Tufty Posted November 18, 2022 Share Posted November 18, 2022 I can't align by polaris as my house is in the way. So I use marks I've made from parallels to polaris from other positions. But checking these recently I found my magnetic compass bearing was now showing almost the same as my True North compass. I know magnetic lines move but could it be so different from the time i moved in, or are my compasses faulty? Further research indicates we are in the middle of an historic event. Ordnance Survey says that for the first time in history Magnetic, True and Grid Norths have come into alignment this November making landfall at Langton Matravers Dorset UK. This line stays in the UK drifting East for a couple of years. Apparently the magnetic fields flipped in 2014 and nobody told me this was on the cards. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nightspore Posted November 18, 2022 Share Posted November 18, 2022 I've more or less abandoned EQ's for AZ. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted November 18, 2022 Share Posted November 18, 2022 For context and explanation for everybody here is Ordnance Surveys webpage showing the event https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/newsroom/news/three-norths-align-great-britain#:~:text=Early November 2022 will see,for the first time ever. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tufty Posted November 18, 2022 Author Share Posted November 18, 2022 25 minutes ago, TerryMcK said: For context and explanation for everybody here is Ordnance Surveys webpage showing the event https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/newsroom/news/three-norths-align-great-britain#:~:text=Early November 2022 will see,for the first time ever. Thank for that. I should have posted a link. Thought this would have been a more major news item nationally, but I guess everyone uses GPS now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tufty Posted November 18, 2022 Author Share Posted November 18, 2022 38 minutes ago, Nightspore said: I've more or less abandoned EQ's for AZ. I decided both were necessary! I became obsessed with computing altitudes despite Stellarium doing this for me (if I'm going to be a geek, may as well go all the way). In fact, part of my charting homework project is about plotting accurate angular distances. I discovered the circles on my eq mount are very clunky. I wonder if there is a super accurate (ie dials and positioning) eq 1 or 2 I could mount a finder scope of some kind on to assist?? An altaz, I decided, gives me something akin to the meridien mapping scope at the Greenwich observatory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nightspore Posted November 18, 2022 Share Posted November 18, 2022 21 minutes ago, Tufty said: I decided both were necessary! I became obsessed with computing altitudes despite Stellarium doing this for me (if I'm going to be a geek, may as well go all the way). In fact, part of my charting homework project is about plotting accurate angular distances. I discovered the circles on my eq mount are very clunky. I wonder if there is a super accurate (ie dials and positioning) eq 1 or 2 I could mount a finder scope of some kind on to assist?? An altaz, I decided, gives me something akin to the meridien mapping scope at the Greenwich observatory. I sometimes (rarely) use an EQ for plane of the ecliptic viewing (lunar/planetary). Although personally, in my experience, these aren't that accurate. Maybe I should take this out more lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tufty Posted November 18, 2022 Author Share Posted November 18, 2022 Ah! A Goto! - that's cheating! Lol astronomy should involve laborious calculations with pencil and paper and log tables! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nightspore Posted November 18, 2022 Share Posted November 18, 2022 Well, I just like looking at stuff lol. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tufty Posted November 18, 2022 Author Share Posted November 18, 2022 2 hours ago, Nightspore said: Well, I just like looking at stuff lol. I'm sure there's a way of taxing that! Via the celestial licence office lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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