Skywatchers' Journal

[freeztar]

Looking up at The Northern Hemisphere, what amazes me about the night sky is the amount of pairs of stars that seem to be the same distance apart and the same magnitude nearly. I know it's just an illusion, caused by the way the mind likes to search out patterns but does this seeming alignment of equal distance/ equal magnitude, ever get beyond three stars in a row? (Orions Belt and one other instance in my night sky - I can't vouch for The Southern Hemisphere).

 

Good question Paige.

 

I would say that Scorpius qualifies as a "4-stars-in-an-"illusionary"-equidistant-equally-luminescent-row" such as you suggest.

[paigetheoracle]

Good question Paige.

 

I would say that Scorpius qualifies as a "4-stars-in-an-"illusionary"-equidistant-equally-luminescent-row" such as you suggest.

 

Not in my opinion but it certainly has an obvious three (by coincidence my birth sign is Scorpio!). Glad you liked post!

[Turtle]

My weather is too cloudy for this, but a new asteroid was spotted a day ago and it's going to pass within a100,000 miles of Earth and we (you?) have an opportunity to see and/or photograph it. :eek:

 

SpaceWeather.com -- News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroids

NEO ALERT: A small asteroid discovered just yesterday and provisionally named "8E4BDB1" will fly past Earth tonight at a distance of only 100,000 miles. Using an ephemeris from the Minor Planet Center, advanced amateur astronomers may be able to find and photograph the space rock racing among the stars. Submit your images here.

[Turtle]

My weather is too cloudy for this, but a new asteroid was spotted a day ago and it's going to pass within a100,000 miles of Earth and we (you?) have an opportunity to see and/or photograph it. :hihi:

 

SpaceWeather.com -- News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroids

NEO ALERT: A small asteroid discovered just yesterday and provisionally named "8E4BDB1" will fly past Earth tonight at a distance of only 100,000 miles. Using an ephemeris from the Minor Planet Center, advanced amateur astronomers may be able to find and photograph the space rock racing among the stars. Submit your images here.

 

I love Spaceweather dearly, and I have this update on the asteroid:

Normally, an asteroid as small as 2008 EZ7 would merit little attention. Even if it hit Earth, the result would be little more than a bright fireball and a sprinkling of meteorites across some uninhabited stretch of our planet. 2008 EZ7 may prove to be more interesting, however; rumor has it that a second space rock provisionally named "BJ19377" is following 2008 EZ7 in a similar orbit and will soon make its own close approach. Could this be a twin asteroid flyby? Stay tuned for updates. ...

 

Uhhh...just the facts Mam. Can we say, who writes this propaganda? :doh: Anyway, my sky's cleared but I think I missed it & they took down the skychart for it. I'll set up my night-sky cam & try for another fireball.:doh:

[Turtle]

I set the video camera up in the open South window over-night, and caught this image just before dawn as Jupiter lined up directly over the Moon on the day of the Summer Solstice. :eek: We have been enjoying poor weather & sky this Spring & it's nice to start seeing some clearing & warming now. Anybody else been out with a scope yet? :confused:

 

[freeztar]

I set the video camera up in the open South window over-night, and caught this image just before dawn as Jupiter lined up directly over the Moon on the day of the Summer Solstice. We have been enjoying poor weather & sky this Spring & it's nice to start seeing some clearing & warming now.

 

And you didn't even mention the contrail...

 

Great shot!

 

Anybody else been out with a scope yet? :cup:

Nope, but clouds permitting, I'll set up a tripod shot tonight and see what I can capture. (freestar quickly opens starry night to see what can be seen tonight)

[Turtle]

And you didn't even mention the contrail...

 

Great shot! :cup:

 

 

Nope, but clouds permitting, I'll set up a tripod shot tonight and see what I can capture. (freestar quickly opens starry night to see what can be seen tonight)

 

Spell 'Jupiter'. I'll do some shots too & we can compare them. Should we go for some syncro'ed shots? You're 3 hours ahead of Pacific time, oui/no? It's 102 F right now on my porch so I expect clear skies tonight. Over......

[freeztar]

Spell 'Jupiter'. :D I'll do some shots too & we can compare them. Should we go for some syncro'ed shots? You're 3 hours ahead of Pacific time, oui/no? It's 102 F right now on my porch so I expect clear skies tonight. Over......

 

Awesome! Sounds good! :)

 

Once the sky darkens more, I'll setup a tripod and take some shots. I'll note the times and we can correlate via time differences. I'm assuming that we'll have to do some SUCTONs as well. ;)

 

I have to figure out how to mount my compass onto my tripod to get the most accuracy.

 

This will be fun! :)

[Turtle]

Awesome! Sounds good! ;)

 

Once the sky darkens more, I'll setup a tripod and take some shots. I'll note the times and we can correlate via time differences. I'm assuming that we'll have to do some SUCTONs as well. ;)

 

I have to figure out how to mount my compass onto my tripod to get the most accuracy.

