That's quite a sight at the moment. A good photo too I would think.

All the best
A.M.

So far I'm just using the camera (my SLR) with the prime lenses I've got (28, 50 and 135mm). With the camera static on a tripod keeping the exposure short enough and you don't see much trailing on the stars - I've one of Orion which shows both M42 and M43 taken with the 50mm lens for 15 seconds that only shows very little trailing.
Recently I've been built and am trying photos with a barn door mount for the camera. This is a very basic type of mount to counter the earths rotation. Still got to finish off the film that's in the camera before I've seen if it works.
If I had a digital camera I'd try shooting through binoculars/telescope but at the moment I'm sticking with film and the cameras a bigger and heavier so I've yet to work up to those things.
I tried taking a photo of the behive and Jupiter the other night but as my earlier comment, I've yet to finish off the film and get it processed/scanned (slide films, great pictures, bummer to look at).

I'm trying to put some of my lunar photo's in a file on the H2 yahoo group but the download hasn't worked as yet. They aren't brilliant but I quite like them.
Maybe you could put some of yours up too? I'd like to see them if possible when they're ready.
All the best
A.M.

Hey success!
They are up in the photo section in DK's lunar photos
A.M.

where would I find the pictures? Is it on the H2G2AS yahoo group? if so where do I find out the URL?
Sometimes I can be most technically inept

Yes they're at the Yahoo A/S site.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/h2g2as/?yguid=62498022
Click on the photo's section and see DK's file
A.M.

Been and looked and seems like I'm supposed to sign up with Yahoo. They're not getting me! I'll wait for MC to come along as I think she's signed up with the group.

Just had a quick look at the photos (MC is a member of the group and could remember her userid and password ) They look very good. Not bad at all. Good stuff that man

And last night (2003-05-05) it was clear (suprising given the showers yesterday)
Went out early and spent some time looking at the moon, jupiter and saturn as the sun went down. Later after it had got dark I went a hunting for M51 (Whirlpool Galaxy) but it meant I was trying to look through MC's telescope and looking straight at a light on in the neighbours house So I gave up on that for the time being...

I then decided to have a look for M82 (companion to M81 in Ursa Major) having seen M81 gave me ahead start. I could just about make M81 out with binoculars and then it was the slow process of star hopping to find it in the telescope. Eventually I got it, looked through the eyepiece and there they were! Two galaxies in the field of view !

So for the list M82 on 2003-05-05 viewed with a 150mm reflector at x30

Okay, new total 19.

Sometime around midnight on 2003-05-25/26 standing leaning against a car in a car park that gets slightly darker skies than here at home...
"I've found a faint fuzzy, what is it?"
"Erm, where is it?"
"Over there"
"Where"
"I'm trying to keep it in view in case I can't find it again. It's over in that rather blank area of sky. It's got a single star at about 7 o'clock"
"OK I'll have a look"
I manage to work out where I'm being told to look and eventually find it. Have a good look and then try and make a sketch of what's in the binocular field.
Passing the sketch over "Does it look like this?"
"How do you know that? Is that a picture you've drawn before?"
"No I did that just now. Is that what you saw as well?"
"Yes"

Back at home looking in books and on the computer the sketch looks just like what's in the field of view for the binoculars for M5 according to the PC programme.

So that's how I came to find M5 the other night (with a little help from MC ).

Running total 20 now

I was wondering when you were going to claim this one.
20 it is.

Observing session 2003-05-30/31
Another good night. Found M5 again and had a look with the telescope and then went looking for other stuff (actually this was having failed to find some other stuff I was looking for and taking a break). Picking out Cygnus I managed to find M29 with binoculars and then had a look at it in the telescope. Moving on from there I noticed M27 listed on the planisphere. Now to try and find it. As it's an area of sky I don't know it was hard. Checking in a couple of books soon gave me the right pointers. I thought I might just have been able to see it in binoculars but with the telescope it was an easy patch of fuzz in the sky. I couldn't make out any of the famed shape of the nebula though.
So add M29 and M27 (dumb bell nebula) to my list and total now 22

Well done on the dumb bell nebula.
I went looking for M5 last night but thin cloud made everything look like nebula
22 it is
A.M.