Just wondering if there are any other backyard astronomers in Vintage. This week you could see Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter in the evening sky. The weather is fantastic here and the nights have been made for star gazing. I've been an avid star gazer for ages and the S has been such a great addition to that particular nocturnal pastime.

Don't forget to look up and enjoy the stars this weekend if you're at night.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jmc1971
Just wondering if there are any other backyard astronomers in Vintage. This week you could see Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter in the evening sky. The weather is fantastic here and the nights have been made for star gazing. I've been an avid star gazer for ages and the S has been such a great addition to that particular nocturnal pastime.

Don't forget to look up and enjoy the stars this weekend if you're

 

I can see the brightest stars at night, but the city lights prevent really good stargazing. The best place to see the stars is in the middle of the ocean!

 

Agreed! In driving through the great southwest, I decided that in order to get a good view of the sky at night, there can't be so much as a 100 watt bulb within twenty miles.

I saw a bright planet the other night but have no idea what it was. Overall, the night sky is MUCH clearer here in Florida than it was in my 34 years in Chicago.

Gerry

 

I star gaze. I have a Celestron 4.5

 

Hilly and I have always had our heads pointed up, craining our necks (and cricking them too, I 'spose). We recently got a good pair of binoculars and a couple of stargazing books so we can learn more about what's up there, and we hope to get a telescope sometime during the coming year.

Here in Chicago the light pollution is bad. We have to drive an hour or more to get even half-way decent viewing conditions. That said, the binocs give a wonderful view of the Orion nebula and the Pleiades.

 

I had never known there were that many stars in the sky until I went on a few ocean cruises. It just blew my mind...absolutely incredible.

 

Count me in - I use an Intes-Micro MN56 Maksutov Newtonian and love it. I also have a Meade ETX-70 (original black model) which, with a set of Orion Mini-Giant 9x63 binocs, serve as my quick go to instruments.

Seeing conditions out in the Badlands are incredible.

 

I'll sell ya my telescope.

 

I am/was but lack the time to commit to it. My telescope now sits idle in its box . I love reading about this subject though....