General stargazing

Occultation of a shadow on Jupiter

ricci — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:06:48 GMT

This night from 00.16 UT to 00.31 UT the satellite Ganimede will occult the satellite's shadow Io of Jupiter, very rare event

www.pierpaoloricci.it/eventi/giove211109_eng.htm

Star magnitudes

cjw — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:53:06 GMT

Is there a list of non variable stars or stars that vary a limited amount(.1, .2 mag) to compare to variable stars? What would be a stable star to compare to algol, etc. I would like to know at least 2 or 3 in each constellation for references.

Thanks CW

Black Forest Star Party 2009 Video

DaveMitsky — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:18:08 GMT

The video featuring Park Manager Chip Harrison, fellow ASH members Tony Donnangelo and Doug Grove, and Ron Burrows of Michigan that was recorded at this year's BFSP is now posted at http://greenlifepenn.org/?p=264

I was just off-camera when Tony was interviewed. There's a very brief shot of my 101mm Tele Vue refractor in the video.

For more on astronomy at Cherry Springs State Park, click here.

Dave Mitsky

Do you think I can see LMC from Isla de Mujeres (offshore from Cancun) ??

dhavlena — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:55:42 GMT

New here so please excuse any flubs.

Heading to Isla de Mujeres 5 miles offshore from Cancun

this Thursday. I calculate that at 2AM Eastern time

on Sunday, Nov 22 the Large Magellanic Cloud should

be centered at due south on the horizon. I'll have a clear

and dark view of this horizon - over the ocean.

My question is whether or not ther'd be any chance of

glimpsing ANY part of the LMC with 10x50 binoculars?

Years ago I saw Alpha Centauri from central Florida

due - I'm pretty sure - to atmospheric diffraction bending.

I've searched the web for days trying to find out

just HOW MANY degrees optical bending can allow

one to see things below the horizon?

Isla de Mujeres is at 21 deg. 12' 0" north latitude.

Thanks much for reading!

Dennis Havlena northern Michigan

dhavlena@gmail.com

Moon Occults Pleiades - The Americas - Nov 03/04

Centaur — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 05:02:35 GMT

The 97% illuminated waning gibbous Moon will occult stars of the Pleiades (M45) cluster for observers in the Americas during the night of 2009 NOV 03/04. Immersions will occur on the lunar bright limb and emersions on the dark limb. Folks located on a graze path will witness a star winking on and off as lunar hills and valleys pass by. Those between graze paths will see full occultations.

I’ve created two graphics related to the event. The first is a graze map for the Americas of the six brightest Pleiads. The second is a preview of the occultations as seen from Chicago’s Adler Planetarium. They can be seen by clicking: http://www.curtrenz.com/astronomical

Photos and descriptions of the event would be welcome additions to this thread.

My visit to the McDonald Observatory

RiverInTheSky — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:55:32 GMT

Visit to the McDonald Observatory at Fort Davis, TXThis past Tuesday and again on Friday, I was lucky enough to attend a Special Viewing with their 107 inch telescope and a Star Party. Both nights were absolutely breathtaking!! The sky last night for the Star Party was the most beautiful, dark sky I have ever seen in my life. It was perfect – dark and clear. From their outside auditorium you have a 360 degree view of the sky. With so many stars visible it was hard to pick out the constellations as I was use to seeing them!!The Milky Way stretched from one end of the sky to the other. While out there the space station appeared in our view – it was so bright. The programs both nights were fantastic; the staff and visiting professors there amazing. We got to view through the 107 inch – Jupiter with a shadow from one of the moons and M15. The huge dome started to rotate, one section of the dome started to open, the telescope begin to rotate and lock in on an object!! It was very exciting just to be on the dome floor and watch the doom opening and the scope rotating.Last night there were I think five telescopes open for viewing – we saw the Ring Nebula, the Andromeda Galaxy, Jupiter and M15. It is well worth the trip to Fort Davis, TX and the McDonald Observatory if for nothing else but to look up and see the most amazing, beautiful night sky.

