Comet ISON Live Blog

For up-to-date news on Comet ISON checkout the website
Comet ISON live blog | The Planetary Society

Comet PanStarrs at last!

Clear skies finally arrived after a month of poor weather. At about 8:30 I ran out to the nearby garages and placed my camera and small tripod on the roof of my car, pointed it in the general drection of where I thought was the comet and shot off four or so 30sec exposures. I used an IDAS light pollution filter on a 24-42mm 4/3 micro lens, Panasonic Lumix gf3 camera.

Spent about an hour looking at the images and processing them on my PC along with a deep sky location map of the comet from the web.
Managed to track down the exact loaction of the comet. By jove I have it on the image!




The comet is near the triangle of stars towards the bottom left of the image. Near the top center of the image, directly up from the comet is the Andromeda Galaxy.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

A close shave! Asteroid near miss tonight.

Asteroid set for record near-miss http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21442863

Stargazing Live 2013

Happy New Year!

Stargazing Live is upon once again and its bigger than ever.
Events are taking place all over the country. Check the BBC website to find out what events are happening in your local area.
I am a member of Loughton Astronomical Society and they will be holding events to coincide with the screening of the Stargazing Live third series. Check out our web pages for event details over the coming weeks.
Thanks

Martin

RIP Patrick Moore!

A personal account of a great personal astronomer.

It is very sad news to hear the passing of Sir Patrick Moore, one of the most popular UK astronomers of the past sixty years.
He inspired a generation to pursue astronomy as a hooby. So many people I have spoken to over the years have said that they never would have taken up the hobby seriously or even professionally if it wasn't for Patrick, either through his popular TV prgogramme "The Sky at Night" or the myriad of book he has written.
If it wasn't for Springer's Practical Astronomy series endorsed by Patrick, I would have never have had my book published. In fact, I have been told that my book is in his library along with others that are part of the astronomy series. Truly inspiring!

Patrick with my book 25th September 2009. Herstmonceux.

---

So what is wrong with the picture above? Nothing, except it is the only book in my personal book collection that has not been 'signed' by Patrick. Every time I saw him (at least once a year at an astronomy convention), Patrick would sign or stamp his name in one of his books. It will be sad to not see him sign his latest book 'The Cosmic Tourist' along with co-author Chris Lintott and Brian May.

I even visited Patrick's house once back in 1985 when I was on vacation in Selsey. I was taken round his telescopes in his garden by a dear friend of his, Reg Spry. Patrick wasn't actually in at the time but he said that if I was ever down in Selsey to let him know, such was the approachable and friendly nature of the man.

It was a true honor to have known Patrick Moore. He will be greatly missed.
Martin