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No peace for the wicked

Posted by on March 17th 2013 in My vids, Rambling on...
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So there I was, sitting in a car-park in town after dropping-off one daughter to meet the other for some united retail therapy. While waiting for them to return I was enjoying a rare moment of peace and quiet until this little fecker decided to shatter the peace and take umbrage at me and my car. It didn't hassle anybody else and I've no idea what I'd done to upset it but it was barking like mad while chucking nutshells and bits of stick at me and the car. It wouldn't shut up or leave me alone until I'd recorded its noisy antics on the phone and then played it back at max volume:

https://www.youtube.com/v/7d26oBHrm5Y

I'll have the little sod next time - I'll take my catty and some ball-bearings and then we'll see who's the boss. He'll go well in a game casserole  🙂 

Observing Report 13th March 2013 Part 2 (Comet Pan-STARRS (C/2011 L4))

Posted by on March 16th 2013 in Astrostuff, Observing Reports
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As promised, some more pics from Wednesday evening's Comet Pan-STARRS (C/2011 L4) observing session:

Moon and Comet Pan-STARRS (C/2011 L4), 13th March 2013.
Nikon D50, 35mm prime lens, 0.8s @ f/2, ISO 200, static tripod.

Comet Pan-STARRS (C/2011 L4), 13th March 2013.
Nikon D50, 70-300 lens @ 300mm, 5s @ f/7.1, ISO 800, static tripod.

Comet Pan-STARRS (C/2011 L4), 13th March 2013.
Nikon D50, 70-300 lens @ 300mm, 10s @ f/7.1, ISO 800, static tripod.

Moon with Earthshine, 13th March 2013.
Nikon D50, 70-300 lens @ 300mm, 1s @ f/7.1, ISO 800, static tripod.

We're hoping to bag some more pics sometime during the next few evenings if the weather decides to play along.

Observing Report 13th March 2013 (Comet Pan-STARRS (C/2011 L4))

Posted by on March 14th 2013 in Astrostuff, Observing Reports
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I managed to get away for a couple of hours around sundown last night, it was the first clear(ish) evening for a while and the first chance we'd had to have a look at Comet Pan-STARRS (C/2011 L4). Finding it was an interesting experience - too soon after sunset and the skies were still too light, and later when the skies had darkened the comet was so close to the horizon that it stood a chance of being lost in the murk of haze, cloud and light-pollution.

Persistence was the key. Eventually the bank of low snow-cloud moved away and revealed the target. It's not visible with the naked-eye yet during these conditions but it's an impressive sight through 10x50 binoculars. The 70-300 lens on the D50 picked it out quite easily.

Here's one of many pics from the evening, I'll post a few more later:

Comet Pan-STARRS (C/2011 L4).
Nikon D50, 70-300 lens @ 300mm, 5s @ f/7.1, ISO 800, static tripod.

Feed me!

Posted by on March 14th 2013 in In the News

Hmm... Google is to retire Reader and a handful of other useful services.

That'll fcuk-up a few bloggers and smartphone users, I'll warrant.

Helping Auntie

Posted by on March 10th 2013 in On the box
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Here you go - a basic visual aid for the Beeb's Six Nations commentary and pundit team, specifically for Lorenzo Bruno Nero Dallaglio:

 "If you're having trouble, here's a little trick to help you remember... they're different words.
You see - they contain different letters which are pronounced differently!
Different words!"

Simples!

Especially for someone that's half-Italian.

Observing Report 2nd-3rd March 2013 (A mixed bag of Messiers)

Posted by on March 4th 2013 in Astrostuff, Observing Reports
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It wasn't forecast to be the clearest of nights but I'd got the OK to go out and I wasn't going to waste the chance. The skies were fairly clear for the first hour but after that I was battling the orange haze of a low thin mist illuminated by waste light from streetlights. Despite that, I managed to see a fair few things and snap some more Messiers:

M40 (centre-left), a pair of stars in the constellation Ursa Major.
Subs: 12 light @ 300s, darks and bias frames, ISO800.
1000D on the 6" R-C, guided with PHD.

M48 (aka NGC 2548), an open cluster in the constellation Hydra.
Subs: 16 light @ 300s, darks and bias frames, ISO800.
1000D on the 6" R-C, guided with PHD.

M53 (aka NGC 5024), a globular cluster in the constellation Coma Berenices.
Subs: 22 light @ 300s, darks and bias frames, ISO800.
1000D on the 6" R-C, guided with PHD.
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