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Extreme astronomy

Share your most extreme observing experiences.
Daylight stars viewing
Last post 05-27-2008 06:37 PM by UtahJazzfan8. 6 replies.
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  • 03-08-2008 04:10 AM

    Daylight stars viewing

     Does somebody of you have experience in seeing stars at daytime ?

    I have two categories:
    1: without aid of an optical device (eyeglasses allowed of course)
    2: with binos and telescopes

    My experiences of (1)

    Venus, in some rare cases Jupiter and in one occasinal case in March 1986 in Canberra ACT Australia I searched and found Sirius in an 80mm telescope and peered beside the scope and found the very faint dot. Hard to keep it in sight.

    My experiences of (2)
    Virtually all 1st magnitude stars and sometimes even 2nd and 3rd mag stars, e.g. Beta Cygni and its companion (Sun was 10o above the horizon). In a recent case (Feb 2008, Red Sea coast of Egypt) I saw Antares with the Televue Genesis using 36x power and of course, Venus and Jupiter just from the balcony of my resort room.
    I could find Venus with the naked eye and found Jupiter with the 15x70.
    Another occation (Jan 2007 Sharm el Sheikh, another Egypt holiday) I found Mercury (mv = +0.1) with the same scope.

    What I did not manage until now is seeing stars with the naked eye from a commercial airliner. The sky should be darker blue on 10km altitude.

    I am very interested in experiences of somebody else.


    Signature
    Optical equipment
    2 eyes (7mm in full darkness)
    15x70mm binos
    Televus Genesis 100mm fluorite
    Photographic equiment:
    Canon EOS 40 with Tamron 18-250mm and Sigma 10-20mm + offaxis guide adapter

  • 03-08-2008 09:20 AM In reply to

    Re: Daylight stars viewing

     Hey,

     I have no experience looking at stars during day time. I just assumed the sunlight is too bright to see anything in the sky.

    However, I have seen stars through the commercial airlines during my trans-atlantic flights. And believe me,  at 36,000ft the sky is just not the same. It was hard for me to even make out the orion. The whole sky was filled with spots of light. Although, the weird part was one side of the sky was filled with stars, the other sky was almost completely dark. A few spots of light here and there, but just not like the other. Can anyone explain that?
     

  • 03-25-2008 10:28 AM In reply to

    Re: Daylight stars viewing

    I am without aid of an optical device (eyeglasses allowed of course), I have not heard my friends saw either.
  • 05-12-2008 12:18 PM In reply to

    • mr Q
    • Joined on 02-01-2008
    • Edgewood, NM
    • Posts 556

    Re: Daylight stars viewing

     Many decades ago while living in New England (U.S.), I was watching a total solar eclipse and it being in July or August, it was very hot outside. A short time after the eclipse reached totality, the air temp seemed to have dropped some 20-25 degrees and it was now that I noticed all the stars out all over the sky, just as you would see at any late dusk evening. The thing that amazed me the most was that I could see the constellation the sun was in, just as listed in a farmer's almanac. Such eirie silence came over the neighborhood (birds,insects, etc.) and just as quickly they returned at about 1/2 way past totality.

      Otherwise, only Venus, Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn have been seen by me just before and at sunset.

       Mr Q
     

    Signature
    What goes around, comes around, eventually.

    Meade DS-10 (10" newt)
    10x50, 10x70 binos
  • 05-12-2008 12:58 PM In reply to

    Re: Daylight stars viewing

    To see even the brightest stars during daytime skies would require exceptional vision  plus very good sky conditions.

    My Dad had eyes better than most, 20/05 vision and he could see brighter stars during the day, the only person I've ever known who could. I wasn't so blessed, but I can observe some of the brighter ones at about 20X in a small scope; that is if I can point to exactly where they are!

     

    Signature
    Equipment:
    Some telescopes
    WRSO



  • 05-21-2008 08:04 AM In reply to

    • wave
    • Joined on 05-17-2008
    • Bloomington, Indiana
    • Posts 3

    Re: Daylight stars viewing

    twice, during climbs in the Rocky Mountains with my brother, I have been able to see the brightest of stars in daylight.  these naked eye observations are cheating, however, as my vision is 20-10, and the summit of Long's Peak, for example, is 14256 ft (4345 m).     ~~wave

    Signature
    COWARDICE RULES!
    (...if that's okay with everyone.)

    Meade 10" (254mm) LX400-ACF, f8
  • 05-27-2008 06:37 PM In reply to

    Re: Daylight stars viewing

    I have seen Jupiter and or Venus during the daytime a few times with the naked eye. Just a small white dot.
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