Working for yourself has many advantages, but taking long Summer breaks is not one of them. While the break is always welcome. it costs you a shedload in lost revenue, and creates so much of a backlog of work when you return, that you need another holiday to get over it. This years break was no exception and will a computer failure on the day I official got back to work, it’s taken three…
What's that Blue Stuff?
Well I was about to write that it’s been at least 3 weeks since it’s been clear enough to go out and observe, but I was wrong. My log shows the last clearish night we had was on the 24th June. Either way, it seems like an age since I looked through an eyepiece. Even during the day, the weather has been awful recently, but this morning the sky had larger bits of blue…
A bit of Art Wank!
Another trundle to Penzance and the The Newlyn Art Gallery for the Shezad Dawood exhibition. British artist Shezad Dawood (b1974) works across media in film, painting and light sculpture. His Indian and Pakistani roots have inspired a broad mapping within his practice, remixing various artistic traditions, and recalling influences as diverse as cosmology, science fiction and Sufism. I must admit I thought this was going to be a load of old tosh, but I really enjoyed it….
So what's this Observational Malarky all about then?
Since the Observatory went back online earlier this year, I’ve had a few months to start working my way through the Messier Objects. While there are literally hundreds of observer lists to choose from, the Messier list is probably the best known and it seems to me to be a good starting point from which to launch an observing programme While I’ve been into astronomy since early 2000 and steered my interest toward astronomical…
The Sunday Brunch
Really chuffed to bits to see that one of my images has been included in Impossible Projects ‘Sunday Brunch’ this month.
My new toy!
An Isolette V made by Agfa Cameraverk between 1950-52. I just love the compact size this little beauty folds down too. About the size of a modern entry level DSLR, but nowhere as thick, she shoots 6×6 and fits in your pocket. There seem to be hundreds of these on ebay and I paid around the average for mine. The lens is an Agfa Agnar f/4.5/ 85mm focal length on a three speed Vario shutter,…