 

This will be fun! :D

 

Roger. I wasn't going to mention SUCTON*, but maybe Alex, et al, wants to give that technique a try too over in the photography group. :) It's 6:20 pm here and won't darken 'til around 9:30. I better have a look at my skyware too for other potential targets. Off I go then, like a dirty sock...............:)

 

*SUCTON=Straight Up Camera Top Oriented North >> SUCTON thread

[freeztar]

Speaking of dirty socks...:)

 

My camera performed quite terribly. The tripod mount broke upon camera mounting and manipulation. I instead used a 3 second timer, turned the flash off, and layed the camera on its back. Unfortunately, there is only one good place in my yard to get a decent view of the sky, unfettered by the street lamps.

 

All of my shots turned out black. :)

I did manage to capture a little speck of light in the 3rd quadrant of this photo. It turns out to be Antares.

 

I guess I'll have to wait for a better camera to get some good Space shots. ;)

[Turtle]

Speaking of dirty socks...:D

 

My camera performed quite terribly. The tripod mount broke upon camera mounting and manipulation. I instead used a 3 second timer, turned the flash off, and layed the camera on its back. Unfortunately, there is only one good place in my yard to get a decent view of the sky, unfettered by the street lamps.

 

All of my shots turned out black. :)

I did manage to capture a little speck of light in the 3rd quadrant of this photo. It turns out to be Antares.

 

I guess I'll have to wait for a better camera to get some good Space shots. :(

 

:eek: :( ;) It's always somethin', aint it? Tonight I learned that my tripod has a feature I didn't know about, and I've had it for 6 years. :doh: Fortunately, I didn't have the camera mounted when the mine came apart. ;) ;)

 

Anyway, it's just getting dark here and I'm after the planets Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter. I have trees to the West and may not have of a view of Mars & Saturn by the time it's dark enough, but I have Jupiter all night long; it's just now rising, and again I have no clear horizon to the East so it'll be a few hours 'till ity's high enough.

 

When doing the SUCTON, since it's only stars I put the camera on Super Nightshot. The slight blurring is ok since I can then see the stars and constellations. Zooming in is cool as new stars show up. Gotta go........:)

 

PS Sorry I was away so long but the guy who owns this terminal and lets me use it fell asleep in front of it; you know what they say. :dog:

[Turtle]

Last night was a bust for me too. :( As soon as it got dark, a layer of marine clouds moved in from the West. :tongue: We'll get 'em next time! :hihi:

[Turtle]

Ohhh yeah baby!!! I just videographed an early Perseid meteor! I will be continuously recording all night so it'll be tomorrow before I post the clip.:eek: :) As ususal, I have a live feed from the cam going to my TV and pow!; meteor man. Didn't hurt I was listening to UFO talk on radio either. :D Anyway, back to the observatory. Keep looking up! :clue:

[Turtle]

Here we go thens.:) I reviewed the night's recording and found only that one meteor. The recording is in infrared mode and I enhanced the contrast/brightness with software. The steady bright light just right & below of center is Jupiter. :doh: :)

YouTube - meteor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIZhuOycPus

[Moontanman]

Now turtle, don't you find that spending all that time effort and money on filming natural phenomena is reprehensible?:evil: (sorry I just couldn't help myself!:hihi:) I often watch the sky at night on my deck, I do it so often my dog actually sits with me and watches the sky, he often barks at the moon as it is covered and uncovered by passing clouds or at odd lights and the passing airplanes. He pays close attention to anything i do and tries to be involved in some way.

[Turtle]

Now turtle, don't you find that spending all that time effort and money on filming natural phenomena is reprehensible? :evil: (sorry I just couldn't help myself!:doh:) I often watch the sky at night on my deck, I do it so often my dog actually sits with me and watches the sky, he often barks at the moon as it is covered and uncovered by passing clouds or at odd lights and the passing airplanes. He pays close attention to anything i do and tries to be involved in some way.

 

:eek: :lol: Yes I do, and it causes me no end of bother & worry. :hihi: On the whole, all indications are that I have done more good than not by it. What can I say; I can't help myself. ;)

 

Anyway, whether my catch from last night was a Perseid or not, some folks are predicting (hoping for? :hyper:) a bang up year.

 

... Conditions are excellent for serious Perseid observing on the peak morning of August 12. Even though the Moon is a fat waxing gibbous, it is far to the south and will set early enough to allow several hours of observing before morning twilight brightens the sky. These are the prime hours for meteor observing--possibly the best of the year! I'm especially looking forward to them because if the timing falls just right this is the year that will produce hourly Perseid counts of 100+ from my location on the West Coast of North America. 2004 was awesome; 2008 could be as well. ...

2008 METEOR SHOWERS

 

Get out, have a seat, put up your tired dogs, and look up.

[DougF]

This is just a reminder to get out and look up!

 

and don't forget to watch the meteor shower Tuesday August 12,

around 2 a.m. after the moon sets,

2008 Meteor Showers and Viewing Tips

 

The next meteor shower is the Perseids on August 12' date=' 2008. After the first-quarter moon sets, around 2 a.m., meteors should be more easily visible until dawn. You may see dozens of meteors per hour. [/quote']

 

StarDate Online | 2008 Meteor Showers and Viewing Tips