BS: Hello Moon!

Subject: RE: BS: Hello Moon!
From: Raedwulf
Date: 28 Jul 18 - 04:21 AM

Hello clouds. And the 6 hr power cut didn't help the evening either! :-/

Subject: RE: BS: Hello Moon!
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 28 Jul 18 - 03:47 AM

Quite clear overhead here. I saw ISS go over, but cloud stayed on the horizon obscuring Moon and Mars.
There will be another in January.

Subject: RE: BS: Hello Moon!
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 27 Jul 18 - 06:37 PM

Moon decided to peep through the clouds by about 11.15pm but by then the spectacle was over. I have a great set of pics of an amazing eclipse from a few years ago. Ah well. There'll be a next time!

Subject: RE: BS: Hello Moon!
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 27 Jul 18 - 05:42 PM

Nothing visible on the North Downs, still I managed to figure out how my "faulty" tripod works, which I was given by an ex employer.

Subject: RE: BS: Hello Moon!
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 27 Jul 18 - 05:31 PM

There are gaps in the cloud here but no luck so far. Still time!

Subject: RE: BS: Hello Moon!
From: Senoufou
Date: 27 Jul 18 - 05:28 PM

Enormous thunderstorms here, continuous lightning and torrential rain.
No looking at the moon, but all the neighbours came out of their front doors and danced about in the downpour. General rejoicing.

BUT ('be careful what you wish for') our utility lean-to is leaking like a sieve, and rain is pouring through at one side. We've put some buckets under it. More expense to get it fixed. (sigh)

The smell of rain on the parched earth is heavenly though.

Subject: RE: BS: Hello Moon!
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 27 Jul 18 - 04:55 PM

No luck here either, too much cloud. It's not raining yet but there are a few flashes of lightning around.

Subject: RE: BS: Hello Moon!
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 27 Jul 18 - 04:47 PM

No luck in Airedale but the youngsters still enjoyed the evening walk and looking where the eclipse should be :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Hello Moon!
From: Rusty Dobro
Date: 27 Jul 18 - 03:12 PM

Crikey, I thought Keith was back!

Subject: RE: BS: Hello Moon!
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 27 Jul 18 - 09:49 AM

Some cloud at the mo in Yorkshire but hoping for the best later as we have grandsons staying over and I would love to take them out somewhere clearer than our lane for the eclipse.

Fingers crossed!

Subject: RE: BS: Hello Moon!
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 27 Jul 18 - 09:17 AM

Looking out, I’d guess towards Overstrand (we normally just call ourselves near Cromer and a touch inland but think Jim knows N Norfolk) which is where I think the top of the field points is an, I don’t know, wouldn’t call it hazy but a sort of light pale grey sheet at the moment. Lighter with a few clouds as you look clockwise round from the bench.

I’d guess that in terms of light pollution, I’m not too bad where I am but there may be other problems tonight.

Subject: RE: BS: Hello Moon!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Jul 18 - 09:16 AM

Mars is a big deal also tonight.

Subject: RE: BS: Hello Moon!
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 27 Jul 18 - 08:58 AM

There's a forecast of a "blood moon" tonight
Hope these feckin' clous clear up
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: BS: Hello Moon!
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 27 Jul 18 - 06:58 AM

SL1000. I'm not sure when they were made and it feels a good while since we last got out to take some pictures. Handy though - can't justify bigger lenses for the DSLR plus this is so much lighter in weight. This one also has the sunset preset so if conditions permit, I'll give that setting a try (amongst other attempts in the hope one good one comes out...)

Subject: RE: BS: Hello Moon!
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 27 Jul 18 - 06:49 AM

Which Finepix is that? I think that 50x is the most optical the HS series reached, but another make now has 80x or more - mind you a very steady hand is required!!

Subject: RE: BS: Hello Moon!
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 27 Jul 18 - 06:19 AM

Well Bonzo’s post has persuaded me to ensure cameras (got a Pentax DSLR with 300mm zoom lens and a 50X FinePix I could try) and a tripod on the ready but, like Sen, I suspect storms are going to reach our parts of Norfolk before there is a chance to see/capture the moon.

Subject: RE: BS: Hello Moon!
From: Senoufou
Date: 27 Jul 18 - 05:43 AM

We're due thunderstorms and torrential rain this evening (HOORAY!!!) so the blood moon won't be visible. But to have some rain, well, words fail me. (A rare occurrence!)

Subject: RE: BS: Hello Moon!
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 27 Jul 18 - 05:07 AM

I look forward to warm black skies on holiday.
At home, Venus has given us a good show this spring and early summer.
Almost gone now, but Jupiter and Mars showing nicely.

