A Night Off

At last! A clear night after a long week of dense clouds and snow.

Out at the observatory last night, setting up Mike's ten-incher for the first time.

Here's Mike and Pete (who's selling the scope to him) looking at Jupiter while I was trying to snap Orion with my camera and feeling decidedly inadequate in the lens stakes.

There are really only two poses for men with big telescopes … Mike adopts the family-friendly one.
The domes in the background (and a couple more off to the right) house the observatory's main scopes, while members set their own kit up outside.

A temperature of minus eight degrees (without the wind chill) proves no deterrent to the truly insane astrogeek. Having to lay in the snow to align the polarscope is a bit much, though.

Somewhere under the snow is a series of concrete pads for member's scopes, complete with power, but finding a socket last night was quite beyond anyone who didn't bring a snow plough so Mike resorted to manual guidance.
In these temperatures it doesn't take long for the smooth, grey tube of the telescope to become patterned with ice and Mike's finderscope iced over pretty early, as would we have done had we not resorted to the warmth of the clubhouse and the tea hut from time to time.
Still, we got some great views and we'll be out there again tonight, freezing off our non-essential parts.

Have a warm weekend, one and all.