Why such a difference between M42 and M31?

wilsocn — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 18:36:10 GMT

I am pretty new to astronomy and my two biggest targets so far have been M31 and M42. Can anyone tell me why there is such a difference in viewing Orion and Andromeda? Stellarium tells me that M42 is a magnitude 4.00 while M31 is 3.50. Why does M42 show up very clearly in my scope while M31 is a barely visible smudge? I am using a 114mm Celestron. I thought that Andromeda being a lower magnitude would make it easier to see?

Any advice or help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Southern Cross observation from Northern Hemisphere

Lobo27 — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 17:28:53 GMT

Hello all,

I was lucky enough to see the Southern Cross from Peru in June and yes, I still have the song stuck in my head! The problem I had there was going out at night due to safety concerns. I read that it is possible to see the Southern Cross from the Florida Keys. I live in Florida, but haven't been able to find very much information on where and when the best chance for viewing will be from the keys. Any information from the group would be appreciated. Thanks!!

Orion

TeleTaurus7 — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:03:17 GMT

My favorite constellation is now back in our night sky. Its my absolute favorite one to just gaze at and enjoy. M42 is very nice too The belt is the best part though. By the way its good to be back on the forum!

METEORITE ?

LUVDECOCMOS — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:01:06 GMT

AT 11:30 P.M. EST AS I WAS LOOKING AT CASIOPIA A METEORITE STREAKED ACROSS THE SKY. ARE WE IN THE MIDST OF METOR SHOWERS?

Asteroid near the Earth

ricci — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:43:03 GMT

This night an asteroid is passed at only 14000 from the Earth.

www.pierpaoloricci.it/news_eng.htm

Just got a telescope what are some interesting things to look at?

Tarcin the Stargazer — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:05:05 GMT

So today me and my dad finished making a telescope. we bought an Altzurmith mount and use some lenses for the Objective and eyepiece. It is pretty powerful, so I am pretty sure I can see most things (except maybe the faintest things) but since I am new to astronomy, I was just wondering what is good to look at. My dad could tell me some things, as he knows his way around the stars, but I want your input. I live in houston, so I get lots of light pollution, but I have a clear view of the west sky. Thanks to anyone who helps! Tarcin

Orionid

Ray 'O' Light — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 05:05:28 GMT

Didn't see any mention of them here. Wondering if and when they'll be best viewed in So. Cal.?

thanks.

What Am I seeing?

WilliamK — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:33:25 GMT

I have a Celestron 6" dobs. While viewing Jupiter with a 25MM lens I saw a fairly bright fuzzy patch within the same field of view. That was about two weeks ago so I checked again tonight and it is still there. Could this be astroid Helena? I never viewed an astroid before so I'm not sure how they appear in a telescope.

Opening up a Colourful Cosmic Jewel Box (Cerro Paranal)

AndesEbla — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:38:16 GMT

Opening up a Colorful Cosmic Jewel Box

A Snapshot of the Jewel Box cluster with the ESO VLT (Cerro Paranal)

The FORS1 instrument on the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) at ESO's Paranal Observatory was used to take this exquisitely sharp close up view of the colourful Jewel Box cluster, NGC 4755. The telescope's huge mirror allowed very short exposure times: just 2.6 seconds through a blue filter (B), 1.3 seconds through a yellow/green filter (V) and 1.3 seconds through a red filter (R). The field of view spans about seven arcminutes.

