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Tour of beauty
MESSAGE OF THE MONTH
I returned from 30 years overseas in 2018 and since then have reactivated my long-dormant hobby of astronomy. In 2020, I purchased a used 12-inch Meade LX200 and use it mainly in my back garden in Verwood in Dorset (Bortle 4). I’ve always been keen on planning my nights out under the stars, taking with me a written outline of what I want to see or image each night.
When I discovered the Deep-Sky Tours in Sky at Night Magazine each month, I decided to add the objects to my observing plan every month and go out to find them. I refer to them in my logbooks as ‘SANT’ objects! This has been a source of much enjoyment and challenge and I would encourage other readers to have a go. Sometimes the objects are easy, other times they are extremely difficult; your most tricky yet being the elusive planetary nebula Pease 1 in the globular cluster M15 in Pegasus – that one still eludes me! My image taken on 14 June 2021 doesn’t show it, but I will continue to search. Thanks for a great read every month.
Mark Hardaker, Verwood, Dorset
That’s great to hear, Mark! I’m delighted that our Deep-Sky Tours have helped to reignite your observing. Find the latest one on page 56. – Ed.
This month’s top prize: two Philip’s titles
The ‘Message of the Month’ writer will receive a bundle of two top titles courtesy of astronomy publisher Philip’s: Nigel Henbest’s Stargazing 2024 and Robin Scagell’s Guide to the Northern Constellations
Winner’s details will be passed on to Octopus Publishing to fulfil the prize
coche.ortega • 21 November On the third night in Iceland, despite the cloudy skies, colours like green, yellow, purple and red started lighting up the whole sky with colourful auroras! Just close your eyes and relive that memory.
@bbcskyatnightmag #auroraborealis #iceland
Scope rescue
I wonder if you might be able to help me find an institution, group or individual interested in taking my late 1800s 5-inch Thomas Cooke refractor. I acquired this instrument in pieces years ago as a restoration project, but I have recently moved from Cornwall, where I had the refractor in a huge workshop, to Wiltshire, where it now resides in my garage. It’s a large instrument and so far I have only cleaned up the brasswork on the finder
