Rainbow behind clouds

Never seen a rainbow disappear behind a cloud.

Rainbow over Leicester

Taken with 5 mega-pixel digicam and stitched together in Microsoft Live Photo Gallery.

Last post for May

Venus has gone from the evening sky in our part of Leicester, so here are some shots of the Moon.

Firstly here's Copernicus.

And now, another ray crater ... Tycho.

Both these shots taken with a 2x Barlow.

Now, the south polar region with a 5x Barlow.

Lastly, no Barlow. Just 4 shots begging to be stitched together...

Moon on a 5x Barlow...

Trying to find Venus in the twilight sky, but no luck.

Got a couple of 'normal' moon pictures and then tried my new 5x Barlow on the Moon for the first time.

Focussing needs a feather-light touch, that's my excuse for why they are a bit blurry!!

If You're Fed Up With Soccer Aid...

...here's Venus, only 10 days away from inferior conjunction and the transit, and another beautiful couple of shots of the Moon.

Actually, Soccer Aid's good fun and in a good cause, unlike Eurovision!!

If You're Fed Up With Eurovision...

...here's the crescent Venus, fast disappearing into the evening twilight, and a beautiful waxing Moon.

Earthshine

Everything on the digi-cam up full. Note the solitary peak catching the sunlight at the South Pole.

Moon and Venus showing same phase

Guess which one's closest!

3 day old crescent Moon

Very murky twilight after a blazing hot day. Couldn't see Venus at all through the misty sky.

2 views of the waning Venus

Bottom view without any Barlow lens, top view with 2x Barlow.

Venus, through my new 5x Barlow

The new Barlow lens arrived today, and here's Venus, over twice the size as last time, but very hard to focus and find. Telescope wouldn't self-align as the sky was too bright, so relied on the red-dot finder and luck...

Looking forward to next week when the Moon is back in the evening sky.

Venus still fuzzy

As Venus gets lower in the bright twilight, the planet gets more difficult to get a decent shot of. Using a 2X Barlow with the camera.

Ordered a 5X Barlow today in the hope of getting better pictures of Saturn.

Fuzzy Venus, again

Venus glimpsed between the clouds. Starting to sink lower every evening as we head towards the transit...

Venus

Skies clear during BGT so here's a quick pic of Venus.

Venus and Saturn

Clear skies at last over Leicester. Venus' phase continues to shrink and I capture Saturn for the first time.

Fuzzy Venus

From the same observing session, a very fuzzy Venus through clouds. Still experimenting with settings on the camera...things can only get better.

And an experimental video of the moon, emerging from clouds, hence the brightening at the end.

Moon after a very rainy Sunday

The moon glimpsed through a gap in the clouds after a very rainy Sunday.