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By a very rough counting, 5 bright stars were spotted last night. The haze is cleared but the clouds are brought here by the monsoon. When I just done setting up my telescope, the Moon was blocked by my house. So, there’s no Moon’s photo. How I wish I have an observatory on a mountain top! It’s rainning now when I write this. Tonight will be another clear night with some clouds.
Last paper tomorrow. After this, I can write a lot again. 
Look! The transparency is so good now. This photo was taken at 4:15PM yesterday. It was going to rain soon and it did. The air is so fresh as it was rainning just now. If I am not mistaken, the monsoon season has come. Oh well…… my stargazing is not so smooth. May be I will have quite a few super clear nights. Let’s wait for it!
By the way, I am having my last paper on Monday. I am not sure whether I can post an article on Sunday. Sorry to all my loyal readers.
Light pollution in Malaysia
Light pollution, we hate it but some of us have to live with it especially those who live in suburban and urban areas. If you want to know how severe it is, try to look at the photos above. These are for those who live in South-East Asia and Malaysia, you may refer to The night sky in the World for yours.
To know more about the scale on the left, please visit John Bortle’s Light Pollution Scale.
I previously said that the light pollution in Kluang is affecting my observing but the image tells me that the pollution is totally near to zero. I shall say that the road lamp and my neighbours’ lamps are affecting me instead of the previous thought.
We determine how powerful a telescope is mostly by resolution and the light gathering power. So, what is light gathering power?
Left is a Celestron CGE-800 which has a light gathering power of 843.
The light gathering power of a telescope is the theoretical ability of a telescope to collect light compared to your fully dilated eye. It takes both aperture and your fully dilated eye into factors. The larger the aperture, the higher the light grasp. It is directly proportional to the square of the aperture.
To calculate this, first, you have to divide the diameter of aperture (in mm) by the diameter of fully dilated eye (7mm for a normal young man) and then square the result. For instance, an 8″ telescope has a light gathering power of 843 [(203.2/7)² = 843].
Well, my stargazing sessions are either ceased by the cloudy skies or the hazy skies. Now, the haze here is unhealthy to one’s health. Some are suffering from sore throat, flu and more. The mountain in the photo is Gunung Lambak. You can hardly see the mountain’s outline due to the haze. Please, don’t burn anymore next year.
Dear every Meade telescope users, you’re now given a chance to submit your photo taken with Meade telescopes. I am looking forward a chance to take lunar images. Submit your photo here.
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