Always superb pics from you Mick.
I am too lazy to post pics here at the moment so if anyone wants to look at the Palomar Observatory.. https://www.flickr.com/photos/tvagro...57683302996815
I woke up at almost 5am to go to the washroom in pitch darkness at the campground.. and on my way back to the tent, i looked up and saw the Milky Way and WAH!!! gotta take pics. Cold like mad ( i think it was around 6degC) , me in pajamas and jacket.... went to the tent, grabbed the camera, and got the car keys, went to get tripod from car, set up tripod and camera, fingers starting to freeze already. Got my redlight on so that i wont wake up everyone in the area, fumbled with the camera and settings, looked around to make sure no wild critters pounce on me.. take some pics quickly.. looked around in the pitch darkness nervously.. ok cukup lah... grab camera and tripod and scramble back into the tent. That is the extent of my late night photography. I am not so brave like Mick. Me no like the dark.(kinda)
Last edited by lady-o-leisure; 02-05-2017 at 07:28 AM. Reason: adding more comments
Insecurity is unattractive. Smile and the whole world smiles with you.
Ya, in 30 seconds, the ISS can pass over a fifth of the sky, especially when it crosses near zenith.
The horizontal streak could be the SWIFT satellite, based on time and direction of movement. However, without knowing your exact location, I can't calculate the path, and it's much further north than I would expect to see it in USJ at that time. No other bright satellite's orbit matches that approximate time of visibility, so it's a probable it's the SWIFT. Otherwise, chalk it up as an UFO.![]()
Hv to click on that Flickr link in my previous post. I am so lazy to upload to photobucket at the moment as i was fighting with the password for the longest time. hahaha..
Crappy looking pics though. I was so scared of being out in the dark by myself that i rushed and ran back into the tent as soon as i could.
On May 20th.. hubby and i will be going camping again at the same place coz Explore the Stars will be volunteering there with their scopes. So we will be joining them and i should be able to get better pics coz another member has a habit of staying up late to take pics too. I wont be so scared that way. ahhaha.. I am too chicken to be out there alone in the dark , never know what might jump out of the bushes and attack me ... hahahahSome more so clever, when hubby asked me if i want him to accompany me, like terror only, can say No need, i am ok. Padan muka me.
Insecurity is unattractive. Smile and the whole world smiles with you.
Have already devoured your Flickr shots.
yes, padan muka u. Maybe hubby should also get involved in astrophotography, then no need to ask...
I think it's becoming quite unusual to do any stargazing and photography in the dark alone nowadays. I'm guessing mick also goes with a small group of like minded friends for his Ms Milky sessions. Most of the astro club chaps I know also plan group sessions if they have to go out to dark areas. It's practical and better for security.
For me, I still prefer to do my astronomy in solitary comfort, so it's almost 95% from USJ, in my garden. I'm happily into urban stargazing, it's so convenient. Any night I notice some clear patches of sky, my telescope and binoculars go out, and I can easily tour 5-20 DSOs during some sessions with a GOTO.
yes most of the time we go in small groups, typically just nice to go in 1 car. it's more of keeping each other awake during the driveplus we don't usually publicised in social media our location as we don't want to find ourselves ambushed! sometimes I organise for my photo club but then there will be like 10 to 20 of us so no worries of getting mobbed.
“If your photographs aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.” – Robert Capa