Turtle Posted April 22, 2005 Report Share Posted April 22, 2005 ;) ___I have watched the sky since childhood and I still find it spellbinding. I remember buying my first sky maps from Edmund Scientific & trying to track down stars & constellations.___Lately I use a video cam feeding to a TV for my telescope as the cold nights cramp up the old joints. I save the outside stuff for warmer weather or special occurences, eg the comet that came by last Summer.___I saw that big fireball a few months back over the NorthWest while using the video cam/TV setup to watch the Moon; didn't get it on tape but saw it through an open window.___Well, you get the idea of this thread, so what skywatching do you do & how, where, when, with who, etc.___Tonight is a Moon/Jupiter conjunction; I was out a minite ago & we have some high clouds obscurring Jupiter. Keep looking skyward! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffy Posted April 22, 2005 Report Share Posted April 22, 2005 Living in the city, we don't see much, although we do go to the local observatory (Chabot in Oakland) where on the warmer, clearer Friday nights they have a couple of big ol refractors to look through and a bunch of amatures with their own bring them up for the public to view. Great planetarium there too... My daughter and I make it up to the eastern Sierras a couple of times a year though and go where there's no lights at all and stare for hours. Its awe inspiring.... Cheers,Buffy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C1ay Posted April 22, 2005 Report Share Posted April 22, 2005 I'm an infrequent amateur astronomer. I've got a 5" reflector and I try to catch all of the events that happen only once or twice in a life time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qfwfq Posted April 22, 2005 Report Share Posted April 22, 2005 Not bad, I know a few people that have good scopes but I me only godda pair of 12x50s. Good ones though, Eschenbach. When Hale-Bopp was around we all went up the mountains with a guy, astronomy student, that had a good reflector. Before the comet was above the horizon he was setting it up to look at some other interesting things. I waited till he peered into the ocular to focus and I bent down, face into the tube, gave him a sec or two to attempt focussing and said: "I dunno, I can't see a darn thing!" This guy laughed but another guy I was with, a year or two before, leapt up and chased me away with kicks in the arse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindagarrette Posted April 22, 2005 Report Share Posted April 22, 2005 Has anyone been here? ASV (Arizona Sky Village) Located in one of the darkest deep-sky sites in North America, Astronomers will watch in awe as the Milky Way rises like a gathering storm and will re-discover the Universe in pristine dark skies. ./assets/images/autogen/a_Copy_of_Zodiacal_Light___milkyway.jpg This could be a nifty event! http://arizonaskyvillage.com/html/star_party.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francium Posted April 25, 2005 Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 Yeah, full moon tonight! I love full moons.I didn't catch the conjunction. I'm glad my Venus is back though :eek: I missed her. I don't get out as much to really check out the stars as I would like. This winter was cold and I let it keep me in. I've got a new Meade NGC-70 (2.8" Refractor). It's a basic telescope for novices like myself but I like how it hooks up to my laptop, handy dandy :eek: Anybody catch the solar eclipse? Looking skyward :eek: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queso Posted April 26, 2005 Report Share Posted April 26, 2005 i saw the eclipse. reminded me of pac man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffy Posted April 26, 2005 Report Share Posted April 26, 2005 i saw the eclipse. reminded me of pac man.Munch! My daughter and I always refer to the first/last quarter as "The Cheshire Cat". I suppose Turtle calls it GETE... Cheers,Buffy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queso Posted April 26, 2005 Report Share Posted April 26, 2005 ah i've written about that. a planet was right underneith that cheshire cat one night, venus i believe. (the morning star, i believe that's the planet) and it was like a beauty mark to the sky. i was standing on a dock in the gulf of mexico a day after one of the hurricanes, waves for once! it was magnificent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Posted April 26, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2005 ___You are good Buffy! Good fortune in your general direction!___The term I have used since a child is actually a toenail Moon. GETE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queso Posted April 27, 2005 Report Share Posted April 27, 2005 i was driving on a one lane state road through the cow pastures and drug fields of florida last night going about 100 and a shooting star wobbled and decayed above me and dissapeared. i love how random those are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Posted April 27, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2005 ___Nice catch Orby! Did you wish on it?___I'll wager you could have slowed to 40 though & still seen it! ;) Exercise caution young man ;) ;) ___Last night here we had some clearings but I went ot bed early & made no observations.Keep looking skyward! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffy Posted April 27, 2005 Report Share Posted April 27, 2005 Oh and careful: there's gators on the road late at night. Same rule applies for gators as deer on the road: don't swerve, drive through it. It will do less damage to you, and you might get some nice shoes out of it in the bargain.... Cheers,Buffy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Posted April 27, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2005 ___Or maybe a binocular or telescope case! Ahh the science of leather production! One neaver knows waht will pop up next! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queso Posted April 27, 2005 Report Share Posted April 27, 2005 haha, i saw a couple rabbits, and a wild boar. no deer or gators though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffy Posted April 27, 2005 Report Share Posted April 27, 2005 Gators: I figured Florida...I've seen plenty when I've been there. Boars: Same rule applies, but they're not as good a material for shoes. 100mph: Watch out for Smokies! And watch the ROAD! Especially if it appears to be moving! Cheers!Buffy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queso Posted April 27, 2005 Report Share Posted April 27, 2005 state roads are empty and straight, nothing to worry about! and HA HA, very funny. yeah nice joke there buffy, GOOD ONE. sure, yeah! ahhhh but honestly, i would never drive under conditions like that. i know exactly what would happen. i would think headlights are some mystical pathway and i would drive right into them. VERY BAD! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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