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Being Mooned
Weather in northern Germany is still a catastrophe for any attempt at astronomical observations, so AstroKat teases me with a seeing of 6+ where she lives. At least she sends me a picture of the moon…Meanwhile, some work with Starry Night has established that comet Pan-STARRS C/2011 L4 will be visible near my home around nightfall,…
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Every Day is Sunday
Currently lacking in general mobility and while I’m still suffering from nose-and-throat disease, astronomy nevertheless does not remain unattempted. Since there is little else I can do (in part due to the weather conditions), I can at least use my old, cheap refractor to stare at the sun and count spots; the new, full-aperture sun…
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Pre-Season
Despite the great heat, a clear sky is prognosed. The seeing prediction is 5/5, it is a new moon, my telescope has been feeling neglected by me since the beginning of the year, and my back is more or less back in commission. So, while a short phone call established that Hippo is busy, I…
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Cabin Fever
Only a few days before my disc operation, I have finally had it and cannot stand it any longer. The skies are clear, and the people from the Observatory have declared a picnic at Utecht. I cannot carry my own equipment, but doctor’s orders or not, I can transport myself and my camera.
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Frustration
After already having endured back pain for several months, at the end of March it turned out I was suffering from a massively slipped disc. Not something I could recommend in any way. The telescope meet on the Aschberg had originally been cancelled (and then moved to a different venue) because of building measures on…
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Armchair Astronomy
It was supposed to rain. And blow. And my back is hurting. And here I stand at my living room window and stare at this beautiful conjunction of Venus, Moon and Jupiter staring back at me. No way can I drive out to Utecht tonight… so I unpack my old refractor.
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Northern Lights?
A few days ago, the Sun had sent a protuberance in the general direction of Earth, and there was the substantiated hope for Northern Lights. The weather report played along; the prognosis was for clear skies, and for once, they were right. Attempts to contact my Friend and Biker fizzled, though. Unfortunately, the expected geomagnetic…
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Walks in the Sky
It’s a beautiful day, it’s sunny, the sunset, too, is beautiful, not one cloud as far as the eye can see. Venus could be possibly spotted in the evening sky. But I sit in the car and have to run several errants. Grmbl. Later… I promise myself.
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No Draconids
This year, the Draconids meteor shower was predicted to be particularly spectacular. So I set up two cameras—my own Sony Alpha 900, and a borrowed Alpha 580 which my father has recently bought. One at my living room window, the other in the bedroom, looking in the opposite direction. The skies are clear, so the…
