While I am still doing the Herschel 2500 (and getting sidetracked into looking at other objects in the vicinity of whatever I’m observing) I am doing other things as well. I have drawn up a list of the easier Abell planetaries, i.e. not the really faint little horrors you’d need a 48″ to see, and I hope to begin that list once the Moon is out of the way if the weather, which is becoming more unsettled, co-operates. Short summer nights don’t help observing projects but being currently unemployed means that, at least, I can do some observing through the dark hours at this time.

I received a tax rebate this week for a bit of work I did over the winter. They still can’t get my tax code correct so I end up paying over the odds, but that doesn’t matter because I always get it back eventually and, when you look at it, it is a form of saving. While common sense dictates I ought to save it, I’m of the opinion that you only live once and life is too short, so I am hopefully going to the USA on an observing trip in autumn. Jimi Lowrey, who owns the 48″ at Fort Davis, TX, has suggested I could join him for an observing run and that sounds is mighty tempting. I’ll have to look into how much the air fare will cost and how I will actually manage to get to Fort Davis from the airport, but all this depends on whether my car needs any repairs during its annual inspection next month…

Today’s Sun