Whats your best astronomical moment?

Hale-Bopp. I remember I was really young, had read about halleys commet, was out looking for it and and was miffed when my dad told me that I would be 80 years old (if even still around!) or something by the time it next came around. Then a few weeks later Halebop graced us with its magnificient presience. It was awsome, and etched into my mind forever. it looked exactly how a kid expects a commet to look.

Other excellent moments were at my cousins house at xmas one year when he got a cheap 4" reflector. he had no interest so my dad and I brought it out and started pointing it around. we pointed it a rather yellow and big star and through the eyepiece Saturn appeared!!! My cousin took a bit more interest in the scope after that ( for about 5 mins perhaps). the whole extended family (12 adults and 25+ kids) all came out to see and it was truely excellent.

The final one was about 10 months ago, viewing my first galaxy, andromeda. I just pointed my little scope in the direction of where the book said it was and, well, there it was!!! seeing billions of stars and planets all conglomerated in a galaxy sooooooo far away and yet visible to me in my back yard, thinking someone could be looking at us and thinking the same about the milkyway it just really leaves you awestruck. I think my post from that night is on these boards somewhere!

the 2005 Solar Eclipse

... I presume that's a typo Seanie :lol: :lol: :lol:

:oops: :oops: :oops:

It WAS... fixed now!

The night Mia first saw Mars, uranus and Neptune, as well as most of the Messier objects in Sagittarius, 23/7/2007. Unforgettable.
Also, watching Apollo 11 in my grandparents house. My grandfather said "What do you think of that, a man on the moon, who would have believed it?" and granny replied "Sure don't they show you any old rubbish on that TV these days"

The arrival of my LX200 10". At 2 am my wife went into labour with our second child. I finally got back home after picking up my first born at 4pm to find a delivery note saying my scope was at the airport. I jumped into the car (remembering to take the first born) and bombed up to the airport to get it before closing. Two new babies in one day. Sweet.

When all the relatives asked for pics of the new baby I sent them LX200 images :lol:

At least you got your priorities right Kieran ! It’s difficult for me to sum up a singular personal “astronomical moment”, but here’s a few that brings some happy memories to me...

• When my dad surprised me with a new refractor telescope on my 10th birthday (typically it rained for a full week).
• Seeing on TV for the first time Carl Sagans excellent mini series “COSMOS”
• When my dad brought home 12x70 binoculars, that night I lay down on the front lawn and turned them towards Cygnus and the Milky Way, it was an amazing sight (and still is), thankfully I now have no need to use my lawn in this manner.
• The total solar eclipse from Turkey in 2006
• Seeing an aurora for the first time, I think it was 1982.
• Seeing a really bright fireball for the first time, I think it was 1984 or 85

Clear skies
Mike

The night Mia first saw Mars, uranus and Neptune, as well as most of the Messier objects in Sagittarius, 23/7/2007. Unforgettable.

I'd say that was a treat... I remember some of her first reactions at Whirlpool in October to some new astronomical sights! :lol: