Hi guys and gals, Northern Ireland calling!

paulevans · #1 19-05-2007, 06:36 AM

Hi there,

I'm Paul - mostly English but living here in Northern Ireland where we get all of the weather, sometimes in very quick succession, so we do what astronomy we can in the gaps in between what's blowing off the Atlantic!

Have been to your part of the world many times - Aussie 8 times between '87 and '03 and NZ '97 and '03. Was at Ceduna for the eclipse 2002-12-04 which got me hooked enough to be in Turkey last year. Best eyeball sighting ever was in SA on the 2002 trip when a chap from the ASSA showed me 47 Tuc through a 15" Dob - Awesome!

This time in May it doesn't get dark at all - there's a blue glow all night as the Sun is not far at all over the other side - it's NLC season!

Here's a sample image from my house in Larne last June....

http://www.pevans.me.uk/images/nlc060603.jpg

Needs to be zoomed in and panned across.

Clear skies all,

Paul.

Grinz · #2 19-05-2007, 06:45 AM

Hello Paul - very nice picture indeed!

Welcome here.

I see you saw 47 Tuc here from SA - wonder who the chap was who showed it to you? I know quite a number of people in ASSA.

Are you planning another trip down South to SA or AUS?

Meanwhile, I hope you are going to enjoy it here as much as I have. I'm also still relatively new here but have had nothing but a warm reception and the guys also are very knowledgeable on many astronomy-related topics.

paulevans · #3 19-05-2007, 07:13 AM

Hi Lee,

I guess there's more than one ASSA! I've not yet been to South Africa - the ASSA I visited was the Astronomical Society Of South Australia - about 60 miles north of Adelaide. Same sky as your SA of course, but I've not yet made it to South Africa though it's on the cards one day!

Clear skies,

Paul.

iceman (Mike) · #4 19-05-2007, 07:24 AM

Hi Paul!

to IIS! Great to have you here.
Ireland is a beautiful place.

paulevans · #5 19-05-2007, 08:00 AM

Thanks Iceman!

I see you're in Gosford which I'm sorry to say is place I've missed out on because every time I do the run between Brisbane and Sydney, in either direction, I seem to get diverted to the Hunter Valley for obvious reasons

But desperately trying to get back on topic, I had a memorable evening in Cessnock where ABC were showing "The Planets" which was a BBC (UK) production, the soundtrack of which was picked up on my mini-DV camcorder's shots of Jupiter and Saturn themselves. I had no 'scope in those days - this would have been Feb 2000 - but was surprised to find that the 20x optical and 400x digital zoom on my camcorder would show, at 120x, Jupiter as a definte disc with some details on it and Saturn as very defintely oval.

But how times change!

Clear skies,

Paul,

http://www.pevans.me.uk

Ric · #6 19-05-2007, 05:34 PM

Hi Paul and welcome to IIS

, forgive my ignorance but whats NLC season.
I know it will be something obvious

Cheers

paulevans · #7 19-05-2007, 08:39 PM

Hi Ric,

NLC = Noctilucent Clouds - a phoenomena only visible in summertime at latitudes 55-65 degrees from the equator. Essentially very high (90-100km) ice clouds illuminated by the Sun over the pole.

You can listen to me talking about them on BBC Radio Ulster last year here...

http://www.pevans.me.uk/images/peonru060605.mp3

Not well understood but seem to bear an inverse relationship to sunspots.

Clear skies,

Paul.

nightsky · #8 19-05-2007, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulevans

Hi there,

I'm Paul - mostly English but living here in Northern Ireland where we get all of the weather, sometimes in very quick succession, so we do what astronomy we can in the gaps in between what's blowing off the Atlantic!

Have been to your part of the world many times - Aussie 8 times between '87 and '03 and NZ '97 and '03. Was at Ceduna for the eclipse 2002-12-04 which got me hooked enough to be in Turkey last year. Best eyeball sighting ever was in SA on the 2002 trip when a chap from the ASSA showed me 47 Tuc through a 15" Dob - Awesome!

This time in May it doesn't get dark at all - there's a blue glow all night as the Sun is not far at all over the other side - it's NLC season!

Here's a sample image from my house in Larne last June....

http://www.pevans.me.uk/images/nlc060603.jpg

Needs to be zoomed in and panned across.

Clear skies all,

Paul.

G'Day Paul
Ceade Mile Failte

ex Belfast here,when are you going to pick up the Larne accent,like the lady who was interviewing you

loved the photo from your house

brought back a lot of memories.BTW enjoyed the broadcast something else I've learned.never to old to Larne or is that learn

Cheers
Arthur

cahullian · #9 19-05-2007, 10:54 PM

Hi Paul

I'm a Belfast lad myself. Cant say I miss it much though. I love the great southern land and skies. Hope the nights get darker for you soon, but then it will be freezing so no real respite.

Gazz

Ric · #10 20-05-2007, 08:10 AM

Thanks Paul, I knew it would be something obvious

.
I have never seen one but they sound quite interesting.

Cheers

davidpretorius · #11 20-05-2007, 08:29 AM

that is one awesome image!

must get to ireland one day..................but it is soooo far away 18,281 to be precise to pauls backyard!! ( i wonder if that is the record for distance, must find that thread???)

welcome to IIS

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #12 21-05-2007, 10:33 AM

Hi Paul!
Welcome to IIS.

ving (David) · #13 21-05-2007, 10:54 AM

hi paul, top o' the morning to ya!

Grinz · #14 21-05-2007, 06:36 PM

Hi Paul yes I kind of forgot SA could also mean S Australia and not S Africa and ASSA could also mean Astronomical Society of S Australia not Southern Africa.

Silly me. Nevertheless, we share the same skies with the Australians and thus it is fun for me to be here too among these friendly people and I hope you are already feeling at home too.

I've never been to Ireland but would love to visit your lovely green land one day