Airfix Apollo 11

OMG....finally it is completed, only taken a full year to assemble and paint!

It now sits on my shelf to look at in awe...if it took me that long to build it with plastic, how long did it take back in 1969.

Gosh...I always wanted this Airfix model, I never thought I would ever have one and most of all complete one...paints and all!

It comes to pieces as well...

1st Stage...

2nd Stage...

3rd Stage...

Command Module and Lunar Lander...

Fiery Sunset

A cresent Moon and fiery sunset!

Temperature outside about -6 degrees, snow on the ground and earlier this week freezing fog with temperatures down to -12. The sky is crystal clear, beautiful stars and Orion just coming over the Eastern horizon!

Jupiter high in the Southern sky and this morning Venus was stunning in the morning sky...the real Christmas Star!

Airfix Saturn V

At last... I have finally made my Airfix Saturn V Rocket Kit!

Kathleen bought it for me for Christmas last year, but I was reluctant to build it because I always wanted one and didn't want to make a mess of it! It felt better having it in the box complete rather than breaking something or losing a part. I went to Hobbycraft yesterday to buy the paint needed to finish off the model... I now need somewhere to put it safely!

You have to say that Saturn V was the most incredible and amazing vehicle ever!

Melissa made a smaller version!

Jupiter's Moons

Last night the Moon and Jupiter reached their closest points to each other. Jupiter is very bright in the Southern sky and with the Moon just above, it was a wonderful sight.

Photo shows Jupiter with four of it's Moons (left to right) Europa, Io, Ganymede, Callisto.

Blue Earth

This photo never ceases to amaze me... incredible!

So peaceful and tranquil, all alone in the blackness of space

The Earth, the Earth
Is big and bright
With the stars in skylight
Bright Earth, bright Earth
How lovely you are
I want to touch you
But you are very far

An early Harvest Moon

The Harvest Moon is very early this year and coincides with beginning of Autumn (23rd September this year)

This means that the Moon will rise directly in the East at about the same time as the Sun sets directly in the West. The last time this happened was in 1991 and will not be seen again until 2029.

This photo taken just as the Moon started to wane with the Canon EOS and 200mm lens.

The Moon was a beautiful sight making it almost daylight on that clear night!

Perfectly clear sky!

The UK is currently experiencing something most unusual!

A volcano in Iceland has emitted loads of dust and gas and is sitting over our country. All flights in and out of the UK have been grounded for the last couple of days. The weather today has been gorgeous, wall to wall sunshine and I have sat in the garden and experienced for the first time ever perfectly clear blue sky.

No vapour trails and no noise from airplanes...wonderful!

Can we keep this going for another few days? I hope so!

A lovely cresent Moon tonight very near to Venus, Mercury has now vanished, managed to capture it just in time!

"Passengers face further disruption after flight restrictions were extended until 1300 BST on Sunday as the danger from Icelandic volcanic ash continues.
The National Air Traffic Control Service (Nats) said forecasts showed the ash cloud progressively covering the whole of the UK after 1900 BST.
British Airways has cancelled all long and short-haul flights in and out of the UK on Sunday.
Officials warn that European airspace could be disrupted for several days. "

Venus and Mercury

Took this image on Wednesday 7th April of Venus and Mercury viewed over Starmount in Radcliffe at about 9.15pm. I stood for ages watching the sunset and as the sky darkened first Venus then Mercury came into view.
A lovely sight!
Used my Canon EOS 350D, set to ISO 800 and 500ms exposure.
Today we have had the best day for months, temperature reaching 20 degrees and wall to wall sunshine...fantastic! (we have waited so long!)

Mr Moon

Every time I see the Moon when i'm with Melissa (my Grandaughter) I show her the Moon and say "Look! It's Mr Moon!.

Tonight she said "Grandad, you always say that and he's not watching!

Well, this is a lovely image that I took that shows the beauty of Mr Moon!

Orion

A lovely wide view of Orion from my back garden.

I took my skywatcher 80ED out to try to capture Mars with the SC1.5 camera, but didn't have much success. I have not used the SC1.5 camera with this scope and I think it was having problems focusing. I need to find out a bit more before trying again.

Instead I took out my Canon 350D and tried some wide field views of Orion.

I must admit that the awful Winter has put me off going outside and setting up the equipment in the freezing cold. Now that Spring has arrived i'm inspired to get out there a bit more!

Mars and Moon

A wonderful sight tonight of Mars and the Full Moon.

Had a good look with my Skywatcher 80ED scope. Captured some images with the Canon 350D and 200mm lens mounted on a small tripod.
The image shown is Mars and the Moon from my back garden.
Back garden is almost like daylight with the Moon so bright, but very cold, didn't stay out for long.

Mars is in opposition at the moment so it is very bright.

If you look carefully at the image you can see some detail on Mars. I now need to get my Philips Toucam ProII out with the Skywatcher 130m and see if I can capture some images as good as last time Mars was this clear.

Frozen Britain

What an amazing image! Snow from above! (Click to enlarge)
We are now in the grip of the coldest Winter ever. Tonight temperature down to -10 and still falling. The toilet has just frozen up and i'm flushing salt down it to keep it clear!
Icicles like I have not seen since the 1960's hang outside my house and there is no end to the freeze! Clear nights, but too cold to get outside and image.