This weekend past we drove down south to Pirongia where my daughter and her family live. Small village of about 200 -300 people down in the farmland below Hamilton. There are a few sodium streetlights but otherwise the place is pretty dark.
Clouds all day then about 9pm as we were finishing dinner off down he road at the local pub grandaughter runs in and tells us the sky is clear. Sure enough, a few scattered clouds but brilliant skies. Her and I ran up the road and I hauled out the 10" Dob from the back of the wagon and she fetched her 119\f8, my old blue newt.
Jupiter lowish in the North, her scope could easily make out the bands and three moons. My scope .... was slightly mind blowing. Nice and stable, bands very visible, three nice solid moons, no wobbly heat and unstable air that I get back in Auckland.
By this time the rest of the family have arrived and pulled out deckchairs and bean bags into the driveway and all taking a look see. Ducking around a few scudding clouds.
Now we go across to M42. In Maddies scope quite distinct pinkish colour and defined edges to the dust lanes, surprisingly good viewing. In my scope ... well I wish I'd had the mount and camera setup because it was so clear and clean. Beautiful viewing.
We got about 45 minutes before the clouds returned, everyone laid out in the driveway, MilkyWay glowing above and what I originally thought was a cloud, the LMC in the high south.
I'd forgotten to take down the binocs, they would have been amazing but even just naked eye it was an awesome evening.
It's nights like that that will be remembered for years... If I think back to the super nights I've had in the past the naked eye stuff has been just as good as what was in the scope.
