Arizona Telescope: Did Big Scopes See Pluto Conjunction?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around whether the recent Pluto conjunction, specifically an occultation, was observed by large telescopes in Arizona, particularly at Mt. Hopkins. Participants explore the nature of the event and its significance in astronomical observations.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about the visibility of the Pluto conjunction by large telescopes in Arizona, noting that weather conditions were initially cloudy but cleared up later.
  • Another participant expresses confusion regarding the nature of the celestial event, questioning what Pluto is in conjunction with, as it appears to be distant from other celestial bodies.
  • Some participants clarify that the event refers to an occultation involving Pluto and a star, suggesting it was previously conjectured but not proven.
  • There is a correction regarding terminology, with participants distinguishing between "conjunction" and "occultation," emphasizing the significance of the latter for observing Pluto's atmosphere.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the specifics of the event or its terminology, with some confusion remaining about the nature of the conjunction and the details of the occultation.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved questions about the definitions of conjunction and occultation, as well as the specifics of the celestial event being discussed. The timeline of previous conjectures and observations is also unclear.

interested_learner
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Does anyone know if the Pluto Conjunction was seen by any of the big scopes in Arizona?

I know the sky over Southern Arizona (and specifically Mt. Hopkins where the 6.5 meter scope was going to be used to photograph the rare event) was cloudy yesterday evening. This morning it was clear though. It might have cleared up in time... Does anyone have contacts with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and knows the answer?
 
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I'm not sure I'm following you - what is this celestial event that you're talking about? Pluto is currently nowhere near the sun or any planet - what is it having a conjunction with? A google turns up nothing but astrology sites that don't say anything useful.
 
russ_watters said:
I'm not sure I'm following you - what is this celestial event that you're talking about? Pluto is currently nowhere near the sun or any planet - what is it having a conjunction with?

Russ, I think interested_learner means a star or something... Wasn't there a conjecture a couple of months ago?
 
He's referring to this:http://www.space.com/scienceastronom...uto_watch.html
It's an occultation.

MadScientist 1000 said:
Wasn't there a conjecture a couple of months ago?
I heard it hasn't been proven yet. :-p
 
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neutrino said:
He's referring to this:http://www.space.com/scienceastronom...uto_watch.html
It's an occultation.


I heard it hasn't been proven yet. :-p

Occulation? Conjecture? I meant the same thing :smile: Yeah... I remember the occulation between Pluto and a star... It was not a few months ago, but a year or two ago. They used it to figure out Pluto's atmosphere.
 
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It's NOT conjecture, which roughly means a half-baked idea :P, it's a conjunction, which means 'close' gathering of celestial objects as seen in the sky. Btw, the one the OP is referring to occurred today.
 
Right. Occulation. Sorry. Wrong word. This was an especially valuable occulation because it was visable from the big scopes in Arizona.
 
Do I look like the type of person who will speeeellll words correktly?

My bad... I meant occulation...
 

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