impromptu observing tonight

Well this was gas!
We had a few friends over tonight and
after dinner (and few bottles of vino!)
As some were out on the patio having a cigarette,
The chat turned to things skyward.
Long story short, after enough about how
'theres no way that 'star' is a planet'
I decided to give the barbarian hoards an impromtu
look through the ETX.

After a lightning quick setup I slewed to Venus,
Its showing a nice phase at the moment and
after the first one looked at it and said
'wow it looks like a tiny Moon!'
Shur that was it...
The rest were out and it turned into great little session.

They couldnt believe you could actually see the phase so well.
Next up was Jupiter, and despite it was so low down,
The EQ.Belt was very visible along with the moons.
This made everyones jaw drop.

Well we stood around chatting for ages about the
'meaning of life'
(you know the conversation.., Half one in the morning
with people well on it! )


''Can you ever see satalites?''
I explained about Iridiums and the ISS....

so i checked there and then on the laptop.
And....
WHAT are the odds!!!!
The bloody ISS was due a pass EXACTLY then!

So after looking at the track on Heavens Above
We kept an eye to the west...
And then LO and Behlod there she came...
whizzing overhead...

Then to top it all off just as she went out of sight we were
all treated to a stunning meteor!

I tell ye,
I couldn't have planned it!!!

Now they are gone I'm gonna set up to
see can I catch the ISS as she passes again tonight!

One of those verrrrry rare occasions when everything goes right! Nice one Frank!

The sky was great last night, glad it worked out.

Nice one Frank. Those are the most exciting experiences. It's great to watch reactions to those first views through a scope - particularly on the planets.

We had a similar experience last week at the GAC meeting. I had the Megrez 90 and the ZS66 with me. Matthew & I alternated between the Moon, Saturn and Venus as it was still dusk.

Quite a few people stopped as they were passing by and asked for look. You should have seen the look on their faces when looking at the moon 125x. Then we moved the Saturn
One lady asked if we were taking the $£"$%"£$£" and had put an cutout of Saturn on the front of the scope


Just a pity that no-one will push Jupiter up in the sky (even just a teensy bit - PLEASE?).

Trev

One of those verrrrry rare occasions when everything goes right! Nice one Frank!

Except when you bust you're bum and funny bone of course...