Raúl Hernández Olea - raul hernandez chile - raul hernandez

Sirius & The Pleiades

AndesEbla — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 15:50:09 GMT

In February 1999 we travelled to the Elqui Valley (Chile) to enjoy one golden day and its starry night to be blessed by the heavens and to renew our intimate liturgy in the nature. Vicuña is the town in the heart of the Valley, surrounded by colorful “cerros” (mountains) in a dreamy panorama. There is by there a popular astronomical observatory called “Mamalluca”, well implemented and run by the Municipality. During years I had the longing of going there to admire the Milky Way in the starry wind. The Chilean sky is World famous for its transparency, and due to that we have the greatest and most advanced astronomical observatories of the World, such as Cerro Paranal and La Silla (both of ESO), Las Campanas, Cerro Tololo, Mega World Project “ALMA” (acronym that also means “soul” in Spanish) in San Pedro de Atacama (radio astronomy), etc. On December 28, 2006, at the beginning of summer, I returned to the Elqui Valley in a nostalgic and solitary journey. It was not the liturgy for renewing our vows but my personal farewell and prayer revering a star that had been personified to enlighten my life, my brightest evening star (“lucero”), Sirius and the very Stella Maris altogether. The weather was wonderful in the Valley and I stayed overnight in the fine hotel and resort Hostería de Vicuña, fixing so my unaccomplished desire of February 1999. Late in the evening I went up to the Mamalluca Astronomical Observatory located on one of the cerros that surround the Valley, precisely Cerro Mamalluca (pronounce “Mamayuka”). In the open air there were field telescopes, and the big one was in the Observatory’s Dome in a fancy building. At midnight, after a scientific lecture on the Zodiac, I watched the heavens through the telescopes and also by naked eye advised by astronomers, who used long range laser pointers to drive our sight into the sky right up to the celestial bodies about which they went giving rich data and considerations (moreover the great “precision” of the laser pointers astonished me!). Every night hundreds of people meet there rendering half a rite and half a celestial adventure. It was for me great spiritual experience, which concentrated my childhood desires learning Ancient History on Assyrians and Egyptians, and my studies of Cosmology in my university years, and later reading about Astronomy and mathematical and physical sciences. I had Carl Sagan profoundly in my heart, still listening to his Voyager’s gold disc. Immensity, complexity and beauty of the Universe have always let me in ecstasy and profoundly meditative; the essence of it –space-time, mass, matter, light, gravity, emptiness, and Mathematics– constitute the Divinity, if any. I watched through a field telescope the intensely white-blue star Sirius, which is 22 times brighter than our Sun and has twice its mass (it is a binary system). It was majestic experience seeing it, and also watching the red giant star Betelgeuse nearby, which appeared through the telescope spectacularly big and reddish. Through the big Dome’s telescope I watched the cluster of the Pleiades. Only a few stars can difficulty be seen by naked eye in that region of the space, but suddenly the telescope revealed hundreds of sparkling stars forming the cluster, making it so vividly that seemed a miracle. The Three Maries –forming the belt of Orion– constitute grand gift for the mortals. I watched them at Mamalluca in their glorious splendor outshining in the crystal sky of the Valley. They accompanied our love all along Chile during many adventurous and blissful nights. Only the resplendent Southern Cross (Crux) was missing due to the time it was, but in my heart it was shining as the celestial jewel that united us intimately on Earth, and which we watched with emotion in so many idyllic nights along Chile. From the Observatory I returned to the Hostería of Vicuña late in the night, only accompanied by the whirling arm of the Milky Way, scintillating and consoling, holding her in my heart with the splendor of thousand suns. She will remain there illuminating my path to eternity.

Raúl Hernández Olea - raul hernandez chile - raul hernandez

NGC 6888 first light from TAO

stargazer_7000 — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:45:19 GMT

hi guys,

Atfer a long pause of posting astrophotos to this group I am very glad
to crank out another image, which represents something very special
for me:
The first light result of TAO: triple apo observatory.

TAO is a collaborative project I run together with my close friend
Immo Gerber, also renown memeber of this group.
We have decided to share equipment and time in future. Thus we now own
a remote observatory in the southern parts of france, which provides
very dark skies sparing us from any sort of light-pollution.
TAO is member of ROSA. a remote observatory park in southern france
which was given birth to by our friends Daniel Marquardt and Karel
Teuwen.

As we have raised the obs in late april we have become fully
operational in about May this year, commencing data-aquisition at
once.
After some time of experiments and adjustments we are now happy to
present our first light result.

The object of interest was the crescent nebula.
Quite a demanding object I hear you say, more so in regards to the
fact we did not have an O3 filter available.
Fearlessly we rushed into this and what you will see renders mostly
LRGB with a deep set of HA, though.
Surprisingly enough, the color-data held enough of what we did not
expect to see at all – the area of the nebula which is usually
demonstrated in O3 !

Enough words for now – please find all data on the website.

http://www.stargazer-observatory.com/6888-tao.html

thanks for looking and comments are gladly appreciated!

