First Post of 2024. Just some general comments and wanderings.

Moon rise over the Sapphire Mountains, 18:16 MST, 26 Jan 2024

 Time flies. I hadn't realized how long it had been since I posted last. Hopefully I will not have as long a lapse again!

The image above was a quick snap taken with my Samsung A42 5G, just using default settings. We had just returned from running errands and picking up some groceries. I looked over, and the Moon was illuminating that lower layer of clouds from behind. I wanted to get a picture of that, but wasn't quick enough. I did try to be a little "artistic" by using the pine tree in front of our house to frame the shot. If I was being really artistic I would crop the image so that lens reflection lower and was cut out. I was thinking about getting the telescope out, since the temperature was still slightly above freezing, but the sky was 90% clouded over in another thirty minutes.

I haven't done any observing since my last entry. The primary reason has been weather. Not many clear nights, and cold temperatures, snow and ice on the ground have led me to not take the telescope out. A couple of weeks ago we hit -28 F, the county airport just over 20 miles north of us hit -38 F, one degree above the record there set in 1899. Then we bounced up to the high thirties for high temps and high twenties to just below freezing fo the night time lows.  Next week, lows are supposed to drop back into the teens. While the cold below freezing has been a disincentive, I am better prepared to deal with it. The biggest issue I had with temperature was my fingers getting numb. Anne bought me a pair of heated gloves with capacitive fingertips that are a big help. They should let me work and handle equipment without getting frozen. There are a couple of threads on Cloudy Nights about cold tolerance and dealing with it. Many of those people are much tougher than I am!

I want to see about controlling the C8SE using my laptop. That will probably bypass the problem of the hand controller display not working right in the below freezing weather. With the laptop, I can also have it far enough from the telescope to set up a small heater by it without affecting the viewing. I also want to get some Reflectix  insulation to wrap the telescope with. A lot of people do this with SCT's (Schmidt Cassegrain Telescopes) to decrease the effect of thermal currents inside the tube that can affect seeing. There is some debate about it's effectiveness for this, especially if you let the telescope cool to ambient temps before observing. My main reason will be to help keep frost off of the telescope.

An even bigger obstacle to observing has been the snow and ice. To get to where I set up, I have to cross uneven ground carrying my equipment. After the initial snowfall, a layer of ice was created under it. any spots that were compacted at all, such as from walking on it (including the dogs), vehicles, or tractor, created a hard ice layer. This is not something I am willing to do after dark, and the few clear times we have had typically occurred after the sun was down.

So basically my whining is just a bigger reason I need to get a pier done when the ground thaws, and an observatory built.

Here are some more general thoughts about my observing so far.

I seem to have three primary strands going with my observing so far, and need to start being a little more organized to accomplish them.

The first is Lunar observing. I started  this as a training program for myself, to learn to see things better. There is a well known astronomer, whose name I can't remember, in a book I can"t remember the title of, who wrote that his first assignment was to sketch a map of the Moon. He was given a list of the minimum features to include. This was meant as an exercise to train him in making detailed visual observations. It took him a few years to complete the map while he worked. (if anyone reading this recalls the astronomer and book, please let me know in the comments. I realized there are occasionally other people who read this blog and do comment!). I am using the list from the Astronomical League's Lunar Observing Program. I am not a member, but they provide their observing list and criteria for completing the program on their website. I am not strictly following their requirements, just using the list to train myself and learn the topography (lunography?) of the Moon. So far I have observed about half of the targets listed. I have been using the Lunar maps in Turn Left At Orion and Norton's 2000. There are two things I want to do to improve on this. I want to get a single good Moon atlas to use at the eyepiece. I think Sky and Telescope's Field Atlas of The Moon looks like what I need. The second thing I need to do is start sketching the lunar features as I observe them. That also includes going back and sketching the features I've already observed.

The second set of observations is planetary. I haven't done as much of this, but want to start doing more detailed observations and sketching them.

The third set of efforts are DSO's (Deep Space Objects). My approach to these has been to try to work my way through Turn Left At Orion, paying particular attention to the Messier objects. For some reason I am  particularly drawn to the galaxies. I think just the idea that they are in fact other galaxies, and their distances amaze me. Here again, I need to use sketching more extensively, and get better at sketching and showing the detail that is visible in a given session.

A part of the focus on DSO's and the Moon is doing astrophotography with our DSLR. As mentioned in an earlier post, my goal with the photography is to be able to share what I see with family and friends. I have read that the DSLR isn't very good at planetary imaging, but may try that if I mount it to the telescope instead of piggy back on it. The astrophotography effort is probably a fourth area of focus because of the effort it will involve.

I have also become aware that there are actual scientific efforts that can benefit from amateur astronomers efforts. One such effort is through the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO). Relevant observations and data can be provided using a DSLR, among other methods. I really like the idea of being able to participate in actual scientific efforts. But I need to get proficient with the equipment I have in order to do so effectively.

There are obviously way more things to observe! Now I need clear skies!