what do you do when it's a full moon?

troypiggo (Troy) · #1 30-03-2009, 03:34 PM

Say you're at a darkish site on holidays, like this Easter, but it's a full moon - do you bother taking your telescope? Do you observe only? Take images? Not bother taking your gear?

ving (David) · #2 30-03-2009, 03:37 PM

try taking pics of the moon

pgc hunter · #3 30-03-2009, 03:37 PM

I wouldn't bother with a large, heavy rig. I'd just take a small grab-n-go for peeks at the moon and planets.

Enchilada · #4 30-03-2009, 03:57 PM

Shave!

erick (Eric) · #5 30-03-2009, 03:59 PM

You guys! Take/wife/partner/"significant other" out for romantic evening, candle-lit dinner etc!

troypiggo (Troy) · #6 30-03-2009, 03:59 PM

Ok, ok

Obviously you could shoot the moon.

I only have a ED80, so planetary imaging is out. Not worth trying for anything else?

Eric - you smoothy. I can't do that 3 nights in a row. Where's my Troy-time?

mozzie (Peter) · #7 30-03-2009, 04:31 PM

try looking at d/stars after taking the family out to tea

mozzie

Paddy (Patrick) · #8 30-03-2009, 05:04 PM

I agree with Eric that this is a good time to foster the relationship. Also useful for repaying some of the sleep debt.

Quark (Trevor) · #9 30-03-2009, 05:31 PM

I was presented with this exact same quandary recently when a group of students from Sydney came to my observatory in Broken Hill at full Moon.

I found that there are still some deep sky gems that still look good.

1) Regardless of the Moon, The Homonculus still is well defined and looks great at medium to high magnification.

2) With an OIII filter in my 31mm Nagler The Key Hole Neb still looked stunning.

3) We observed Regor with my Rainbow Optics Spectroscope. The emission lines from this Wolf Rayet star are amazing, regardless of the Moon.

4) Saturn is so intrinsically bright that it always looks great, Moon or no Moon.

5) Esb 365, a Carbon star by the Cross still looked blood red.

So you can still observe deep sky and on many other occasions I have imaged storm structure on Saturn, even with the Moon in the vicinity.

I think the quality of the seeing is more important than the phase of the Moon.

Cheers
Trevor

[1ponders] (Paul) · #10 30-03-2009, 05:36 PM

Some of the Globular clusters are still worth tracking down, but if there's nothing to look at and you don't have a significant other, you don't need your eyes, so kick back look at the moon and

.

Barrykgerdes · #11 30-03-2009, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by erick

You guys! Take/wife/partner/"significant other" out for romantic evening, candle-lit dinner etc!

Go to the top of the class Eric. Great suggestion and it will surely pay dividends later.

Baz

Jen · #12 30-03-2009, 05:56 PM

Going to Adelaide so i think i will leave my scope at home this easter

troypiggo (Troy) · #13 30-03-2009, 06:29 PM

Thanks for the suggestions all. I'll take the brownie points, but will also pack some observing gear. She likes to stargaze too. Probably won't bother with all the imaging stuff.

Ric · #14 30-03-2009, 09:47 PM

Go narrowband.

Cheers

ngcles · #15 30-03-2009, 09:48 PM

Hi All,

Quote:

Originally Posted by erick

You guys! Take/wife/partner/"significant other" out for romantic evening, candle-lit dinner etc!

Perfect answer -- top marks Eric!

Full Moon weekend is the time when I, like Eric, attempt to put some brownie-points in the bank for redemption on New Moon weekends.

Come New Moon weekend, sometimes they're still there but mysteriously, sometimes they seem to have disappeared -- or have been forgotten somehow ...

Best,

Les D

Glenhuon (Bill) · #16 30-03-2009, 09:55 PM

Well, I find a nice quiet spot out in the scrub, light a fire, surround it with a circle of salt, place pentacles at the quarters, sit inside with a drum and chant for a few hours.

Not really, usually check out the Astro websites, watch a movie and drink beer.

Bill

RobF (Rob) · #17 30-03-2009, 10:14 PM

True Les, but my brother in law once wisely warned me (just after getting married myself):

"Rob - be careful with your hard won Brownie Pts - They have a very short half-life"

I'm not sure mine always last 2 weeks until New Moon....

Quote:

Originally Posted by ngcles

Hi All,

Perfect answer -- top marks Eric!

Full Moon weekend is the time when I, like Eric, attempt to put some brownie-points in the bank for redemption on New Moon weekends.

Come New Moon weekend, sometimes they're still there but mysteriously, sometimes they seem to have disappeared -- or have been forgotten somehow ...

Best,

Les D

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #18 30-03-2009, 10:31 PM

I'd be taking along a pair of binos.
There's nothing like kicking back on the banana lounge and going wide field.