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Post by markdj on Nov 5, 2005 0:13:03 GMT
Weather was fantastic tonight with clear skies for nearly all of the Mars Watch event. The evening began with Ed Barnett giving us a talk on Mars and it's features, history and unique features.
There was a short spell of cloud after the presentation but this cleared quickly and we setup our telescopes and began to take in the skies. The skies started very transparent and then were slightly hazy after that. Mars shone brightly throughout the evening and everyone got a good view of it, though highlights were some of the lesser known star clusters and galaxies on view. There were a number of visitors who had telescopes and were doing some wide field astrophotography as the milky way was beautifully structured at the beginning of the evening. Mars showed it's details well with the polar cap and dark and red markings visible.
The night finished with Orion rising in the east and Saturn just visible below Gemini.
On Saturday evening we will be having our final Mars Watch beginning at the same time of 7:30pm. There will be a talk in the Cornmill and then observing outside.
Thanks goes to all those who made the effort to come down even though it rained hard in Belfast!!! Thankfully, we saw no rain and very little cloud too.
The IAA will be doing their Mars Watch at Cultra on Saturday night as well, beginning from 8pm.
Don't forget the next EAAS meeting is this Monday evening at Ballyrobert.
Clear Skies
Mark Stronge
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Post by NeilP on Nov 5, 2005 0:33:48 GMT
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Mark K
Canis Major
LX200GPS UHTC/SMT
Posts: 75
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Post by Mark K on Nov 5, 2005 0:48:15 GMT
Pics from the other thread: Milky Way Mars & Pleaides
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Post by kevinblack on Nov 5, 2005 1:40:00 GMT
hey mark!!! nice image of mars. i hope you enjoyed the experience. chat soon
Clear skies
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Post by kevinblack on Nov 5, 2005 2:24:12 GMT
just retiring for the night. it doesn't look to get better here but i will try at 4.00am.
clear skies everyone.
kevin black
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Post by Aaron on Nov 5, 2005 11:14:40 GMT
Yeah it was a great night. After the clouds cleared the sky was amazing, as the pics show. Hopefully tonight will be clear as well, at the moment there isnt a cloud in the sky down here, so lets hope it holds.
Nice picture Neil.
Markk, your pics turned out great, whats that galaxy,?
Aaron
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Post by Martin Mc kenna on Nov 5, 2005 18:23:34 GMT
Great stuff guys..that night looked great fun, the skies looked very nice and those images by Markk are fantastic! The shot with M31 is a cracker
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Post by Phil on Nov 6, 2005 8:29:01 GMT
How did it go last night? Sorry I couldn't make it, but I really enjoyed The friday night session!!!
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Post by NeilP on Nov 6, 2005 8:39:08 GMT
Went ok last night we had a few visitors but the sky was pretty cloudy, nowhere near as clear as friday night but still very enjpyable.
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Post by markdj on Nov 6, 2005 16:02:18 GMT
Mars was amazing last night, Saturday. The detail visible was the most I have ever seen. The high cloud hampered deep sky observing but M31 and the double cluster were good as were a few other brighter objects.
See ya all on Monday
M
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Post by kevinblack on Nov 6, 2005 17:35:39 GMT
Hey all the weather is picking up and i can see mars. i have a good feeling about tonight. ;D I love this hobby. clear skies p.s keep an eye out for fireball activity
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Post by paulevans on Nov 6, 2005 19:29:22 GMT
Hi all,
Glad to hear the events went well and great to see the pictures. Would love to have joined you but being somewhat under the weather with the cold that won't go away I tend to be tucked up quite early which is really rather sad :-(
I should make the meeting tomorrow however.
Right now in Larne I have clear sky but poor transparency - lots of moisture in the air tonight. If it clears I may have another go a Mars imaging.
Clear skies,
Paul.
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Post by Martin Mc kenna on Nov 6, 2005 22:11:21 GMT
! was out comet hunting this evening when a fireball lit the sky up a brillant white overhead at 20.20 I am going back out....
Another observer down south seen a fireball tonight as bright as the full moon!
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Post by kevinblack on Nov 6, 2005 22:15:53 GMT
Well done martin . It sounds just like the one i had seen yesterday. the white colour is totally amazing. what part of the sky did you see it in? ;D clear skies
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Post by Martin Mc kenna on Nov 6, 2005 22:38:16 GMT
Hi kevin..it was high in the SE around the region of Andromeda. I was looking in the eyepiece at the time so i did not see it approach. It lit the patchy clouds up. I was out again and seen another very bright Taurid zip through the light clouds on the N and lasted several seconds. It was not a fireabll but it was abright object nonethless! Im going back out again lol...im having a great session this evening. Keep us informed Kevin if you see anything
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