View Full Version : Astronomy events
Hi everyone
Use this topic for posts about ongoing/upcoming stargazing events (e.g., comets, eclipses, occultations, meteor showers, etc.).
-Phobos
RuroumiKenshin
Mar17-03, 07:48 PM
Phobos: Do you mean ANY sky watch? There's one here in Sacramento, I think. It's supposed to be every last Friday of the month.
My previous link didn't work.
Try this:
RuroumiKenshin
Mar18-03, 07:27 PM
Umm, I don't think the link works, Mentat.
Why are auroras only visible in Alaska?
Nicool003
Mar19-03, 03:42 PM
Well for news on what is happening in april....
National Dark Sky Week starts in early April! go here (http://www.nationaldarkskyweek.htmlplanet.com)
Help reduce light pollution and observe the night sky!
Originally posted by MajinVegeta
Phobos: Do you mean ANY sky watch? There's one here in Sacramento, I think. It's supposed to be every last Friday of the month.
Star parties are ok to list here too. In general, I meant things like letting everyone know about upcoming astronomical events (like, events in the sky).
For example, you amateur astronomers might be interested to know that the asteroid Vesta will be visible (binocs, small 'scopes) later this month Peak magnitude on March 27.
see here for more details...
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/asteroids/article_895_1.asp
Basically, use this topic to keep everyone informed of interesting things to watch for and offer advice for best viewing, etc.
Don't know how much advance notice you need, but in August, Mars will be closer to Earth than it has been for 73,000 years. Its apparent diameter will be larger than Saturn's planetary disk is when Saturn is at opposition.
Get your telescopes ready now.
Nicool003
Mar20-03, 09:01 PM
Yeah well Labguy I just ran and got my telescope ready anyways [:D]
That is quite interesting! I havent gotten to use my new telescope much this winter because it has been too darn cloudy... HOPEFULLY it wont be this spring and summer!
For neat and detailed stuff, you can go to JPL's calendar and click on the month of your choice.
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/calendar/
For instance, go to Aug. 28th to find out the Mars info I mentioned above.
Nicool003
Mar21-03, 12:43 PM
hmmm do you guys think I or Astronomer107 *looks for Astronomer107*
or just me I guess contact them to see if they could put NDSW on tehir calender?
By the way Astronomer107 should be rejoining PF soon she has been very busy she got web. press realeases and she has been interviewed twice and has been talking constantly to a few people at IDSA (international dark sky association)
Excellent topic Phobos!
I don't really have much to add at this time, other than Jupiter is pretty darn bright. Last night the sky was overcast, but Jupiter still shown through the clouds. (At least by Notre Dame.) Amazing.
I think Jupiter is supposed to start moving West-to-East soon too.
(Saturn and Mars are still pretty bright right now too.)
http://www.heavens-above.com is awesome. Register free, log in coordinates and let the site give you viewing times for different events and where to look. At the moment Comet Kudo-Fujikawa is just below the front foot of Orion (Betelgeuse), this is the data. I'll have to have a look tonight. Not sure if you can see 11.1 magnitude with the naked eye from the city. Don't know enough about it.
All data valid for local time 15:08:13, 28 Mar (UTC 04:08:13, 28 Mar)
Geocentric Data
Right Ascension (J2000): 5h 5m 6.8s
Declination (J2000): -11° 54' 23"
Constellation: Lepus
Magnitude: 11.1
Distance from Earth: 1.4735 AU
Light time: 735 seconds
Heliocentric Data
Distance from Sun: 1.4851 AU
Perihelion: 0.1901 AU
(29-Jan-2003)
Aphelion: 38,016.21 AU
Period: 2,620,714.4 years
Eccentricity: 0.999990
Inclination to ecliptic: 94.151°
Longitude of ascending node: 119.067°
Argument of perihelion: 187.561°
Raavin
[:D]
Not sure if you can see 11.1 magnitude with the naked eye from the city. Don't know enough about it. No, you couldn't. If you were in very dark skies in a very dark spot in the western US, magnitude 6 seen naked eye is considered very good seeing. The darkest I have ever seen was one night when a magnitude 6.9 star could be seen, but this is very rare. Magnitude 11 is usually considered near the limit for a good 8 inch telescope.
I heard from a math major who's taking the astronomy class at my school that there is a nebula or a new star forming in Orion's belt. Can anybody confirm that?
Originally posted by Sting
I heard from a math major who's taking the astronomy class at my school that there is a nebula or a new star forming in Orion's belt. Can anybody confirm that? Yes, it is one of the largest star forming regions known.
http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/2000/19/
Thanks Labguy!
I was just outside looking at Orion and it's just so amazing thinking of something like that going on while my eyes are on it (not literally of course).
Some info for April skywatchers:
--------------------
Moon Phases:
April 1 - New
April 9 - 1st Quarter
April 16 - Full
April 23 - Last Quarter
--------------------
Planets Visible For April 2003: (as quoted from www.space.com)
-Mercury, having conjuncted with the Sun in March, is back in the evening sky. This month offers an excellent chance for to catch this illusive planet. Observational circumstances improve through April 16, when Mercury is at its "greatest elongation east," and then diminish. Look for it in the west-northwest as soon as it gets dark. Among the faint stars of Pisces and Aries, it sets an hour and a half to two hours after the Sun.
-Venus, while still in the morning sky, rises only a short while before the Sun and is not easy to see this month. If you insist, look very low in the east southeast at morning twilight.
-Mars rises several hours before the Sun, but doesn’t get very high in the sky before dawn. (The farther South you go, the better it gets. In fact, observers in the Southern Hemisphere see it quite high in the sky before dawn.) Mars starts the month in Sagittarius and ends in Capricornus. While it is not exceptionally bright, its ruddy color makes it stand out.
-Jupiter, having been in retrograde motion since early December, becomes stationary on April 4 and thereafter resumes normal forward (eastward) motion among the stars. It moves slowly through the faint stars of Cancer, beginning the month very near the "Beehive" star cluster (M44). Both should fit nicely into a binocular field of view, with Jupiter slightly below and to the left of the cluster in the early evening, just to the left later on.
-Saturn is fairly well up in the early evening southestern sky, in "horns" of Taurus, the Bull. It lingers near the star Zeta Tauri, above Orion and some 7 or 8 degrees below the star cluster M35 at the feet of Gemini. But look early, Saturn sets by midnight or before.
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Sunday, 4/6
Daylight Saving Time returns, 2 a.m.
(Except for me, I switch time zones. Really!)
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Tuesday, 4/22
Lyrid Meteors, 1:00 p.m.
The timing for this meteor shower emanating from the constellation Lyra is not good. However, this shower is actually spread out quite a bit, so even if you can’t observe peak time (mid-day) you may be able to see some meteors in the hours before dawn on both Tuesday and Wednesday. If you’re an early bird, Lyra is high in the east-southeast at about 4 a.m. There will be a bright Moon in the sky at that time, too.
--------------------
Use this from the US Naval Observatory to get about anything you need except for sky charts.
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/
Use one of these for sky charts:
http://www.heavens-above.com./
http://www.weatherunderground.com/sky/index.asp
Break out your binoculars folks because M44 also known as Beehive star cluster is near Jupiter in tonight’s sky. Binoculars are a great way to view this if you have a good clear sky. I wide field of view will let you get a good glimpse of the cluster and Jupiter.
Astronomy Picture of the Day:
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030403.html
Sky and Telescope has more:
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/planets/article_897_1.asp
And, Saturn is moving East again, (was retrograde) and is quite high in the western sky after sunset. Last night I got a hell of a view of Saturn and the Crab Nebula in the same field of view using a low power eyepiece in two different telescopes. I didn't check any sky program, but they appeared to be about 0.8 degrees apart. Should be moving closer in the next week or so.
Check it out. There won't be many chances to see something like this very often.
Originally posted by Nebula
Break out your binoculars folks because M44 also known as Beehive star cluster is near Jupiter in tonight’s sky.
thanks, Nebula
I checked it out last night.
M44 is usually tough for me because of light pollution around my home.
screwball
Apr25-03, 02:21 PM
Total Lunar Eclipse May 15-16
http://www.space.com/spacewatch/lunar_eclipse_news_030425.html
Sky-Watcher Info for May 2003 (Sources: space.com, heavens-above.com)
=======================
Moon Phases:
-May 1 - New Moon
-May 9 - 1st Quarter
-May 15 - Full
-May 22 - Last Quarter
-May 31 - New Moon
-May 15 - Lunar Eclipse - This Full Moon marks the first time a total lunar eclipse has been visible anywhere in North America since January 9, 2001. The full eclipse can be seen in roughly the Eastern third of the continent, while the remainder witnesses varying stages. The umbral phase of partial eclipse begins at 10:03 p.m. Totality begins at approximately 11:14 p.m., greatest eclipse is 11:40 p.m., and totality is over by 12:07 a.m. on Friday. The umbral phase of partiality is over at 1:17 a.m. (I'm not sure what time-zone, I would guess EDT.)
-May 31 - New Moon, 12:20 a.m. (Annular Eclipse) Eclipses tend to come in pairs, so this New Moon provides the solar complement to mid-May’s total lunar eclipse. This annular eclipse of the Sun is visible throughout much of Eastern and Northern Europe, Central Asia, the Arctic, and northern parts of the Middle East. Unfortunately, most of North America except far Northwestern Canada and Alaska will miss out entirely.
--------
Planets:
-Mars slowly but surely continues to brighten as we head toward an historically close approach in late August. Rising in Capricornus an hour or so after midnight, it is still relatively low in the southeastern sky at sunrise. Now in the negative magnitudes, Mars is brighter than any star in its vicinity of the sky.
-Jupiter, in Cancer about half-way between Gemini and Leo, still dominates the evening sky and is impossible to miss because it is so bright. It is almost overhead around 8 p.m. but slightly toward the west at the beginning of the month. Its nightly procession of moons provides fascination in a small telescope, but only the four largest (of the 60 or so now known) can be seen. Look early, though, as Jupiter sets by roughly 1 a.m.
-Saturn, although still bright, is low in the west at sunset, roughly between Aldebaran (Taurus) and Pollux (Gemini). Unfortunately, the Sun is rushing toward a conjunction with Saturn in late June, and the Ringed Planet is all but lost in the solar glare by the end of the month.
-Mercury, is in the dawn skies but cannot be easily seen, laying quite low on the eastern horizon for most to of the month.
-Venus, like Mercury, is low in the east at sunrise, but a bit higher and much brighter. Overall, however, it is still too close to the Sun to be observed easily.
-May 7 - Mercury transits the sun
-May 7,8 - Moon approaches Jupiter
-May 21 - Moon approaches Mars in SouthEastern predawn sky, costellation of Capricornus. Neptune is also near, but requires telescope.
-May 28 - Moon approaches Venus, Mercury, dawn. The hairline Crescent Moons nears Venus and Mercury about a half hour before sunrise in the eastern sky. The Moon is less than 10 degrees high, and Venus lower still to the left. Tiny Mercury is a couple of degrees from Venus, at the four-o'clock position. Caution: This is a difficult observation requiring clear skies and an unobstructed eastern horizon. (The Moon occults or eclipses Venus at about midnight, but this cannot be seen in North America. Observers in the Indian Ocean area and the Far East are well-placed, however.)
--------
Comets:
-Comet NEAT (C/2002 V1): In Constellation Eridanus, Magnitude 13.0. http://heavens-above.com/comet.asp?cid=C%2F2002+V1&Session=kebgcgpjkoioofaijpeopjdp
-Comet Kudo-Fujikawa (C/2002 X5): Near the border of Orion (top) and Tarus (left), Magnitude 14.0. (Saturn might be in the way at the moment, give it a day or three.) http://heavens-above.com/comet.asp?cid=C%2F2002+X5&Session=kebgcgpjkoioofaijpeopjdp
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tidbit from CNN about this week's lunar eclipse...
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/05/11/lunar.eclipse.ap/index.html
Originally posted by Phobos
[s(] #$%@$ cloudy night
I second that!
More comets on the way:
Possibly visible Spring 2004 - The comet NEAT designated as C/2001 Q4 (as opposed to C/2002 V1 mentioned above - both discovered by the NEAT team.)
and comet C/2002 T7 (LINEAR) might be visible as well around May 2004.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=96&ncid=96&e=1&u=/space/20030516/sc_space/comet_could_brighten_night_skies_next_spring
In case you haven't heard...
There will be a partial solar eclipse on May 31. It should be observable in the Northern Hemisphere, best viewed in Europe/MiddleEast/North Africa area. North America should be able to view it also I think I remember.
*WARNING* Do NOT look directly at the sun, ever!
Instead use the 'ol pin-hole camera or good filters.
Skywatcher's Information for June 2003
Some information from www.space.com, www.astronomy.com
---------------------------------------------
Moon Phases:
June 7 - 1st Quarter
June 14 - Full Moon
June 21 - Last Quarter
June 29 - New Moon
-------------------
Planets:
-Mercury is poorly placed for observation this month. It reaches greatest western elongation on the 3rd, meaning that it is at its farthest point from the Sun as seen from Earth (about 24 degrees this time) and in the morning sky. Although this usually is a good thing for observers, in this instance the planet hugs the horizon and is still quite low at sunrise. It is near Venus however, which may slightly improve the chances of observing it. Look very low in the East-northeast just at the beginning of dawn.
Venus is not well-placed for observing during June. However, it is much brighter than Mercury, and if you can find one, you may be able to find the other. Venus is only a few degrees high, and thus you need a very low horizon, but look to the East-northeast about a half hour before sunrise.
Mars rises at roughly 1 a.m. in Capricornus at the beginning of the month and before midnight in Aquarius at the end. It is reasonably well placed for observing shortly before dawn in the southeastern sky, shining at a bright minus one magnitude. Its brightness and observability continue to improve until its "super opposition" at the end of August.
Jupiter is the only observable planet in the evening sky this month. Look for it in the western sky at nightfall, in Cancer. Although low in the sky, it is still bright and a small telescope reveals its family of Galilean Moons – the same satellites discovered by Galileo nearly 400 years ago.
Saturn, in Taurus, is just too close to the Sun this month to be observed from the Northern Hemisphere. It conjuncts with the Sun (that is, it is more or less in line with the Sun) on June 24.
-------------------
Day-by-day for June 2003: (Day-of-the-week, Month/Day)
Sunday, 6/1
-Saturn 4 degrees south of moon.
Thursday, 6/5
-Moon passes Jupiter, 2:00 a.m.
(Jupiter 4 degrees south of moon.)
The Moon and Jupiter are below the western horizon when this event occurs, but you can see the nearly First Quarter Moon approaching Jupiter among the stars of Cancer earlier in the evening. They never really get all that close (about 4 degrees or 8 times the diameter of the Full Moon), but make a nice site in the western sky.
Saturday, 6/7
-First Quarter Moon, 4:28 p.m.
The Moon is just on the western side of a line drawn from the point on the horizon due South to the zenith (a "meridian") at sunset on this evening in a distinctive letter "D" shape. The First Quarter Moon is 90 degrees to the left of the Sun. If the Sun sat due west, then the First Quarter Moon would be due south at sunset. However, in the late Spring and Summer the Sun sets farther to the north and in effect drags the Moon along with it. Thus the First Quarter Moons of Summer are a bit farther to the west at sunset.
Also this day, apparently, Uranus looks stationary.
Monday, 6/9
-Pluto at opposition.
Thursday, 6/12
-Moon at perigee.
Saturday, 6/14
-Full Moon, 7:16 a.m.
This is the Full Moon nearest the June Solstice; it is low in the sky, thus giving it a more yellow or honey golden appearance due to the thicker layers of air through which its light must pass.
Tuesday, 6/17
-Neptune 5 degrees north of moon.
Wednesday, 6/18
-Venus 5 degrees north of Aldebaran.
Thursday, 6/19
-Mars 1.7 degrees north of moon - Moon Passes Mars, 2 a.m.
-Uranus 5 degrees north of moon.
-Mercury 4 degrees north of Aldebaran.
At the closest point, the Moon is only about 1.7 degrees south of Mars (just more than three lunar diameters). This specific event is visible in the southeast quadrant of the sky from Eastern North America. In much of the West the pair have not risen at this time, but are still be quite close when then do rise.
Friday, 6/20
-Mars 3 degrees south of Uranus.
-Venus passes Mercury, 10:00 p.m.
Venus and Mercury are in the morning sky, so this event is not visible in the evening. However, you can look before dawn on both Friday and Saturday mornings. This is not an easy observation, however, as both planets are very close to the Sun and close to being lost in the glare. A half hour before sunrise they are only a few degrees above the East-northeastern horizon. A clear sky, a low horizon, sharp eyes and probably binoculars are needed.
Saturday, 6/21
-Last Quarter Moon, 10:45 a.m.
It rises again after midnight and doesn't set until after noon Sunday. As the First Quarter Moon is 90 degrees to the left (East) of the Sun as viewed from the Northern Hemisphere of Earth, the Last Quarter Moon is 90 degrees to the right (West).
-Solstice, 3:10 p.m.
The Sun reaches its farthest point North for the year, meaning that in North America and Europe (and all of the Northern Hemisphere north of the tropic of Cancer) the Sun reaches its highest point in the sky at local solar noon. This is also the longest day of the year. In Britain this is traditionally known as "midsummer," but in the U.S. it marks the official (or astronomical) beginning of Summer. By contrast, at the South Pole, which has already experienced three months without the Sun and expect three more, this is the darkest day of the year.
Tuesday, 6/24
-Saturn in conjunction with sun.
-Moon at apogee.
Sunday, 6/29
-New Moon, 2:39 p.m.
New Moon really means "no Moon" because you can't see it at all except during an eclipse such as the one that happened last month. This month, however, the Moon passes to the North of the Sun by a few degrees and is completely lost in the glare. It likely will not be glimpsed again until Tuesday evening, when it appears as a thin thumbnail in the western evening twilight.
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J-man, this is the same info used by astrologists who try to incorporate as much scientific data in their interpretations as much as they can[;)]
if they don't, then they are not true astrologists[:))]
Everyone getting ready for the best viewing of Mars in thousands of years? (unless it's a cloudy summer) [g)]
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/planets/article_985_1.asp
Originally posted by Kerrie
J-man, this is the same info used by astrologists who try to incorporate as much scientific data in their interpretations as much as they can[;)]
if they don't, then they are not true astrologists[:))]
Okay...
At least somebody is reading this stuff. [:)]
Skywatcher's Information for July 2003
Some information from www.space.com, www.astronomy.com
================================================== ====
Moon phases:
------------
July 6 - 1st quarter
July 13 - Full moon
July 21 - Last quarter
July 29 - New moon
Planets: (This part may need updating later this month, I'm not sure I have it all correct.)
--------
-Mercury is still poorly placed for observation for most of July. It may be viewed in the morning sky near the horizon at the beginnning of the month. Look very low in the East-northeast just at the beginning of dawn. Later in the month, a half hour after sunset it is only a few degrees above the west-northwestern horizon.
-Venus, like Mercury, is not all that well-placed for observing during July. Venus is low to the horizon, but look to the East-northeast before and around sunrise at the beginning of the month.
-Mars rises before midnight in Aquarius at the beginning of the month. Its brightness and observability continue to improve until its "super opposition" at the end of August.
-Jupiter is in the western sky at nightfall, (in or to the West of Cancer?). Although low in the sky, it is still bright.
-Saturn is still too close to the Sun in early July to be observed from the Northern Hemisphere. It conjuncted with the Sun (that is, it is more or less in line with the Sun) on June 24. Later in the month it may be viewable.
Day-by-day: (All times ET unless noted)
-----------
Wednesday, 7/2
-Moon passes Jupiter, 5 p.m. (Jupiter 4 degrees south of moon)
This is similar to the passage last month, but the Moon is much thinner. The closest passage (about 4 degrees) comes in late afternoon, but the two are visible in the western twilight shortly after sunset. Jupiter will be just below the thin crescent Moon.
-Juno stationary
Friday, 7/4
-Earth at Aphelion, 2 a.m.
You could get up early to watch this, but don't expect fireworks (they come later). There really is nothing in particular to see. The aphelion is that point in the Earth's orbit at which it is farthest from the Sun. In this case it is 152,100,400 km (94,511,000 miles) away from our local life-giving luminary.
Saturday, 7/5
-Mercury in superior conjunction
Sunday, 7/6
-First Quarter Moon, 10:32 p.m.
Look for this "D" Moon in the southwest quadrant of the sky earlier in the evening, with Spica in Virgo about 10 degrees to the lower left. About 30 degrees above and slightly to the left is bright Arcturus in Bootes.
Tuesday, 7/8
-Venus 0.8° north of Saturn
Thursday, 7/10
-Moon at perigee
Sunday, 7/13
-Full Moon, 3:21 p.m.
In a kind of seesaw arrangement, while the Sun is high in the Summer, the Full Moon is low. This Full Moon will rise shortly after sunset, and at its highest point, which it reaches after midnight, it is low in the southern sky between Sagittarius and Capricornus. Full Moon Fever
Wednesday, 7/16
-Uranus 5 degrees north of moon
Thursday, 7/17
-Moon passes Mars, 4 a.m.
This is very close passage between the Moon and Mars. In fact, it is an occultation (eclipse) as viewed from locations in Central America, parts of the Pacific Ocean and elsewhere. Unfortunately for most folks in the populous areas of the Northern Hemisphere, this is just a close approach and passage, but it should be quite a nice sight, with Mars less than the width of the Moon away from the lunar orb.
Monday 7/21
-Last Quarter Moon, 3:01 a.m.
Between the two quarter Moons (first and last, or third) the Last Quarter is the one less observed. In fact, it is above the horizon and potentially visible just as much as the First Quarter Moon, but it has poor timing. On the average, this Moon rises around midnight, after most folks have gone to bed. It is in the sky until about noon the next day, but few people notice it in the bright day lit sky.
Tuesday, 7/22
-Moon at apogee
Friday, 7/25
-Mercury passes Jupiter, 9 p.m. (Mercury 0.4 degrees north of Jupiter)
These two planets are very close in the western twilight. At closest approach they are separated by only about a third of a degree. Unfortunately, a half hour after sunset they are only a few degrees above the west-northwestern horizon. Given clear skies and a low view to the west, they should be visible perhaps 15 degrees to the left of the setting point of the Sun. Look with binoculars. Mercury is only slightly dimmer than Jupiter, and is just above and to the right of the King of Planets.
Saturday, 7/26
-Saturn 4 degrees south of moon
Sunday, 7/27
-Delta Aquarid Meteor Shower "starts" (see Monday 7/28)
Monday, 7/28
-South Delta Aquarid Meteor Shower peak, 2 a.m.
Although hardly comparable to the Persieds coming up in about two weeks, the South Delta Aquarids have a major advantage this year – no Moon to interfere. This shower radiates from Aquarius, which at 2 a.m. is well up in the south-southeastern sky, to the left of the "boomerang" shape of Capricornus. At peak, a sharp-eyed observer with clear dark skies should see about 20 meteors per hour. (This shower has a broad peak, so if you miss it by a day one way or the other, you should still see meteors from the shower.)
Tuesday, 7/29
-New Moon, 2:53 a.m.
You can't see it, but it improves star, planet and meteor watching.
-Delta Aquarid Meteor Shower continues
Wednesday, 7/30
-Delta Aquarid meteor shower continues
-Mars stationary
-Jupiter 4 degrees south of moon
-Mercury 0.2 degrees north of Regulus
-Mercury 5 degrees south of moon
-Jupiter, Mercury & the Moon, early evening
This is a difficult observation, quite low in the west-northwestern sky shortly after sunset. Lowest in the sky is Jupiter, now significantly brighter than Mercury, which is a few degrees above and the left of the brighter planet. The star Regulus is just to the lower right of Mars, and a very thin Crescent Moon is just above it and to the right. The Moon is the highest of all of these in the sky, but even it is only 8-10 degrees high about a half-hour after sunset.
Hey, guys. Keep the monthly summary above for all predictable events. But, here is a neat site to visit that shows the "latest" astronomical events before they can make it to any magazines, etc.
http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iauc/RecentIAUCs.html
Cool, thanks for the link.
(on a side-note: apparently, Poverty is located somewhere around Florida/Gulf of Mexico. That means I must be mistaken - I must be in SubPoverty. ;-) )
Originally posted by J-Man
Cool, thanks for the link.
(on a side-note: apparently, Poverty is located somewhere around Florida/Gulf of Mexico. That means I must be mistaken - I must be in SubPoverty. ;-) ) Yes, Poverty is very far south in CONUS. Anything with a lower Latitude is in Sub-Poverty.
__________________________________________________
This message was produced using entirely meaningless information.
Originally posted by J-Man
-Mars rises before midnight in Aquarius at the beginning of the month. Its brightness and observability continue to improve until its "super opposition" at the end of August.
It's already the brightest I've ever seen it! Time to dust off my telescope. (been using mostly binocs lately)
Dagenais
Jul21-03, 11:04 PM
Don't know if this has already been mentioned but on July 24:
1. Full Moon
2. Comet du Toit-Neujmin-Delporte Closest approach to Earth
Yeah I cant wait to view mars, it's supposed to be spectacular. I was reading the Discover Magazine article and it hasn't been this bright in 5,000 years!
Originally posted by Shadow
Yeah I cant wait to view mars, it's supposed to be spectacular. I was reading the Discover Magazine article and it hasn't been this bright in 5,000 years!
Start looking now....don't wait for just the peak day (closest approach to Earth). It will still be great for weeks before & after the peak.
Dagenais
Jul22-03, 11:34 PM
I'm still a beginning Astronomer, viewing that is. I can never find planets.
I have studied more in Cosmology.
Astronomy is more interesting though, at least from what I know.
Astronomy is great...and the more you are familiar with the night sky, the more you will appreciate cosmology too.
Originally posted by kenikov
I'm still a beginning Astronomer, viewing that is. I can never find planets.
Start with Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn....they're easy. Especially Mars over the next couple months...look east around 11:30 pm tonight...it's the brightest point of light in the sky and it should be noticeably red/orange.
Remember the planets will always be found along the ecliptic...an imaginary line across the sky...the same path the sun appears to follow...so that's basically an east to west arc. Once you know where the ecliptic is, the planets become much easier to find.
Check what time the planets rise/set on the night you observe (for example, Sky & Telescope's website gives such info...or this topic in PF). Get a sky map (available monthly in Astronomy or Sky&Telescope magazines or even downloadable free from the web).
Dagenais
Jul23-03, 02:51 PM
Hmmm....
Maybe I can just go out, point myself east and look for a bright, red star.
Then I'll set-up my Telescope for viewing.
Originally posted by kenikov
Maybe I can just go out, point myself east and look for a bright, red star.
Then I'll set-up my Telescope for viewing.
A perfect start. In the telescope, Mars will look like a small disk (stars would still look like points). The real trick is trying to see any features on that disk.
Don't worry if the disk keeps sliding out of your telescope's view. That's just the rotation of the Earth, not a problem with your telescope. [:)]
Dagenais
Jul24-03, 07:37 PM
Yeah, I know. I should set-up my finder scope tonight.
My mount makes it even harder to stay on target. Even the moon keeps on sliding out of view.
The mount is really bad, in fact, if you want to tighten the altitude part of the telescope to keep it in position (altizimuth mount), it is nearly impossible. The thing that you have to screw-in to keep the telescope from dropping down is really tough to tighten. [t)]
I'm looking forward to seeing Mars through my rifle scope...
Skywatcher's Information for August 2003
========================================
Some information from www.space.com, www.astronomy.com
================================================== ====
Moon phases:
------------
Aug 5 - 1st Quarter
Aug 12 - Full Moon
Aug 19 - Last Quarter
Aug 27 - New Moon
Planets: (Planets Info originally by Larry Sessions from space.com, edited by J-Man.)
--------
-Mercury is in the evening sky but not particularly well placed for observing unless you live in the Southern Hemisphere.
-Venus conjuncts with the Sun on the 18th and hence is a no-show for August.
-Mars is still in the retrograde motion it started last month. It continues to brighten as the Earth approaches in an orbital race that brings the two closest together on the 27th. The Earth, being the faster-moving planet, passes Mars about every two years, two months. In such events, the Earth is between the Sun and Mars. But Mars also varies in distance from the Sun (as does the Earth, but to a much lesser extent). When it is closest to the Sun it is said to be in perihelion. Due to resonances between the orbits of Mars and Earth, the Red Planet passes especially near our world every 15-17 years. If this happens at the time of Martian perihelion, it is said to be a perihelic opposition. As it turns out, Mars has a perihelic opposition this year, on August 28. (the actual perihelion is on the 30th.) However, it is at its closest to Earth on the 27th. In fact, it is closer to Earth than it has been in tens of thousands of years! Of course it is still millions of miles away, actually just less than 34.65 million miles (55.76 million kilometers). But this approach promises the best views of Mars in small telescopes during your lifetime (and that of several generations of your descendents!)
-Jupiter is awash in the solar glare and cannot be seen. It is in conjunction with the Sun on August 22 and stays hidden until it re-emerges in the morning sky in September.
-Saturn, is now in the morning sky, among the stars of Gemini. It is well up in the east at sunrise, and makes a fine sight in a small telescope until sunlight interferes.
Day-by-day: (All times ET unless noted)
-----------
Tuesday, 8/4
-Neptune at opposition.
Tuesday, 8/5
-First Quarter Moon, 3:28 a.m.
Look for this Moon high in the southern sky at sunset on Monday and Tuesday, moving progressively farther eastward (higher and to the left) on each succeeding night.
Wednesday, 8/6
-Moon at perigee.
Monday, 8/11
-Neptune 5 degrees north of the moon.
-Perseid meteor shower starts. (You might be able to see a few on the 9th or 10th as well.)
Tuesday, 8/12
-Full Moon, 12:48 a.m.
Look for this late summer Moon in the east-southeast just as it begins to darken on Monday evening, or about a half hour later on Tuesday evening. The Harvest Moon arrives next month, but this Full Moon had names, too. In Colonial America it was sometimes called "Dog Day’s Moon," while the Cheyenne referred to it as the "Moon When Cherries Turn Ripe," and the Wisham People of Oregon and Washington called it "Blackberry Patches Moon" (Source: The Moon Book by Kim Long). Full Moon Fever
-Uranus 5 degrees north of the moon.
-Perseid Meteor Shower building up.
Wednesday, 8/13
-Perseid Meteor Shower, 1 a.m.
The days leading up to the peak will offer better viewing, because unfortunately the Full Moon will pretty much ruin this year’s Perseids on the peak night. Perseus will be in the northeast sky and the Moon in the south at the time of the peak. How can you tell if it is true Perseid Meteor and not a sporadic? Trace the path of the meteor back, and if the path crosses the constellation of Perseus, there this is a high likelihood that what you saw was a Perseid.
-Moon passes Mars, 1 p.m. (Mars 1.9 degrees south of the moon.)
While this event occurs long after moonset in North America, you can observe Mars and the Moon very close together in the southwestern sky before dawn.
Thursday, 8/14
-Perseid Meteor Shower declining.
-Mercury at greatest eastern elongation (27 degrees.)
Wednesday, 8/18
-Venus in superior conjunction with the sun. Sorry, you can't see this.
Tuesday, 8/19
-Moon at apogee.
-Last Quarter Moon, 8:48 p.m.
Last – or Third – Quarter Moon is the phase when the Moon is three-quarters of the way around its orbit of Earth, starting at New Moon. Moon moves progressively farther eastward each night, such that after about a week it is at First Quarter, a week later at Full Moon, and a week later at Last Quarter. Last Quarter rises long after sunset and can be seen in the morning sky, even after sunrise.
Friday, 8/22
-Jupiter in conjunction with the sun. Sorry, you can't see this.
Saturday, 8/23
-Saturn 4 degrees south of moon.
-Moon approaches Saturn, before dawn
Look for the Waning Crescent Moon as it approaches Saturn in the predawn eastern sky. They are at their closest in the late afternoon, but of course will not be visible at that time.
Sunday, 8/24
-Uranus at opposition.
Wednesday, 8/27
-Mars at closest to Earth, 5:52 a.m.
On this day, Mars is closer to Earth than it has been in your lifetime or throughout recorded history! Being close, it is bright and a great sight in a small telescope. Be sure to observe it now, because your great-great-grandchildren will walk on Mars before it gets any closer to Earth than this!
-New Moon, 1:26 p.m.
The Moon is New on the 27th, but don’t expect to see it! New Moons cannot be observed, but do look for the Crescent Moon low in the western sky just after sunset beginning on Thursday.
-Mercury stationary.
Thursday, 8/28
-Mars at Opposition, 2 p.m.
Although Mars is closest to Earth on the 27th, it is at opposition today. Thus, like the Moon when it is full, it rises at about sunset, stays up all night, and sets at about sunrise. Because it is close and appears as large as it can in a telescope, don’t fail to take a look!
-Mercury 9 degrees south of the moon.
Saturday, 8/30
-Pluto stationary
-Mars at perhelion
Sunday, 8/31
-Moon at perigee.
I finally had the opportunity to go out last night and see Mars for my own two eyes.
Absolutely Amazing.
Dagenais
Aug26-03, 09:04 PM
I finally had the opportunity to go out last night and see Mars for my own two eyes
Hopefully I can go see it tonight.
I usually don't get a chance to see these kind of things, since I take my shower early and don't feel like heading outside in the cold.
Skywatcher's Information for September 2003
Some information from www.space.com, www.astronomy.com
================================================== ====
Moon phases:
------------
Sept 3 - 1st quarter
Sept 10 - Full moon
Sept 18 - Last quarter
Sept 25 - New moon
Planets: (in a few days see: http://www.space.com/spacewatch/sky_calendar.html in case I don't update this part.)
--------
-Saturn
-Mars
-Jupiter will be in the morning sky later in September.
-Mercury
-Venus
Day-by-day: (All times ET unless noted)
-----------
Wednesday, Sept. 3
-1st quarter Moon
Sunday Sept. 7
-Neptune 5 degrees north of moon
Tuesday, Sept. 9
-Uranus 5 degrees north of moon
-Mars 1.2 degrees south of moon, occultation
Wednesday, Sept. 10
-Full moon
-Mercury in inferior conjunction
Tuesday, Sept. 16
-Moon at apogee
Thursday, Sept. 18
-Last quarter moon
Friday, Sept. 19
-Mercury stationary
-Saturn 5 degrees south of moon
Tuesday, Sept. 23
-Autumnal equinox, 6:47 a.m. EDT
-Jupiter 4 degrees south of moon
Wednesday, Sept. 24
-Mercury 5 degrees south of moon
Thursday, Sept. 25
-New Moon
Friday, Sept. 26
-Mercury at greatest western elongation (18 degrees)
Sunday, Sept. 28
-Moon at perigee
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/10/24/solar.forecast/index.html
The coronal mass ejection, or CME, is expected to reach Earth about 3 p.m. EDT and its effects could last 12 to 18 hours, according to space weather forecasters.
...
Solar activity is rated, similar to the system for hurricanes or earthquakes, on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 as the most intense. The effects from this storm are expected to be classified 3, or moderate.
Supposedly, the aurora may reach down into the northern U.S. Be sure to turn off your porch lights. [;)]
NileQueen
Oct28-03, 12:04 PM
Good picture here of what's going on with the sun...
http://spaceweather.com/
"SEVERE SOLAR ACTIVITY: One of the most powerful solar flares in years, a remarkable X17-category explosion, erupted from sunspot 486 this morning at approximately 1110 UT. A strong solar radiation storm is in progress. (Click here to learn about the effects of such storms.) The explosion hurled a coronal mass ejection almost directly toward Earth, which could trigger bright auroras when it arrives perhaps as early as tonight."
Holy crap this is cool!!!!
http://science.nasa.gov/spaceweather/images2003/28oct03/cme_c3_big.gif
- Warren
NileQueen
Oct28-03, 11:17 PM
Well if you liked that, you can see it in vivid colors here (filters, of course)
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/
total eclipse of the moon coming up on Nov. 8!
http://skyandtelescope.com/aboutsky/pressreleases/article_1087_1.asp
Leonid meteors peak on Nov 17-18
phobos, i would also like to add that at the same time as the lunar eclipse of 11/8, 6 major planets will form the star of david above the earth...a rare event that we are lucky to witness...
pm me if you want more info :)
...and here is where I would have posted a photo of this weekend's lunar eclipse if my camera battery had not died. [*(]
oh well...the view I had was spectacular and I held a mini-star party with some of my family (and 1 passerby). I was thrilled that they were so interested in the eclipse.
anyone else get to see the eclipse? the clouds parted in time for a viewing here in oregon...
Originally posted by Kerrie
phobos, i would also like to add that at the same time as the lunar eclipse of 11/8, 6 major planets will form the star of david above the earth...a rare event that we are lucky to witness...
A debunking of this idea, for your consideration...
http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/misc/concordance.html
Saturns opposition on 12/31/03 will be the closest in 30 years. And, the ~25 degree ring-tilt is perfect for anyone with a telescope.
http://www.rocklandastronomy.com/saturn_info.htm
A big 100 ton meteor enters airspace over spain and fragments in large areas.
http://edition.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/01/05/spain.fireballs.reut/index.html
[8)]
NASA says that the Mars rover Spirit's twin, the Opportunity, is still on course to land in the Meridiani Planum at 6:05 p.m. EST tomorrow (Jan 24). [:))]
For weekly updates of sky events...
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/ataglance/
Don't forget to watch for Venus, which sits high and bright (mag -4.1) in the west-southwest after sunset. It's quite striking. Slap a telescope on it and you will see its gibbous shape (it has phases just like Earth's Moon).
Originally posted by Phobos
For weekly updates of sky events...
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/ataglance/
Don't forget to watch for Venus, which sits high and bright (mag -4.1) in the west-southwest after sunset. It's quite striking. Slap a telescope on it and you will see its gibbous shape (it has phases just like Earth's Moon). From that same site, this is a biggie:
"Triple shadow transit on Jupiter! The tiny black shadows of Callisto, Io, and Ganymede are all on Jupiter's face from 3:00 to 3:19 a.m. Sunday morning Eastern Standard Time."
I have seen two in transit several times, but three transits with three shadows should be quite a sight, even in a small (3" or so) telescope.
For tonight's "triple transit, here are the event times. Remember, these times are for ARIZONA, mountain time.
Saturday, 3/27: 7:59 pm, Callisto, Egress from Transit (nothing exciting
here)
" , 3/27: 9:59 pm, Callisto, Shadow Ingress (first shadow
appears - then wait 2.5hrs until the second shadow appears)
" , 3/27: 10:44 pm, Ganymede, Ingress Transit
" , 3/27: 11:32 pm, Europa, Occultation Disappearance (goes
behind the planet)
" , 3/27: 11:59 pm, Io, Ingress Transit
Sunday, 3/28: 12:32 am, Io, Shadow Ingress (second shadow appears)
" , 3/28: 1:00 am, Ganymede, Shadow Ingress (Triple shadow transit
begins)
" , 3/28: 1:19 am, Callisto, Shadow Egress (and then there are
two)
" , 3/28: 2:05 am, Ganymede, Egress from Transit
" , 3/28: 2:14 am, Io, Egress from Transit
" , 3/28: 2:48 am, Io, Shadow Egress (and then there is one)
" , 3/28: 3:27 am, Europa, Eclipse Reappearance (becomes visible
after being behind the planet)
" , 3/28: 4:23 am, Ganymede, Shadow Egress (and then there are
none)
So the triple shadow event is visible from 1:00 am to 1:19 am. To have
three shadows transiting the planet at one time is rather rare. This is the
only occasion of it happening this year. Jupiter's Red Spot will be on the
central meridian of Jupiter at 4:48 am (3/28)
Go out if you get the chance, this doesn't happen often. It's Sunday, you can sleep-in. :smile:
June 8, 2004. The transit of Venus. Venus will pass between the earth and sun putting a dark spot on the sun. wear your sunglasses!
June 8, 2004. The transit of Venus. Venus will pass between the earth and sun putting a dark spot on the sun. wear your sunglasses! Here is from where you can and can't see it.
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/planets/article_1021_1.asp
Is anyone going to observe it and post their information here, so we can all collaborate to find a rough estimate of the distance of 1 AU just for fun? It won't be too accurate, but anyone think it is worth a try? We've got people from all over the world here on PF, so it might be a good idea. :)
Two things going on:
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/planets/article_1021_1.asp
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/comets/article_1229_1.asp
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/comets/article_1229_1.asp
Anyone get a good look at Comet NEAT yet? I tried last night, but through the cloud haze and light pollution in my area, I had a lousy view. Gotta keep trying.
killerinstinct
May28-04, 05:27 PM
NASA has started planning an ambitious mission to orbit Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.
June 11 - NASA's Cassini spacecraft to visit Saturn's moon Pheobe
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/operations/approach.cfm
ArmoSkater87
Jun23-04, 06:20 PM
haha recon, ur a true dork, i recpect that. :P
I would have wanted to do that too, but i forgot completely about the transit of venus, i was so f**kin pissed. I forgot cause i was studying for damn exams that day, hehe.
Perseid Meteor Shower:
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2004/25jun_perseids2004.htm?list1111149
New comet coming this winter.
http://skyandtelescope.com/news/article_1333_1.asp
In September, you should be able to use binoculars to track the asteroid Toutatis swinging by. On Sept 29, it will be 4x the distance to the moon.
In September, you should be able to use binoculars to track the asteroid Toutatis swinging by. On Sept 29, it will be 4x the distance to the moon.But where? Is there a tracking-chart out yet showing position over several weeks or months?
But where? Is there a tracking-chart out yet showing position over several weeks or months?
I saw one in the recent issue of Astronomy magazine. I have not found one on the internet to link to.
i'm an amateur, and this year i will be graduating from high school,
and i like to watch astronomy events in the sky.. let's say it's my passion
but the problem is that i need to buy "good and not too expensive binoculars"
since i am an amateur in this whole thing,
so i need some experts' advises.
PS: i live in lebanon, i don't know if i can find all the trademarks u will tell me about :$.
a quick reply would be so great :)
but the problem is that i need to buy "good and not too expensive binoculars"
Something with big lenses and not too much magnification. Maybe up to 7x50 if they're hand-held. (The first number is the magnification..7x...the second number is a measurement of the lens diameter...50 mm.) If you have a tripod that you can mount them on, then you can get bigger/stronger binoculars if you want.
Something stable with good focus.
In September, you should be able to use binoculars to track the asteroid Toutatis swinging by. On Sept 29, it will be 4x the distance to the moon.
Unfortunately, you'll need a big telescope (> 6") and dark skies to see it with any ease. (mag = 9) :frown:
A mountain-sized asteroid will make its closest approach to Earth at 6:35 a.m. Pacific Time tomorrow. Although asteroid 4179 Toutatis will come no closer than four times the distance between Earth and the Moon, this will be the closest approach of any known asteroid of comparable size this century. (Sept. 28)
Reference:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/asteroid/toutatis-montage-540-300.jpg
October 27th is the last Lunar eclipse we get for about three years. There are links for easy photo tips at the bottom of the page too. See:
http://skyandtelescope.com/printable/observing/objects/eclipses/article_1343.asp
The annual Leonid meteor shower is expected to peak pre-dawn on November 16. However, it’s expected to be pretty weak this year. I happened to catch one by chance last night around midnight.
UrbanXrisis
Nov18-04, 11:14 PM
October 27th is the last Lunar eclipse we get for about three years. There are links for easy photo tips at the bottom of the page too. See:
http://skyandtelescope.com/printable/observing/objects/eclipses/article_1343.asp
Right on my birthday! :smile:
Check it out. You can even put in your state and city to get the times.
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2004/29nov_moonjupiter.htm?list1111149
Check it out. You can even put in your state and city to get the times.
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2004/29nov_moonjupiter.htm?list1111149
If any of you can get some pictures of it, please post them on the Astrophotography sticky.
I'll try my best (weather permitting) to get a few pictures.
From space.com:
Update, Dec. 25, 9:47 p.m. ET: The risk of an impact by asteroid 2004 MN4 went up slightly on Saturday, Dec. 25. It is now pegged at having a 1-in -45 chance of striking the planet on April 13, 2029. That's up from 1-in-63 late on Dec. 24, and 1-in-300 early on Dec. 24.
more at: http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/asteroid_risk_041224.html
That’s pretty neat, don’t ya think? A nice little xmas present.
The asteroid is thought to be about 400m across, so not a global killer but big enough to be of some concern. It’s also the first time an asteroid has ever been categorized a level 4 (or above level 1 for that matter) on the Torino Scale (http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/astronomy/torino_scale.html)
This thing will probably miss us, but it might be a good idea to keep an eye out for it. Friday the 13th of April, 2029 might not be our lucky day.
Odds of impact have now increased to 1 in 37.
UPDATE:
Impact RULED OUT!!
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news148.html
Picture showing how close it will get:
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/images/2004mn4can.gif
Has anyone seen approximate distances, in miles, from earth that it may pass? I've been following this asteroid a little but haven't seen that info yet. The image is pretty crazy though if it's accurate.
Has anyone seen approximate distances, in miles, from earth that it may pass? I've been following this asteroid a little but haven't seen that info yet. The image is pretty crazy though if it's accurate.
From my understanding its between about 30,000 and 100,000 km
i used the search option to look for saturn but did not find any matches. just read in a local paper that saturn will be visible to naked eyes this january is it true? if so do give me a link
omicron
Jan12-05, 11:10 AM
Yes its true! Here's a link (http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/space/2976478)
hypatia
Mar10-05, 06:45 AM
March.....night sky.....yea for spring stars! :approve:
In the western half the winter stars and constellations make their last stand. From the east the spring sky enters. Saturn is still a head-turner, but now is joined by even brighter Jupiter. And Comet Machholz is near the North Star all month, as it begins its journey back to the outer solar system.
hypatia
Mar28-05, 03:19 PM
April skys
On the 3rd look for Mars next to the moon just before sunrise.
There is a partial eclipse of the sun on April 8th. It will look as if the moon has taken a small bite of the sun. CAUTION: Even during an eclipse, do not look at the sun without approved eye protection!
Between midnight and sunrise the Lyrid meteor shower takes place, but this year the moon is too bright.
A few hours before sunrise on the 24th the moon will move through the faint outermost part of the earth's shadow. Most people will not notice it.
A map of the eclipse % coverage and locations is at:
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2005/01apr_solareclipse.htm?list1111149
Good link Labguy, wish I had been in a area to view it.
OceansAura1
Apr23-05, 12:32 PM
What are everyone's opinions as far as the predictions of Wormwood and the like in biblical prophecy? Have astronomers named any stars/asteroids Wormwood yet?Probabilities of an Earth impact and the time frames of thousands of years and all of that do not mean anything really.
May
Venus, will slowly become visible during May, moveing away from the Sun in the western evening skies. On the 9th with clear horizons, you may be able to see it. Mars is also makeing its way across the skies, riseing in the south west around 4 AM.
Around the 5th, the eta Aquarids metors are at there peak. With just a sliver of a moon, it should make for some good shooting star viewing!
What are everyone's opinions as far as the predictions of Wormwood and the like in biblical prophecy?
Religion topics are typically not hosted here at PF.
Have astronomers named any stars/asteroids Wormwood yet?
nope.
hypatia
May31-05, 01:13 PM
June will start off dark, a new moon, so star watching should be good.
Around the 11-13 is a good time to look at the moon, its going to have lots of shadows from craters and mountians.
The full moon in June is called the Lovers Moon, so on the 19th find someone special and perhaps share a walk in the moon light.
Happy Summer Solstice! The the Sun will reach its maximum altitude of about 80 degrees above the southern horizon.
....of Mercury, Venus and Saturn coming in the next few days.
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2005/22jun_spectacular.htm?list86010
hypatia
Jun23-05, 09:29 PM
And its been just fantastic! We have had really clear nights here!
~angel~
Jun26-05, 01:05 AM
Don't know if anyone's mentioned this. August 27th is the night Mars will be at it's brightest. It'll be about the same size as the moon because it is at it's closest distance from the earth.
Maybe I mentioned this too early. :blushing:
GOD__AM
Jun26-05, 09:24 AM
Don't know if anyone's mentioned this. August 27th is the night Mars will be at it's brightest. It'll be about the same size as the moon because it is at it's closest distance from the earth.
Maybe I mentioned this too early. :blushing:
To the naked eye mars will appear to be the largest and brightest natural light in the night sky. It will not be anywhere near the size of the moon to the naked eye. It seems that looking through a powerful enough telescope, that mars will appear close to the size of the moon; when the moon is viewed with the naked eye.
MARS WILL APPEAR AS BIG AS THE MOON is a great headline, and probably gets a lot of people to read articles, but it is misleading.
As mentioned already Saturn, Venus, and Mercury are visible in the west sky just after sunset. Venus is especially large and bright, and the position of saturn should allow for decent viewing of the rings with a 20x or higher power telescope or binoculars.
July 4
On or around this time, a NASA SPACECRAFT will rendez-vous and collide with COMET 9P/TEMPEL 1.
This will be the FIRST time that an Earth launched Spacecraft is to make a close encounter with a comet since the Giotto Probe of 1985/6 which was sent to study Comet p-HALLEY 'close-hand'.
This probe, DEEP IMPACT, is designed to collide with Comet 9P/Tempel 1 in order to study the composition of a comet and maybe unlock some more of the secrets of the origin of our Solar System.
You can follow the progress of this mission by logging on to the following web-site: http://deepimpact.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html
The new moon is the 6th, and the full moon around the 21. Moon is near Antares on the 17th. It is at perigee, its closest to the Earth on the 21st, so the full Moon will appear slightly larger than usual.
hypatia
Jul30-05, 07:16 AM
Starting around the 7th of August... The Perseid meteor showers! One of my favoirt things to watch. This year it reaches a peak of 50 meteors + per hour Thursday night. Look to the southeast from 2 a.m. until dawn. The shower will be visible all week, with the best nights being Thursday through Saturday.
As noted above, Mars will shine this month. While not as big as the moon, I'm hopeing for clear skies. On August 31, Mars and Earth will slide past each other at a distance of forty-three million miles. That is close enough for you to enjoy watching Mars swell and brighten during the course of the month. Amateur astronomers with backyard telescopes will be able to spot polar ice caps and dust storms and strange dark markings on the planet
I saw my first meteors last night! It must of been a big one, for me to see it with all my city lights around.
The annual Perseids, known as one of the best meteor showers of the year, is expected to be at its North American best during the predawn hours Friday, said Patrick Wiggins, NASA Solar System Ambassador, in a statement.
These meteors are called the Perseids because they appear to radiate from the constellation Perseus, he said.
Telescopes and binoculars should not be used for viewing this or any meteor shower since they limit how much of the sky the observer can see, Wiggins said. A lawn chair, the naked eye "and a few munchies" are the best devices for viewing meteor showers, he said.
Often called shooting stars or falling stars, the majority of meteors are actually tiny bits of rock that burn up due to air friction when they strike Earth's extreme upper atmosphere, he said. The resultant meteor ash then drifts harmlessly and invisibly to Earth.
The Perseids are among the fastest meteors known, "tearing into our atmosphere at some 60 kilometers per second," Wiggins said.
Most meteors are thought to be debris left behind by comets, he said. The Perseids's parent comet, Swift/Tuttle, was last closest to the Earth in the early 1990s and will not return until 2126.
Reference:
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/db_shm?sstr=109P&group=all&search=Search
Orion1 Pacific Ocean Impact simulation:
Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle
Ground Zero impact parameters: (crater rim perspective)
Orion1 Inputs:
Distance from Impact: 160.00 km = 99.36 miles
Projectile Diameter: 31200.00 m = 102336.00 ft = 19.38 miles
Projectile Density: 1000 kg/m3
Impact Velocity: 60.00 km/s = 37.26 miles/s
Impact Angle: 45 degrees
Target Density: 1000 kg/m3
Target Type: Liquid Water of depth 4280.00 meters, over typical rock.
Energy:
Energy before atmospheric entry: 2.86 x 10^25 Joules = 6.84 x 10^9 MegaTons TNT
The average interval between impacts of this size somewhere on Earth during the last 4 billion years is 4.1 x 10^9 years.
Major Global Changes:
The Earth is not strongly disturbed by the impact and loses negligible mass.
The impact does not make a noticeable change in the Earth's rotation period or the tilt of its axis.
The impact does not shift the Earth's orbit noticeably.
Crater Dimensions:
The crater opened in the water has a diameter of 298 km = 185 miles
For the crater formed in the seafloor:
Transient Crater Diameter: 163 km = 101 miles
Transient Crater Depth: 57.6 km = 35.8 miles
Final Crater Diameter: 318 km = 197 miles
Final Crater Depth: 1.68 km = 1.04 miles
The crater formed is a complex crater.
The volume of the target melted or vaporized is 108000 km^3 = 25900 miles^3
Roughly half the melt remains in the crater , where its average thickness is 5.18 km = 3.22 miles
Thermal Radiation:
Time for maximum radiation: 10.2 seconds after impact
Your position is inside the fireball.
The fireball appears 866 times larger than the sun
Thermal Exposure: 5.31 x 10^11 Joules/m^2
Duration of Irradiation: 7950 seconds
Radiant flux (relative to the sun): 66800
Effects of Thermal Radiation:
Clothing ignites
Much of the body suffers third degree burns
Newspaper ignites
Plywood flames
Deciduous trees ignite
Grass ignites
Seismic Effects:
The major seismic shaking will arrive at approximately 32 seconds.
Richter Scale Magnitude: 11.0 (This is greater than any earthquake in recorded history)
Mercalli Scale Intensity at a distance of 160 km:
X. Most masonry and frame structures destroyed with their foundations. Some well-built wooden structures and bridges destroyed. Serious damage to dams, dikes, embankments. Large landslides. Water thrown on banks of canals, rivers, lakes, etc. Sand and mud shifted horizontally on beaches and flat land. Rails bent slightly.
XI. As X. Rails bent greatly. Underground pipelines completely out of service.
XII. As X. Damage nearly total. Large rock masses displaced. Lines of sight and level distorted. Objects thrown into the air.
Ejecta:
The ejecta will arrive approximately 183 seconds after the impact.
Your position is beneath the continuous ejecta deposit.
Average Ejecta Thickness: 1530 m = 5030 ft
Air Blast:
The air blast will arrive at approximately 485 seconds.
Peak Overpressure: 1.93e+08 Pa = 1930 bars = 27400 psi
Max wind velocity: 11200 m/s = 25000 mph
Sound Intensity: 166 dB (Dangerously Loud)
Damage Description:
Multistory wall-bearing buildings will collapse.
Wood frame buildings will almost completely collapse.
Multistory steel-framed office-type buildings will suffer extreme frame distortion, incipient collapse.
Highway truss bridges will collapse.
Highway girder bridges will collapse.
Glass windows will shatter.
Cars and trucks will be largely displaced and grossly distorted and will require rebuilding before use.
Up to 90 percent of trees blown down; remainder stripped of branches and leaves.
Reference:
http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/impacteffects/
hypatia
Aug27-05, 10:45 AM
On September 1 - Uranus at Opposition. The blue-green planet will be at its closest approach to Earth. This is the best time to view Neptune, although it will only appear as a tiny blue-green dot in all but the most powerful telescopes.
The new moon is the 3rd with the full moon being on the 18th. This full moon is known as the harvest moon.
Also on the 18th,the planets Venus and Jupiter are very low in the west just after dark. Mars rises out of the east about 8:30 p.m. The ringed planet Saturn rises out of the east about a hour before sunrise.
Overhead, the Milky Way and the two star-laden constellations of Scorpius and Sagittarius dominate the heavens. The bright red star, Antares, is often mistaken for Mars.
And of course the Autumnal Equinox occurs on the 22nd in the northern hemisphere. This is also the first day of fall, my favorit time of year! Happy fall everyone! :smile:
hypatia
Sep26-05, 05:33 PM
October.
Sunday 10/2
The geometry of Earth's orbit is favorable (well, at least more favorable than usual) to see the Zodiacal Light (False Dawn) produced by sunlight reflecting off particles in the Earth's orbit. These conditions will persist for about two weeks, after which moonlight can interfere.
On the 3rd we have a solar eclipse, but N. Americia should be out of viewing range. On the 4th, the brand new moon will lay next to Jupiter and Murcury
By the 8th, Draco the fire-breathing dragon comes alive before dawn today and in the early evening hours.
The full moon{the hunters moon} comes on the 17th.
Fall brings in the crisp clear white stars, hope you find some time to enjoy them!
heyyy theres gunna be an annular eclipse on 3rd october that tomorrow!!the phys dept in my skl are gunna set up a telescope hopefully the weather will be good, we'll be able to see about 60% of sun i think covered!! itll be my first eclipse ive seen other on tv and internet, nothings like the real thing tho.
heyyy theres gunna be an annular eclipse on 3rd october that tomorrow!!the phys dept in my skl are gunna set up a telescope hopefully the weather will be good, we'll be able to see about 60% of sun i think covered!! itll be my first eclipse ive seen other on tv and internet, nothings like the real thing tho.Yes, being there is a whole different game. I took an annular from the centerline in 1994. Took a lot of shots but was a few seconds off on this one so it is not exactly centered.
http://www.users.qwest.net/~sherrodstephen/annular.htm
hypatia
Oct28-05, 10:24 AM
Nice photo Labguy!
November
The first few days of this month bring us MARS!
Mars will rise near sunset and soar high into the southern sky near midnight, about 85% of the way up from the south point to overhead. To the unaided eye, Mars will appear as an extremely bright yellowish-orange star.
Around the 3rd, we have the peak of the Taurids meteor showers and a few comets slip past us around the 14th. The Leonid Meteor shower peeks on the 17th.
The full moon {the Cedar Moon} falls on the 16th
hypatia
Nov26-05, 10:24 PM
December
The full Moon this December 15 reigns as the northernmost full Moon until December 27, 2023. This moon is called the long night moon. The moonlit nights this middle December make up for the waning days of sunlight in our northern hemisphere. On December 15 watch as the Moon rises around sunset and sets around sunrise, lighting up the sky for the whole night.
The Geminids-active from 12/7-12/17 hit their peak on the 13th. These have been consistently great for the last few years, even better than the Leonid. Maybe not as bright, but much more frequent.
hypatia
Dec31-05, 02:39 AM
January opens with the crescent Moon sweeping past a brilliant Venus, en route to a rendezvous with the Pleiades on the 9-10th. If you can take the cold, January is one of the best months for star watching.
Quadrantids,Meteor Showers under moonless skies, on Jan. 3
Saturn reaches opposition on January 27. It spends the month in the constellation Cancer, in the same binocular field as the Beehive Cluster (M44). It brightens during the month from magnitude -0.1 to -0.2.
If you have a scope, it would be a great time to check out Saturns moons!
hypatia
Jan28-06, 06:28 AM
February 1
The Great Square of Pegasus is at the right of the Moon early this first day of February. It stands on end now, so it forms a big diamond in the sky.
Also for any new star watchers, the Big Dipper stands straight up from the northeastern horizon a couple of hours after sunset tonight, with the bowl above the handle. You line up the two stars at the top of the bowl, then follow them left, you'll see Polaris, the north star.
This is the best month of the year to view Saturn. Which hangs out in the constalation Cancer
This is a great month to just go out and look up with the un-aided eye. Enjoy the night sky!
Note: Polaris, the North Star is a bright star but it IS NOT the brightest star in the sky. Sirius, visible in the winter, is the brightest star in the sky. Polaris is ranked the 46th brightest star in the night sky.
SpaceTiger
Mar5-06, 12:51 PM
It appears that there is a currently a comet (Pojmanski) that's visible to the naked eye:
A Surprise Comet in the Dawn (http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/comets/article_1684_1.asp)
You'll have to get up early, but happy hunting!
Astronuc
Mar29-06, 11:49 AM
Probably a bit too late with this :rolleyes:, but
http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/SEmono/TSE2006/TSE2006.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse_%2829_March_2006%29
:biggrin:
Astronuc
Apr3-06, 01:01 PM
Looking back at Earth from ISS during recent solar eclipse -
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17230
russ_watters
Apr7-06, 02:14 PM
Comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 may have two fragments visible to the naked eye in the evening in the east in early May. It is apparently going to be pretty active... http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/comets/article_1704_1.asp
russ_watters
Apr12-06, 10:08 AM
Comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 is putting on quite a show for amateurs with enormous telescopes. I might give it a shot this weekend after the moon gets out of the way, but realistically, it is probably another week until it is in reach of my equipment.
From the same link as above: There's much new to report on Periodic Comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 (also known as Comet 73P), whose apparition is featured, with finder charts, starting on page 60 of the May 2006 Sky & Telescope.
Two fragments of the disintegrating comet are now visible in small scopes, a third is in reach of larger amateur scopes — and something like 40 much fainter pieces have also been detected, according to Eric Christensen using the 1.5-meter Mt. Lemmon telescope; this is a doubling of the previously known fragments, though the extra ones are still to be formally announced. All are brightening....
Many observers are suggesting that Fragment B is crumbling. Carl Hergenrother, observing with the 1.2-meter SAO telescope, says "a sharp central condensation is no longer visible in my images. The central condensation is now a diffuse bar about 8 arcseconds in length.... Based on my images, I believe 73P-B has disrupted."
The next shower is Lyrids on April 22.
cheers
Astronuc
Jun21-06, 09:32 PM
Pluto now has three named moons. Charon is joined by Nix and Hydra.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060621/ap_on_sc/pluto_s_moons
Astronuc
Sep23-06, 06:29 PM
Astronomers Johann Galle and Heinrich D'Arrest discovered Neptune from Berlin Observatory 160 years ago tonight. They were looking in a region of the sky pinpointed by French astronomer Urbain Le Verrier. He had calculated the likely position of a planet based on its gravitational pull on the planet Uranus.
Neptune was in Aquarius when it was discovered -- not far away from its current position. But because it's so far from the Sun -- almost three billion miles -- it's still completing its first full circle against the background of stars since its discovery. It won't complete that loop for another five years. (2011) http://stardate.org/radio/program.php?f=detail&id=2006-09-23
Astronuc
Oct1-06, 07:20 PM
Some highlights for this month - October 2006
No bright planets shine in good view during the evening this month, but lots of bright stars do. Vega, "the summer star," is still the brightest, very high in the west after dark. Altair shines almost as high to Vega's left, in the south to southwest. Deneb is closer to the zenith. Fomalhaut is much lower in the south-southeast to south. And low in the northeast, bright Capella is making its autumn appearance.
Oct 6 - Full Moon. This is the Harvest Moon for 2006, defined as the full Moon closest to the autumnal equinox. The Moon also is at perigee.
Oct 9 - By 9 or 10 p.m. the waning gibbous Moon is well up in the east. Use binoculars to spot the Pleiades beside it. For parts of North America, the Moon actually crosses in front of the Pleiades tonight, temporarily occulting (covering) some of the cluster's stars.
Oct 16 - Look eastward after about 3 a.m. for the waning Moon with Saturn below it.
Mercury is at greatest elongation, 25 degrees from the Sun. Shortly after sunset, look for it below brighter Jupiter just above the west-southwest horizon.
Oct 20 - The Orionid meteor shower should be active this morning and tomorrow morning in the hours before dawn. If you have a good, dark sky, you might see a brief, swift meteor every few minutes. The direction to watch is wherever your sky is darkest. The meteors' directions of flight, if traced far enough back across the sky, diverge from a spot in Orion's club high in the southeast to south.
http://stardate.org/nightsky/almanac/s200610_alm.html
George Jones
Jan7-07, 07:03 PM
Currently, there is a bright, but fairly small, comet that is visible low in the west just after sunset. Although this comet is visible with naked eye, it is spectacuar (bright head, nice tail) in binoculars.
I saw it about 40 minutes after sunset.
In order to see it, you will need clear a view of the western horizon. With binoculars, scan to the right of, and down from, Venus. Here is a a location diagram (http://skytonight.com/).
Chaos' lil bro Order
Jan8-07, 03:10 AM
Thanks, I'll have a looksy tommorrow to see if I can spot it.
Threeheadedtoad
Mar4-07, 12:34 AM
Umm, I don't think the link works, Mentat.
Why are auroras only visible in Alaska?
We see them here in WA sometimes as well. In fact, the past 2 or 3 years, I have seen them at the Table Mountain Star Party. Not huge, and not like you see on TV or in pix, but there just the same.
lanovia
Mar18-07, 08:55 AM
The solar eclipse (semi) is going to occur at Asia (include Russian, China, Asia East, Việt Nam) ...
HiggsBoson
Aug27-07, 11:09 AM
"A lovely total lunar eclipse will be visible throughout the Bay Area and all of California before dawn Tuesday morning as the Earth's shadow darkens the bright full moon, and wherever skies are clear, it will be a time to look upward wide-eyed."
-- The San Francisco Chronicle
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/08/27/BAOFRP53L.DTL
IBN ALHAITHAM
Aug28-07, 05:12 AM
unfortunately
I can't see the lunar eclipse in my country
Astronuc
Oct20-07, 04:31 PM
The Orionid meteor shower is at its best the weekend of October 20-22, peaking before dawn on the 21st.
The Name
The shower is named for the constellation Orion, the hunter, which climbs into view in the east-southeast by around midnight. If you traced the paths of the meteors, they would all appear to start in Orion. That doesn't mean you have to look at Orion to see the meteors, though; they can streak across any part of the sky.
The Cause
Meteor showers are fickle, so their best showings can vary by several hours from year to year. That's because a meteor shower occurs when Earth crosses the orbital path of a comet. Such a path is littered with tiny grains of rock and dust from the comet itself. As Earth flies through this trail of dust, the particles slam into our atmosphere and burn up, forming the bright streaks of light known as meteors or shooting stars. The dust isn't distributed evenly, however. It forms clumps of different sizes. Over the years, meteor watchers have plotted many of the clumps, but there's still some uncertainty. So it's tough to be certain about just what hour is the best, and just how many meteors you may see. Oh, well - it's written for the general public.
http://stardate.org/nightsky/meteors/orionids2007.html
Astronuc
Oct26-07, 06:57 PM
http://www.aerith.net/comet/catalog/0017P/2007.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17P/Holmes
All of a sudden, it got much brighter!
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/10775326.html
George Jones
Oct26-07, 07:33 PM
http://www.aerith.net/comet/catalog/0017P/2007.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17P/Holmes
All of a sudden, it got much brighter!
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/10775326.html
Saw it last night with my 15x70 binos. No tail, but still very nice. Looks like a star with unaided eyes.
George Jones
Oct26-07, 08:21 PM
I just showed the comet to my wife. She was amazed that something out past the orbit of mars could appear so bright and big.
chemisttree
Nov2-07, 01:17 PM
I just saw it last night. It is a quite bright fuzzy star to the unaided eye. Looks like a glowing pom-pom under even modest magnification (20X), but very bright. It looked just like this. (http://www.meade4m.com/cgi-bin/gal_display.cgi?image=1287)
Telmerk,the Magician
Nov6-07, 04:54 AM
Due to the clear skies in the last few night, a large amount of nice images has been taken by Hungarian astronomers about the comet outburst.
Take a glimpse if you feel interested:
http://hirek.csillagaszat.hu/aktualis_egi_esemenyek/20071026_holmes_kepek.html
I think that this page will be refreshed during these days. I hope that after the 2-3 cloudy nights we will have again the possibility to view the re-designed Perseus :wink: !
Saladsamurai
Nov12-07, 01:06 AM
I just saw it last night. It is a quite bright fuzzy star to the unaided eye. Looks like a glowing pom-pom under even modest magnification (20X), but very bright. It looked just like this. (http://www.meade4m.com/cgi-bin/gal_display.cgi?image=1287)
I am pretty sure that I got this comet in my view tonight...but I couldn't get much more than a "greyish fuzzball"....
Out of curiosity, how long does an 8" Newtonian need to cool to ambient temp. it was about 26 degrees F tonight. I wonder if that is why I couldn't see it so great?
Casey
What would cause a sudden steep decrease in a comet's visual magnitude?
Did the comet experience a ice-gas phase 'flash point' with reference to Sol?
If a fraction of a comets surface ice were to suddenly flash into a gas, this would increase the volume and density of its gas envelope and immediately decrease its visual magnitude, would it not?
Or are we examining a type of comet-asteroid collision in space?
Reference:
http://www.aerith.net/comet/catalog/0017P/2007.html
chemisttree
Nov12-07, 12:04 PM
I am pretty sure that I got this comet in my view tonight...but I couldn't get much more than a "greyish fuzzball"....
Out of curiosity, how long does an 8" Newtonian need to cool to ambient temp. it was about 26 degrees F tonight. I wonder if that is why I couldn't see it so great?
Casey
Aim you telescope at a bright star (like Vega) and put in your shortest focal length eyepiece. Do you see concentric rings around the star just inside or just outside focus? If you do, you have all the resolution you need to view the comet... probably much more.
The comet is dimming out significantly now. The image I see through my telescope is a dim fuzzball, but the nearby stars are still pinpoint and bright.
Saladsamurai
Nov12-07, 12:47 PM
Aim you telescope at a bright star (like Vega) and put in your shortest focal length eyepiece. Do you see concentric rings around the star just inside or just outside focus? If you do, you have all the resolution you need to view the comet... probably much more.
The comet is dimming out significantly now. The image I see through my telescope is a dim fuzzball, but the nearby stars are still pinpoint and bright.
I have no reason to belive that my telescope is out of collimation, so it must be because it is dimming :(
But I will check the collimation again and try again tonight. Roughly, how long do you let your scope cool on a night that's around 30 Fahrenheit before you attempt viewing?
Casey
chemisttree
Nov12-07, 01:49 PM
I have a small refractor and a small 4.5" reflector so my experience wouldn't be of much use to you. I would guess that 45 minutes would be more than enough time to cool the telescope down enough for this purpose. Russ or Chronos would have better info for you, I think.
If the telescope hasn't cooled sufficiently, you would see that with the star test. And you probably shouldn't try to recollimate a telescope that isn't at thermal equilibrium.
Saladsamurai
Nov12-07, 02:22 PM
I have a small refractor and a small 4.5" reflector so my experience wouldn't be of much use to you. I would guess that 45 minutes would be more than enough time to cool the telescope down enough for this purpose. Russ or Chronos would have better info for you, I think.
If the telescope hasn't cooled sufficiently, you would see that with the star test. And you probably shouldn't try to recollimate a telescope that isn't at thermal equilibrium.
Point taken. I'll give it a good hour before I try the comet again tonight.
Thanks chemistree,
Casey
Astronuc
Jan26-08, 09:08 AM
for these final days of January and the first days of February will be an exceptional time for predawn sky watchers with a beautiful pairing of the two brightest planets, Venus and Jupiter. They will appear closest together in the dawn sky of Friday, Feb. 1, and a few mornings later, the waning crescent moon will later drop by to join them. http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20080125/sc_space/spectacularskyshowvenusjupiterandthemoon
russ_watters
Jan26-08, 10:16 AM
I am pretty sure that I got this comet in my view tonight...but I couldn't get much more than a "greyish fuzzball"....
Out of curiosity, how long does an 8" Newtonian need to cool to ambient temp. it was about 26 degrees F tonight. I wonder if that is why I couldn't see it so great?
Casey Sorry I missed this before (I rarely check this thread). A "greyish fuzzball" is all the comet is. And in a telescope, even at low power, it covered most or all of the field of view. Here's a picture I took of it through my lower power/wider field of view telescope:
http://www.russsscope.net/images/Holmes.jpg
It looked about the same through the eyepiece (not quite as bright or well defined, though).
Saladsamurai
Jan26-08, 01:15 PM
Nice. Thanks russ. Hey, I just noticed nuc's post about venus and jupiter. I would like to check it out, but I have been reluctant to go out since its freezing in Boston area as of late.
I was just wondering, is there any kind of damage that can occur to my scope due to sub-freezing temperatures? I know I would have to leave it outside for some time to cool the mirror. If not, is there anything to look out for? Like when I bring it back inside to the warmth. Do things get dewey or anything like that?
russ_watters
Jan26-08, 01:58 PM
Dew is the thing you have to worry about most. Make sure you put the lens caps (don't forger the one on the eyepiece socket) before bringing it inside. It can also be a problem in spring and fall if you leave the scope out all night - it could be dripping wet in the morning.
For actually using it, the cold can make grease more viscous and can play games with the electronics, but neither of these cause permanent damage.
Saladsamurai
Jan26-08, 02:02 PM
Cool. There are no electronics, so that is a bonus!
Saladsamurai
Feb20-08, 03:14 PM
I heard there is a partial lunar eclipse tonight. I am going to Google around now to find the details.
EDIT It's a total eclipse. . . here is the link
http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/LEmono/TLE2008Feb21/TLE2008Feb21.html
This years national dark sky week is March 29 to April 4.
To find out more about National Dark Sky Week, visit http://ndsw.org/
Saladsamurai
Mar16-08, 11:28 AM
Moon will occult Pleiades on April 8th, 2008. I am not sure who this will be viewable to. Anyone know?
neutrino
Mar16-08, 11:59 AM
Moon will occult Pleiades on April 8th, 2008. I am not sure who this will be viewable to. Anyone know?
Have an eye out for alerts from this site (http://www.lunar-occultations.com/iota/iotandx.htm), or you could run their software.
Saladsamurai
Mar16-08, 02:41 PM
Have an eye out for alerts from this site (http://www.lunar-occultations.com/iota/iotandx.htm), or you could run their software.
I can't get this page to load. Also, I can't seem to see a section for US...only Europe?
russ_watters
Mar16-08, 03:09 PM
Looks like it won't be visible from the Eastern US. It's tough: the moon is near new and it starts right around at moonset for the eastern US. For the west, you get a couple of hours of it, but the view from Starry Night says that it won't be occulting any of the major stars - it's just a close pass.
Saladsamurai
Mar17-08, 01:12 AM
Looks like it won't be visible from the Eastern US. It's tough: the moon is near new and it starts right around at moonset for the eastern US. For the west, you get a couple of hours of it, but the view from Starry Night says that it won't be occulting any of the major stars - it's just a close pass.
Really? Damn. The article I read in Sky at Night said it was gone going to be all bad-***. Like a nice sliver of the moon. Damn.
George Jones
Mar21-08, 07:40 PM
Looks like it won't be visible from the Eastern US. It's tough: the moon is near new and it starts right around at moonset for the eastern US. For the west, you get a couple of hours of it, but the view from Starry Night says that it won't be occulting any of the major stars - it's just a close pass.
Take a look at Sault Ste. Marie and Fargo.
Saladsamurai
May28-08, 12:57 PM
Anything good going on that anyone knows of?
vincentm
Jul25-08, 07:12 PM
LIGO's Sample the Sky (http://www.ligo-wa.caltech.edu/skysample_08.html) event.
isly ilwott
Aug25-08, 10:33 AM
I got this from a friend by email. Is there truth to it?
Two moons on August 27th what the Whole World is waiting for............. Planet Mars will be the brightest in the night sky starting August. It will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. This will Cultivate on August 27 when Mars comes within 34.65M miles of earth. Be sure to watch the sky on Aug. 27 12:30 am. It will look like the earth has 2 moons. The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287. Share this with your friends as NO ONE ALIVE TODAY will ever see it Again.
chemisttree
Aug25-08, 12:16 PM
Not a word is true. This is a viral e-mail that comes around every August.
pixel01
Aug25-08, 01:23 PM
I got this from a friend by email. Is there truth to it?
Two moons on August 27th what the Whole World is waiting for............. Planet Mars will be the brightest in the night sky starting August. It will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. This will Cultivate on August 27 when Mars comes within 34.65M miles of earth. Be sure to watch the sky on Aug. 27 12:30 am. It will look like the earth has 2 moons. The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287. Share this with your friends as NO ONE ALIVE TODAY will ever see it Again.
No, it isn't any true. In fact the hoax started in August 2003 when Mars was closest to Earth in recorded history (about 56mil km). Since then, every August, the hoax emails have been sent to everywhere. This august Mars is quite far from earth though.
tonightssky
Nov16-08, 02:21 PM
Dont forget the Leonid meteor shower tonight!
http://tyleroaxs.googlepages.com/leonidmap.jpg
also Mark your calendars for December 1, as the moon, venus and Jupiter will gather very close and it will make for a great show.
For more of the Lastest Night Sky events check out www.tonightssky.org (http://www.tonightssky.org)
tonightssky
Nov17-08, 11:35 AM
ISS and Space Shuttle sightings: The space shuttle is docked to the ISS and they are making visible passes over North America, For local Flyby times click Here (http://www.spaceweather.com/flybys)
Remember more info at tonightssky.org (http://www.tonightssky.org)
tonightssky
Nov17-08, 09:46 PM
Check out the view to the southwest after sundown, Venus and Jupiter are growing closer and preparing for a meeting with the moon, more later...
http://i478.photobucket.com/albums/rr148/Tyler_greatsky/NOV17_08.jpg
Remember Tonightssky.org (http://www.tonightssky.org)
Check out the view to the southwest after sundown, Venus and Jupiter are growing closer and preparing for a meeting with the moon, more later...
A few days ago I was stepping through Stellarium and noticed just that; Jupiter, Venus, & the crescent Moon will all be in a tight group in the South-Southwest sky. While they are nearing each other (our perspective) they will appear closest to each other on the nights of 11/30-12/1. (The moon will be rightmost on the 30th and leftmost on the 1st. Will be a pretty cool sight.
I was going to post a question regarding this and a search hit on this thread. Is there a practical way to know when this will happen again?
tonightssky
Nov18-08, 04:20 PM
Well stellarium is a good place to start, I dont know of any site that puts information years ahead, though I know this is the best planetary conjunction this year.
russ_watters
Nov18-08, 06:46 PM
You can download free planetarium software and just scroll forward in time.
tonightssky
Nov18-08, 11:59 PM
http://i478.photobucket.com/albums/rr148/Tyler_greatsky/NOV18_08.jpg
shot from earlier this evening...
www.tonightssky.org (http://www.tonightssky.org)
tonightssky
Nov20-08, 02:14 PM
Check out venus Jupiter and the ISS tonight! check out spaceweather.com/flybys for local flybys times.
Hookemhorn21
Nov20-08, 07:02 PM
Those are some great pics tonightssky.
tonightssky
Nov20-08, 09:40 PM
Thank you Hookemhorn21!
Here is another of the two, this time with the International space station running along the milkyway!
http://i478.photobucket.com/albums/rr148/Tyler_greatsky/NOV20_08-1.jpg
tonightssky
Nov23-08, 09:07 PM
Aurora Watch: People living at high latitudes should be alert for northern lights between the 25th and 26th of November, visit Tonightssky.org for updates
tonightssky
Nov25-08, 11:52 PM
Aurora Watch: Keep an eye to the sky tonight, activity with decrease within the next 24 hours.
Planets, check out the view to the southwest after sunset, especially on December 1. Jupiter and Venus are a great pair of bright objects in the sunseting sky.
tonightssky
Nov27-08, 12:47 PM
Thanksgiving sunset planets: Happy Thanksgiving! Look south after sunset, you'll see a beautiful pair of bright objects, jupiter, and venus.
tonightssky
Dec1-08, 11:54 AM
Tonight is the night astronomers are calling 'the best sky show of the year' DONT MISS IT!!!! look southwest after sunset, youll see the moon, jupiter and venus having a heavenly gathering. More at tonightssky.org (http://www.tonightssky.org)
Clear Skies!
tonightssky
Dec1-08, 10:21 PM
In case you missed it here is what it looked like...
http://i478.photobucket.com/albums/rr148/Tyler_greatsky/CR3.jpg
http://i478.photobucket.com/albums/rr148/Tyler_greatsky/CR2-1.jpg
Look closely, can you find 2 of Jupiters moons?
http://i478.photobucket.com/albums/rr148/Tyler_greatsky/CR1-2.jpg
tonightssky
Dec2-08, 04:17 PM
Aurora Watch: December 4th a solar wind stream will hit earth sparking northern lights, skywatchers should be alert!
Other events coming up:
-Geminid Meteor shower- dec. 13-14
-Moon/venus | Jupiter/Mercury Conjunction Dec. 31
MORE AT: www.tonightssky.org (http://www.tonightssky.org)
Saladsamurai
Dec3-08, 06:46 AM
Who can see the aurora? I live on the Northeast (U.S.). Can I see it? SHould I use my scope or would my binos be better for something like this?
Thanks!
tonightssky
Dec3-08, 11:26 AM
Aurora Watch: December 4th, though best conditions will be on the 5th, the wind stream should arrive. Here are the probablities:
Mid Latitudes (between 35-50 degrees North Latitude)
Active Conditions: 40%
Minor Storm: 10%
Major Storm: 1%
High Latitudes (50-90 degrees North Latitude)
Active Conditions: 45%
Minor Storm: 15%
Major Storm: 10%
Note: all probablities apply to the peak of the storm, when it arrives.
Kp Values:
mid Lat: 3-5 Active, 5-6 minor, 7-9 major
Click here for an explanation of K- index scale (http://www.spaceweather.com/glossary/kp.html)
Saladsamurai: with a minor storm you have a good chance to see them, you are in mid latitude, so your relative chance is 10% (which is pretty high, and rare during a solar minimum) Aurora is a widefield colorful display, no need for eye aiding devices, the only suggestion I would give you is to find some non-light-polluted skies. Light Pollution can ruin a minor display. For more questions or updates on this event visit Tonightssky.org (http://www.tonightssky.org)
I really enjoy your photos, they are truly beautiful. I wish you would post some of them in the General discussion area of the forum {nature shots} so more people can see them.
tonightssky
Dec14-08, 03:01 PM
Just an update...
Geminid meteor shower peaked last night, and what a show it was, I saw two meteors in 30 secs, about 15 meteors per hour. I caught one on the cam here...
http://i478.photobucket.com/albums/rr148/Tyler_greatsky/CR1-6.jpg
Absolution
Dec29-08, 11:38 PM
I can't see anything here in Singapore with all the city lights, can I? :(
montoyas7940
Dec30-08, 08:41 AM
I can't see anything here in Singapore with all the city lights, can I? :(
Apparently the conditions in the city are very bad for night sky observing. That is a shame. There is some good info and links here.
http://lightpollutionsg.tripod.com/
You may have to get out of the city some distance to get good conditions.
Here is a link to a howto for the light pollution overlay on google earth.
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/63-404-0-0-1-0.html
You can use it to find the nearest decent light conditions.
Good luck :wink:
Absolution
Dec30-08, 09:38 AM
Thanks! :)
Will try out the links! We have an observatory at the Science Centre, but sadly i haven't got a chance to go there yet... Previously when the Mars, Moon and Earth(or was it the Sun) were in a line - pardon me i can't remember what its called - i did go there, but the queue was so long...
tonightssky
Jan4-09, 09:12 PM
Just Posting some recent stuff, This is all related to the Spectacular New Years Eve conjunction...
Comet Lulin: by the end of the month this should be a naked eye object visible in the morning sky. stay tuned for updates.
http://i478.photobucket.com/albums/rr148/Tyler_greatsky/CR1-10.jpg
http://i478.photobucket.com/albums/rr148/Tyler_greatsky/CTS.jpg
George Jones
Jan4-09, 09:32 PM
Just Posting some recent stuff, This is all related to the Spectacular New Years Eve conjunction...
http://i478.photobucket.com/albums/rr148/Tyler_greatsky/CTS.jpg
Yes, I saw this tonight.
woah that is awesome.. never knew this place existed at these forums haha :p
where r u located in order to see those three planets .. cud i see them say from toronto??
i'm sure i can see venus ... its usually pretty close to the moon when i notice it and pretty damn bright.
George Jones
Jan5-09, 05:12 AM
where r u located in order to see those three planets .. cud i see them say from toronto??
I saw them last night from the centre of Saint John, New Brunswick.
Where in Toronto? It would be difficult, for example, to see Mercury and Jupiter right now from Bay and Bloor. You need a fairly unobstructed view of the western horizon just after sunset. I saw them from an overpass that spans a highway and some railroad tracks which run through an east-west corridor.
well i actually live in mississauga so i get a pretty good un obstructed view of the sky kind of close to the lake
tonightssky
Jan6-09, 12:11 PM
Mercury should be fairly easy to spot still, but Jupiter is setting eariler and eariler each day, so look as soon as possible. Last night I could barely image all three together, Jupiter is starting to get lost in twilight. (and yes, almost everyone in the world sees the same sky, at least in the same Hemisphere)
And im located in Omaha, Nebraska
I attempted to spot Comet N3 Lulin this morning with my small scope, but Didnt have luck, I think it is still too dim to be found during the begining of twilight - at least in the city light pollution.
More later...
Looking at the planets have been great, and I saw a straggler of a meteor while in the parking lot at work the other morning. It made a dashing path across the sky, very nice.
tonightssky
Jan9-09, 11:30 PM
Hey guys, tonights full moon is the biggest it will be all year! literaly! it will appear 14% larger than most nights, its barely noticable, but check it out before at sunrise, while its near the horizon.
Also Jim Saueressig of Burlington Kansas took this image early yesterday morning of the comet. (it is to the right of the bright star circled) Some estimations put it between 6 and 7 Magnitude, not yet visible to the naked eye, but observers are seeing a great coma and anti-tail!
http://i478.photobucket.com/albums/rr148/Tyler_greatsky/LulinfromJim.jpg
NOTE: I did not take this photo, to view more of Jim's photos check out his Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/kansashorizons)
Check my website for the latest on Comet N3 Lulin! www.Tonightssky.org (http://www.tonightssky.org)
tonightssky
Feb21-09, 03:26 PM
Comet Lulin: now is the best time to check out this comet, its currently a magnitude 5.6 from recent estimates. It is visible with binoculars to big city light polluted skies. Many incredible images have been taken, this WILL be the brightest comet of 2009. It should peak in its brightness by February 24th probably at mag 5.4 to 5.2 Also on the 24th, the comet travels right next to Saturn - while Saturn's moon's transit the planet!!! - this is a very rare occurance. IF you live in dark skies, the comet should be visible to the naked eye!
use the sky map below to locate the comets position, or on the 24th, find saturn and use binoculars, the comet and planet will be in the same field of view!
http://www.skyhound.com/cometchasing/comets/2007_N3.gif
To view more images, and to get more information on this comet, as well as more sky maps check out my webpage on the comet...
http://www.tonightssky.org/latestnightskyevents.html
remember to check out my website Tonight's Sky (http://www.tonightssky.org)
hypatia
Jul14-09, 03:33 PM
Cygnus the Swan, is over head this month. For anyone new to sky/star watching, this summer month brings us the "Northern Cross". Three stars make up a triangle, a blue-white star named Vega, northern most Deneb and closest to the horizon, Altair.
One way to recognize the Summer Triangle is notice that there is a cross within the Triangle. The constellation Cygnus is that cross.
I hope everyone gets to go out sometime this week and take a peek.
Hey guys, every night while I walk home I always look up at the stars. I always see two objects that I wonder what they are.
One is extremely bright and yellow. I always assumed that it was Venus. Its pretty big in the sky.
The other is a twinkling red object. No idea what this could be. I assume since it twinkles its a star sometimes it appears as if it changes from the redish colour to a blueish off white.
George Jones
Jul15-09, 02:01 PM
Hey guys, every night while I walk home I always look up at the stars. I always see two objects that I wonder what they are.
One is extremely bright and yellow. I always assumed that it was Venus. Its pretty big in the sky.
The other is a twinkling red object. No idea what this could be. I assume since it twinkles its a star sometimes it appears as if it changes from the redish colour to a blueish off white.
It's difficult to say without more information.
Are you looking towards the south around midnight? If so, you could be seeing Jupiter (left, very bright, whitish) and the red giant star (right) Antares.
chemisttree
Jul15-09, 02:39 PM
Sounds like Antares (red toward the south) and Arcturus (orange, overhead in the evening).
Sounds like Antares (red toward the south) and Arcturus (orange, overhead in the evening).
After looking at pictures of Antares it does look like it could be what I'm seeing. Although the object I see looks relatively smaller than most of the other stars around it.
And yes I am looking to the south when I see the other object. Pictures of Jupiter do look pretty similar. I'll try to get pictures tonight guys. thanks :D
hypatia
Nov11-09, 10:55 AM
November is perhaps my favorite month to watch the sky. It of course, is the hunters moon, but Saturn hangs out just to the left of it for the next few days.
Keep a eye out 17th, The Leonid meteor showers peek performance!
bcmarshall
Nov21-09, 03:54 AM
Sorry, I'm a newbie here and didn't know how to start a new thread, so I figured I'd post a question in this one since it has a lot of subscribers.
I'm arguing with a friend about how a half-Earth would appear from the Moon. Since we see the Moon in phases, it makes sense that watching the Earth from the Moon would also offer the same phenomenon, Full Earth, Half Earth, New Earth. My question is if one is looking at a Half Earth from the Moon, would the shadow line appear horizontal or vertical.
My belief is that since the Moon is in a roughly equatorial orbit around the Earth, then the equators of the two objects are facing each other, with their axes within a few degrees of being parallel. Since we see the Half Moon as vertical from here, I conclude since there is no mechanism I can envision which would alter the perception, it should appear as a vertical line on the Earth as well.
My friend believes the shadow line should appear horizontally across the Earth.
I'd welcome any comments or explanations.
bcmarshall
Nov21-09, 04:07 AM
My apologies. I figured out too late how to start a new thread and did so. Please post any responses at the other link, http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?p=2452328#post2452328
Thanks.
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