Return of an old friend

[Guest]

Rather later than most years, I have just had my first summer sighting of M45. It is a sort of bittersweet time, as despite 33 degrees today, it will soon be August Bank Holiday and the end of summer as we know it. As one of the senior members of this board, I wonder how many times I will spot M45 for the first time in summer. Even if I live more than another 20 years, will my eyesight still be up to it? I'm diabetic, by the way, so there's no guarantee I will be able to see when I draw my terminal breath.

[+RonC]

That's a bit deep Philip, I just enjoy each day as it comes and I can't see M45 at all at the moment as all my kit is packed up after a house move. So you're one up on me!!

 

Cheers

Ron

[Smithysteve]

Hey Phil, I am getting a bit old in the tooth too, I am older than you, and have retired, so at least now I have time to see a lot more of my hobbies than ever before. I don't worry about getting older too much! ? 

I saw M45 on the 11th Aug for the first time this year and had the same feeling as you! I do like to witness the passing of the seasons, it all starts to make sense of our relentless spinning through space and time... things come and go but there are always things in the pipeline too, like Orion's neb etc, we need to see things afresh and we need to let them disappear- absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that! ?

I take it you have not retired yet Phil, when do you hope to do so?

 

[Tweedledee]

And I'm catching up age-wise too.

 

I have yet to see M45 this summer, but I'm happy in the knowledge that I will enjoy looking at it when I do eventually see it again. Had I been retired I would almost certainly have seen it by now, but I value my sleep and need to perform and concentrate during normal working hours. No doubt sooner or later I will see it on one of my (thankfully few) insomniac nights, but will suffer the next day. In the absence of M45, I am very content that there are many things in the sky I've seen before and hope to see again, and even more I have yet to see, whatever the time of night or year.

 

Got to look on the bright side Phil and make the most of what you have.

[Guest]

On ‎24‎/‎08‎/‎2016 at 10:50, Smithysteve said:

Hey Phil, I am getting a bit old in the tooth too, I am older than you, and have retired, so at least now I have time to see a lot more of my hobbies than ever before. I don't worry about getting older too much! ? 

I saw M45 on the 11th Aug for the first time this year and had the same feeling as you! I do like to witness the passing of the seasons, it all starts to make sense of our relentless spinning through space and time... things come and go but there are always things in the pipeline too, like Orion's neb etc, we need to see things afresh and we need to let them disappear- absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that! ?

I take it you have not retired yet Phil, when do you hope to do so?

 

Hi Steve,

 

I haven't retired but am currently unemployed and looking for work. Long story but what I really need is a part-time job with full-time wages! I actually hope/expect to retire past my state retirement age. For one thing I really want a solar hydrogen alpha solution more advanced than a PST. Then there's a camera mount to track objects. The idea of doing a one minute exposure of M45 at 300mm is amazing. I can only manage about 3 seconds with an undriven mount.

 

Strangely enough, I prefer the Beehive (M44) as a visual target. Yet many of us have an emotional attachment to M45.

[Guest]

... and here it is "on film":