Mars and the Moon

Mars and the Moon will be about seven degrees apart in the sky tonight so if you have clear skies this will be an ideal opportunity to take a photo. An ordinary camera is all that is needed although you may need to set the exposure manually to avoid overexposing the Moon.

It's daylight on the Moon so you need a short exposure but, because it will occupy quite a small proportion of the picture against a dark sky, your camera will probably be fooled into using too long an exposure.

The Beehive Cluster or Praesepe is between the Moon and Mars and you may be able to see it with binoculars if you have a clear sky.

Spirit Lives On

Regular readers will have seen my occasional notes on Spirit and Opportunity, the two martian rovers that have been operating successfully for six years. Their original mission was designed to last 90 days so they have exceeded all expectations by a massive margin.

Last year Spirit became bogged down in soft sand and a long process was embarked upon to try to extricate it. NASA have finally given up on this and are now working to improve its tilt to capture more sunlight through the martian winter. This will enable it to carry on its research but as a stationary platform.

NASA are also planning to monitor its position as a fixed point on the martian surface. Any wobble will provide vital clues to the composition of the martian core.

Have you seen the Zodiacal Light?

The answer is possibly yes as it is easier to see than many people think but what is it? Zodiacal light is sunlight reflected from dust particles in our solar system, ie in the space between the planets. It is at its brightest near the Sun so the best chance to see it is at the end of evening twilight or just before morning twilight.

Look for a glow in the shape of a tall triangle sitting on the horizon where the Sun has set (or will rise). It leans to the left at night following the ecliptic, ie the Sun's path. This is where the name comes from as it follows the line of the zodiac constellations.

It is often mistaken for light pollution but is quite distinct when you know what to look for, but you need a clear sky preferably away from the glow from nearby towns. Mid February to mid April is a good time to look for it in the evening in the northern hemisphere.

Astrofest 2010

The annual UK astronomy showcase will be held next Friday and Saturday (5th and 6th February) in Kensington Town Hall as usual. If you've not been before I recommend it as a good place to see the wide range of equipment that is available to the modern amateur. There are some excellent talks on offer as well.

Lee and I shall be helping on the Vixen stand and hope to see you there. Do stop by and say hello. We hope to have the new AXD mount at the show. Fingers crossed that it will arrive in time.

Big Garden Bird Watch

If you like to observe at closer quarters and by day then you might be interested in tomorrow's birdwatch organised by the RSPB. All you need is a paper and pencil, a cup of tea and a spare hour. Of course, it helps if you can recognise the birds you see but most people can recognise quite a few.

There is help and advice on the RSPB web site and details of what to do with your results. The RSPB encourage you to top up your feeders to bring more birds into your garden. Don't forget you can buy a wide range of food, feeders and nest boxes from Green Witch. We can't supply them in time for tomorrow but there is much inexpensive pleasure to be gained from having feeders out and filled throughout the year.

A Better approach to Digiscoping

You may have seen some of the many methods of attaching a digital camera to a field telescope. To my mind most of them are a bit Heath Robinson although the images you can get make it well worthwhile. Minox have introduced a camera that fits in place of the eyepiece to give a well-engineered solution.

The camera resulation is high enough to produce excellent images and it is easy and convenient to use. Although designed primarily for Minox telescopes versions are available to fit Leica, Swarovski, Zeiss and Kowa telescopes. Further details can be found here on our web site

The Best Binoculars in the World?

They have been eagerly awaited for 18 months or more but the new 8.5x42 EL binoculars from Swarovski have finally arrived. They are stunning and the wait has been worth it. It must be extremely challenging for top flight manufacturers to improve their binoculars but Swarovski have succeeded with the new ELs. If your pockets are deep and you have to have the best these are the ones to choose. Try them at our showroom. 

Binocular Sale

It's a constant battle keeping our binocular range under control. We find it hard to resist temptation whenever a rep turns up with a new binocular that impresses us. From time to time we have to rationalise and we've just had a good sort out. The result is some real bargains we want to sell quickly to make space in the showroom. If you're in the area why not call in to try some of them.

The low prices mean you can afford a decent pair just to keep in the car or in a handy place in the house for garden birds.

Pingu is Back

The little Infinity 76 we call Pingu unofficially is available once more. These are super children's telescopes and we usually sell a lot for Christmas. This year supplies were short because of a break-in and theft at the distributors. We now have new stocks and they make great presents for youngsters with enquiring minds.

And finally...

I must apologise for the long delay since the last newsletter. The run up to Christmas was very busy for us (fortunately) and the change to VAT created a great deal of extra work which we still haven't finished. In fact, last year I seemed to spend an inordinate amount of time dealing with price changes resulting from the first VAT change and fluctuating exchange rates. Lets hope 2010 is a bit more stable as I'd rather be helping customers than doing paperwork.

Clear Skies and Best Wishes

Neil

www.green-witch.com
www.arizonaskyvillage.co.uk