Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeyjames
Hi all,
This may sound like a stupid question. Last night was my third night with my first telescope (8" Newt). While trying to get pointed at Venus, the wife and I saw something odd in its general direction a bit higher in the sky.
At first we thought it was a thin wisp of cloud that seemed to trail off at both ends or may be a jet trail, both of which I assume would move over time.
With all the trials and tribulations of trying to unlearn my 49 year hardwired conception of what up, down, left, and right mean while using an EQ mount and telescope, and then getting the scope pointed at Venus and then Saturn we kept coming across the same feature that didn't seem to move.
I looked on Stellarium and couldn't see any astronomical target that could explain it.
Any ideas what we could have been looking at?
Cheers
Mick
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Hi Mick, without knowing how far above or below Venus you're talking about it is difficult to know what object you could be looking at.
You are entering the realms of the Milky Way if heading up, and there are lots of nebulous patches that have no names or are at best not well known with NGC or other catalogue names.
Have a look again tonight and see if you can find it again and take note of it's true location.
Some times wispy clouds hang around for quite a long time as well.
Cheers