Dietmar & Immo
TAO

Finally got to see something last night

dmatusiakjr — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:27:39 GMT

I thought I was going to be let down again last night by cloud cover, but turned out to be an exciting evening! I received my scope on Wednesday and binoculars on Thursday, and I was anxious to be able to see something immediately. Unfortunately I couldn't Thursday. I felt as though the clouds would never lift as it seems it has rained everyday for the past month. Last night around 11pm, however, that all changed. Jupiter was immediately viewable, and. I actually got it sighted with my scope (after only minimal cursing. First experience with all this, remember). Once sighted, I could make out 4 of its moons. I went to change the eyepiece from the 20mm to 10mm, but I had a lot of trouble sighting then (enter more cursing :) ). Then, the clouds returned. After waiting what felt an eternity, the heavens reopened. This time I went with my binoculars, and spotted Jupiter once more and could still make out the moons! I saw Orion and knew I had my first chance at m42. There it was! A little blurry and looking rather gray, but amazing. Using my mytouch3g and googlesky, I located Andromeda (nearly at zenith), and pointed the binos towards m31. How amazing it is to personally view things I have only studied before. All in all, I felt I had a very rewarding evening, and the cold wind didn't even bother me or break my enthusiasm. I need more practice spotting my scope (and long underwear), and will be able to take some of my first pictures very soon. I can't believe I didn't start sooner!

Occultation of Antares

ricci — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 10:33:40 GMT

In the evening of 21 October the Moon will occult Antares. The phenomena will be visible from Europe.

www.pierpaoloricci.it/eventi/occ-21-10-09_eng.htm

What a Weekend!

Chuckfromde — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 20:38:16 GMT

Just sharing with the foum....

My family and I attended the Delmarva Stargazer's "No Frills" star party this weekend. This was the 1st timke we've attended a star party, and what a great time we had. The people were extremely friendly and encouraged my wife, myself, and 2 young sons to look through the various scopes, including a 25" dob. The weather was great with the exception of the dew, but I was able to get some nice observing in. We saw a number of different DSOs, and Jupiter was amazing with the GRS and the Io shadow presenting at the same time last night. We're also new to camping and didn't expect the chill, so we'll be better prepared next time, but for those new to astronomy such as my family, I highly recommend attending a star party. I know we'll be doing it again!

- Chuck

LCROSS Webcast Failuer : Theory and Practical

Cosmic Dust — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:06:01 GMT

Click Here For 10 Theoratical Reasons of LCROSS Earth wide Disappointment

AND

For Practical Reason of Failuer of LCROSS Drama Click Here

Moon Water Victim > Chandrayan

Cosmic Dust — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:02:23 GMT

Click Here to Know about latest resolved Mistries about Moon Water

What did I see?

Marc1980 — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:23:33 GMT

Hi there.

I have recently been given a cheapy telescope by my Father in Law, so thought I might give my teenage facination of the stars another try. Last night I was in my garden looking towards the south. My position is approx 50.05N. 005,15W. Looking at about 40 degrees or so above the horizon I saw a small circular object, no detail just white, with a small line coming out of the 7 o'clock position and from the 2 o clock position were 2 smaller white dots eqi-distanced apart. My astro geograpy is rubbish at the moment, ime to blow the dust off some of those olde books.

If any one has any idea that would be great.

Kind regards

Marc

Planetary conjunction - October 2009

buzzlightale — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:06:38 GMT

Interesting planetary conjunction viewing over next few days http://scienceray.com/astronomy/planetary-conjunction-october-2009/

curious...;-)

mercury09 — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 15:01:02 GMT

hope everyone is doing fine so far... i would like to hear some opinions from anyone : 1. what fascinates you most ,Planets,Universe ec...?? 2. is anyone so lucky and has Astronomy as his profession or something similar?? Its probably just fair that i will answer these questions i have as well.. so here i go..;-) 1. the most fascinating thing for me is, to be a part of all of this...Meaning..Sometimes in the summer time when sun rises and moon is still visible and i stand on this planet called earth in the middle and see to the right the moon and to the left the sun and i am in the middle...wow ...What a amazing fascinating feeling!! 2.Not yet but i hope i will soon...i am working on it!! trying to get a internship with DRL here in Germany! Thank you for your opinion in advance have a wonderful sky night