" I set a course just east of Lyra
And northwest of Pegasus
Flew into the light of Deneb
Sailed across the Milky Way
On my ship, the "Rocinante"
Wheeling through the galaxies,
Headed for the heart of Cygnus
Headlong into mystery"

Neil Peart, Rush
Cygnus X-1...A Farewell to Kings, 1977



Saturn, Lorenz Observatory, Coburg. Dec. 27th, 2003


When I started to set up around 5:30 , the moon was a crescent which was just bright enough to cast shadows when the sky darkened up, and Venus was on fire in the West. Mars was straight above, and Saturn was just rising on the Eastern horizon. By 11:00 Taurus and Pleiades were straight over head, and Orion was due south, just below them. It was clear, about minus 3 C, dead calm and the sky and seeing were great. By now, Sirius and Canis Major was fully in view below Orion, and Leo and Jupiter were rising in the East. All night the milky way was prominent as it turned, eventually running almost north to south, from where Cygnus was setting in the North West, to where Canis Major was rising in the South East. When the moon finally set around 9:00 the sky seemed to get noticably more contrast. I have not been a serious amateur astronomer for very long, but I have been looking forward to seeing the winter sky under these conditions for a very long time. This was my best Orion observing session, under conditions that I had been waiting for. (not to mention best Saturn)

 

Single image, shot with Fujicolour press, 400 asa. Eye piece projection with 10" LX200, @approx. f/35 with Olympus OM-1
3 best images stacked with registax
2 best images stacked with registax
Single frame
Single frame

click here to go back to the main page.