Dec's Guide to the Night Sky for Amateur Astromomers - including Melbourne weather

Hi @outlander@Zoe7

It was such a glorious sparkly sky last night I didn't go to bed until really late and I was woken up by my MEPACS alarm with the "friendly reminder to press my daily call button" which meant I had to get out of bed and make it all the way to the alarm set to do this with my low BP and puffy feet which was not fun. I could not be further away from the alarm in my house

But the stars and planets - thanks Zoe - sometime I will work out how to post the pics they way you did it but I am figuring that out - found the app - the snipping tool - it believe in trial and error

Outlander - when you start searching the sky for planets and stars it is better to use binoculars because you have a much wider field to find things than you do than with a telescope - I have yet to get a telescope - to begin a low price is probably okay but it might also be frustrating - I am still using my binoculars but the thing is to know where the heaven bodies are so you can find the smaller and less easily found ones because you know they are near a bigger brighter object. That's how I do it

Yawn - tired today but the weather is fantastic

Dec

very wet up here @Owlunar, @outlander, @Zoe7

did you see the starglazing on the abc tv

Hi @Shaz51

Not this time but I have seen this professors programmes before

David Attenborough would like this guy to take his place if he ever retires - that is Professor Brian Cox

Fantastic photos of the universe are presented in those programmes - I love them

Dec

I will have to have a look @Owlunar

It looks like it is going to be a clear night here again tonight @Owlunar so I can rug up and at least go outside and look into the sky for a while - my way of being a little closer to you knowing you are probably doing the same

Hi @utopia@Zoe7@Shaz51

Here last night was very cold but clear for a long time in the evening - so it was a good night to go outside and look around - that sparkly sky was so beautiful

Utopia - the bright body in the north east sky is Jupiter - following it comes Antares, Mars and Saturn - and Saturn is very bright atm but rises much later

I missed Venus for such a long time when I saw it a few nights back I felt invigorated and thought I will feel okay now - the dark patch is over for now - and that has been true

I am feeling tired but much better - I hope other people are feeling better - which might be a lot better or a little better - life can be tricky at times - like the stars

Dec

It was too cold for me to go outside last night @Owlunar - our nights have been getting really cold here - down to about 4 degrees a couple of times this week.

I am feeling a little better but still taking it easy today - napping on and off as I need.

Pleased you are feeling a little better

Hi @Zoe7

I know about cold nights in Tassie - most of the time I have been there in winter - it does feel brisk up on Mount Wellington in a blizzard -

I am glad I am feeling a bit better too - I started different BP medication last night - I was told it might make me feel tired and I do but not the way I was - and I can see my feet are not as swollen - if fact I can feel the floor - I was such a mess and it was my feet that made my doctor change the medication though it seemed my whole body was involved - and my mind - I was so spaced out on what I was taking

And this should not be - goll-ee - we take medication to feel better not worse - though BP does not have symptoms - they hand out medication without finding the real cause of high BP and I think they had the wrong reason - I told the lady doctor stress - my own doctor would have put me on this one and at a lower dose - I think I feel well enough to work through the fatigue part when my feet don't feel too big for my socks - aw

I get the results of my blood tests on Tuesday but know pretty well nothing is wrong but stress - stress - let's leave it at stress cause I have a lot of that

I know you have days that are just plain rough and others that are just rough so that is not much of a choice - I can hope that winter is not too hard on your and I think a lot about you down there

I love it there and want to go back - maybe I will take a few days at Lakes Entrance when I feel as if I have recovered from the wrong medication and my daughter is okay about the cat - I might have to go to Hobart eventually anyway but I like options -

Take it easy my friend - I know you are battling down there with Toby and the fluffball -

Sending hugs

Dec

The nights are pretty

but