Lunation 1052 - 8th Jan - 6th Feb 2008

1st Feb 2008 - after the gales and snow - Saturn

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Small but beautiful - first telescope look at Saturn this year through the Bresser Skylux

Space Weather News for Jan. 31, 2008
http://spaceweather.com

MORNING SKY ALERT: Set your alarm for dawn. On Friday morning, February 1st, Venus and Jupiter converge in the southeastern sky less than 1 degree apart; they will beam through the rosy glow of dawn like a pair of celestial headlights. It's a spectacular view worth waking up early to see. The February 1st alignment kicks off four mornings of beautiful views as the crescent Moon moves in to join Venus and Jupiter over the weekend. Visit http://spaceweather.com for sky maps and photos.

 

30th Jan 2008 - morning moon

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Still low, around 8am UT in the SW Blue skies after the rain and clouds and frost -  for a while

 

29th Jan 2008 - NEO????   Asteroid?  What asteroid?????

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Never saw the moon let alone an asteroid at about the same distance.  Couldn't even see the SUN at the time of the NEO closest passing!!!! Graphic from NASA page on Near Earth Objects, click for more details on what might have been and what may be coming ..

27/28th Jan 2008 - 20 day moon ... through clouds again!

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Dim Moon through the clouds yet again at midnight (Lumix)       (Az 116 Alt 7)

Getting rather late and rather low.   Quick sighting of Mars in the South and Saturn in the East earlier but vanished once I considered taking the TAL out.

26th Jan 2008 - 19 day moon - just about ...

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Mainly thick cloud cover at 'normal' viewing times.   Brief look at the stars and Mars but the later, lower Moon was covered till thinner clouds allowed a quick Lumix shot around midnight (kind of them!).  No sign of Saturn :-(

25th Jan 2008 - 18 day moon (eventually)

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Fighting the cloud banks - Mars appeared but not managed the Moon yet!! (Celestron + Lumix) Caught it later in a break in the clouds ... Lumix .   One of those evenings when the cloud didn't settle - just gave you occasional clear sky till the moon rose from the trees then dashed in to cover it till you packed up

24th Jan 2008 - 17 Day moon

Fuzzy pics through swift clouds from the TAL

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Stacked Video of Mare Crisium via TAL (Ricoh) Ditto of Proclus via TAL (Lumix)
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Fuzzy pics of the huge craters on the terminator in NE and of those in the SE

 

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At last a look through the TAL - great views of the terminator which was in a good area, showing all the huge craters in the east.  Mare Crisium looked fantastic.  Lot of clouds rushing in (suprise!!!) and poor pics - this with the Lumix.  (Will see if anything else is worth putting up!! .. some fuzzies up now)

22nd Jan 2008

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Sunrise on the 22nd - the ice on the roof promised better skies - it lied!!!

21st Jan 2008 - 14 Day moon

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Nearly full - quick pic with the Lumix - no 'scopes yet - lot of clouds ....

 

17th Jan 2008 - 9 Day moon!!!!

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Wow - a moon in a blue sky!  Not managed to see one for some time ....  Lumix pic Even then the clouds were hovering - they came rushing over as I went rushing to drag the Tal-1 out

Tal + Caplio + clouds ...

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Sure enough - thin clouds at first fuzzing the view of Plato in the North Cleared slightly for the pic of Mare Crisium in the East But thickened as I tried to remember the craters in the South.  Rain soon came ...