Sunday 31 August 2014

Late Night with Comet Jacques

One simply cannot just go to bed when there are clear skies, so last night, 2am was the time for my date with the stars.

So,armed with a little fortification - not much needed, as it was a mild night - I got some observations done. Sky conditions were not as good as previous nights, as there was a little cloud in the air that thickened as my session went on. But I was able to correct my Messier 2 navigation errors, finding it with the use of averted vision. Messier 15 was also observed, as well as lots of other little bits and pieces of starfield and cluster, galaxy and great inky blackness out to the edge of near infinity 32 billion or so light years away.

Saving the best for last again, I now craned my way awkwardly up to the Zenith, where Cassiopeia the queen of the sky lives at this time of year.

Once again, I wasn't sure where the comet was actually going to be, but whatever of my brain is left these days, I used, and tracked it from my previous observations to a point halfway between Cassiopeia and her King, Cepheus. It was harder to see than previous nights, and as I said before, really reminds me of observing the Messier 33 Triangulum Spiral.

Lucky for me that I just love being able to see comets then!

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