Subject: RE: BS: Hello Moon!
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 27 Jul 18 - 04:51 AM

I shud problay pay more attenshun too my proofreeding...

Subject: RE: BS: Hello Moon!
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 27 Jul 18 - 04:49 AM

My sister and I watched the Perseids one August night from her friend's orange grove in Andalucía, sitting up (actually reclining on deckchairs folded down as far as they'd go) until 3.30 am. We didn't need blankets as the temperature was around 27C and we had a goodly supply of the finest Rioja, which meant we problay saw twice as many meteorites as were actually there. It was wonderful to watch the multicoloured shooting stars in a moonless sky completely free from haze or light pollution. We didn't feel quite so bright next day in the heat...

Subject: RE: BS: Hello Moon!
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 27 Jul 18 - 03:59 AM

After months of clear skies, we are forecast rain for the eclipse.

I miss the Milky Way too Jim. Few Brits younger than us have ever seen it. They might know that our galaxy is called the Milky Way, but few know why.

Subject: RE: BS: Hello Moon!
From: Jack Campin
Date: 27 Jul 18 - 03:35 AM

I already took my moon photo. From the garden last year:

https://instagram.com/p/Blug1qentB0/

Subject: RE: BS: Hello Moon!
From: Senoufou
Date: 27 Jul 18 - 03:25 AM

I remember watching the Perseids meteor shower one August. We had a half-acre garden in our last house, a bit remote with fields beyond it.
No light pollution at all.

I took a blanket out onto the lawn at about 3am and lay on my back in my dressing gown watching the skies. You couldn't predict from which direction each meteor would come, so having the whole sky in front of one's eyes was the best way.

I counted over 60 meteors, it was amazing and weird. Some were fairly small, others quite extraordinarily large. I felt there ought to have been some sounds, like whoosh! or wheeee!

After a short time I was surrounded by all five of our cats staring at me in consternation ("What the hell are you doing, you daft human?"). And saw a fox, two fallow deer, some bats and a few rats as I lay there. It was all 'go' that night!

Subject: RE: BS: Hello Moon!
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 27 Jul 18 - 03:25 AM

Not enough room for my tripod, but will set up outside this evening with a glass of Argentine Malbec! My camera, a mere 2011 Fuji Finepix HS10, has a sunset preset which may bring out the red nicely. The trick for taking moon photos is manual setting, so as not to boost glare, suffered by auto setting.

Subject: RE: BS: Hello Moon!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Jul 18 - 12:26 AM

Excellent shot! Box of tissues? Whatever works!

Subject: RE: BS: Hello Moon!
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 26 Jul 18 - 07:51 PM

"Taken from an upstairs window!"
Didn't anybody tell you you shouldn't eat cheese before going to bed?
Brilliant photograph

When we first visited Ireland we used to camp on a field adjacent to the Atlantic at Spanish Point in Clare
One night, after a long, very late music session we returned to our tent and went to bed
An hour later I was bursting for a pee, so I climbed out of the sleeping bag to lighten the load
I was blinded by the moonlight and as my sight returned to normal, I looked up to see the Milky Way in all its glory
I counted three meteorites and a passing satellite until a grumpy Pat demanded to know what I was doing - she joined me and we sat for an hour gobsmacked

We now live half a mile from that field,but unfortunately light pollution has made such nights a long-gone dream
Thanks for the memory
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: BS: Hello Moon!
From: Little Hawk
Date: 26 Jul 18 - 07:06 PM

"'Ello, 'ello! Wot a brilliant Moon we 'ave 'ere!" (Eddie Whatnoll)

Olive Whatnoll will be most "'appy" about this lunar eclipse, because 'er 'usband Eddie gets tremendously charged up by lunar anomalies of all kinds, and this promises a lively time of connubial bliss for the Whatnolls of 'Ull.

Subject: RE: BS: Hello Moon!
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 26 Jul 18 - 06:48 PM

Yes indeed - practising for tomorrow! I used full x30 optical zoom on my camera with a x2 zoom extender lens, all balanced on a box of tissues with floppy discs to give the correct angle.

Subject: RE: BS: Hello Moon!
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Jul 18 - 06:33 PM

Nice shot, Bonzo. What did you do to make it turn out so well? Filter? Tripod? Exposure time?
-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: Hello Moon!
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 26 Jul 18 - 05:44 PM

Practising for tomorrow?

Subject: BS: Hello Moon!
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 26 Jul 18 - 05:42 PM

Taken from an upstairs window!