Skywatchers' Journal

[Turtle]

___Can't sleep so went out on the deck & sky watched for a while. Almost 4 am in my neck of the woods. Eastern & Southern view of the sky from about 15 deg to 90 altitude. Patchy clouds, mostly fast moving low cumulus. Gibbous crescent Moon rising in the East about 25 deg or so; directly South Jupiter in the vicinity of Pleadies at about 40 deg maybe. Cassiopea(sp) just past the zenith behind me if I crane my neck; vertigo. 3 small meteors over about 20 minutes gazing SSE perhaps coming out of the NW; just caught them in the periphery. Off to try & sleep. Keep looking skyward.

Going to bed right now...again. Couldn't get it out of my mind that I mis-identified the Moon phase. Gibbous Crescent indeed! That's even worse than the error I thought I made. Well, it is a waning crescent Moon & now I'm going to bed. No really. :)

[syrhus]

I'm new to the Forum. Is anybody observing the Mars Show?

[Turtle]

___I had a look through binoculars earlier in the week when Mars was in conjunction with the Moon. My roomy has a 5" reflector, but it was too windy out & I couldn't get the angle from inside. Still, it's clearly appearing larger than normal.

___Maybe before the rains set in again I can get outside with the scope for a better view. Keep looking up! :QuestionM

[IrishEyes]

Geez, should have put my 'shooting stars' here, huh?

I saw two tonight.

Turtle, I think it's interesting that you mention Cassie. That is the one constant for me. Every night, I sit on my front porch for a few minutes and locate my little "W" (or "M" or "E", as the case may be) in the sky. I love watching her travel during the year. For instance, in the summer, at 10pm, she is above the tallest tree in our yard, which is on the far right of our yard. However, in late November, she is directly above the center of our yard. She's the one that the family follows around the sky, probably because of a sappy chick flick nemo and I watched a few years ago (that all of the kids have now seen).

Anyhow, love this log, and will continue to check it out.

 

Gazing upwards,

Irish

[syrhus]

Mars and Math

 

I'm what you'd call a late bloomer when it comes to Astronomy and wish now in hindsight that I could have started long ago. I'm more into observing the shallow sky stuff, naked eye and binos. The deep space for me is much to complicated, although I do find it interesting.

 

During the course of my stay with the nightime sky I've wondered what the early earthlings (cavemen) must have thought when someone with a loud "Ugh!", and pointed upward, which meant "Incoming!" erratic rocks with tails ready to hit earth, must have felt like.

 

I also realized after looking-up as in up, and looking-up as in researching, how many of our latter humans where either mathematicians on one end or clerics especially at the Roman Catholic level on the other end, or both....

 

Boy! To have been around when there wasn't any light pollution. It also sounds as though it was a time when celibacy must have been the in thing.

 

But the point is, has anyone noticed the "Isosceles Triangle" that Mars has been making. Mars is in the Constellation Aries and the stars are Hamal (Alpha) and Sharatan (Beta). The Triangle was perfect the other night and with November being cloudy off the Great Lakes so often in November I'm not sure what the placement is at present.

 

But it's during times like this that I relate to Newton and Kepler and even a guy by the name of Hell (who was Catholic Priest) and the Math thing.

 

Hope you get a chance to observe if your skies are clear.

[Turtle]

Mars and Math

 

I also realized after looking-up as in up, and looking-up as in researching, how many of our latter humans where either mathematicians on one end or clerics especially at the Roman Catholic level on the other end, or both....

 

 

But the point is, has anyone noticed the "Isosceles Triangle" that Mars has been making. Mars is in the Constellation Aries and the stars are Hamal (Alpha) and Sharatan (Beta). The Triangle was perfect the other night and with November being cloudy off the Great Lakes so often in November I'm not sure what the placement is at present.

 

But it's during times like this that I relate to Newton and Kepler and even a guy by the name of Hell (who was Catholic Priest) and the Math thing.

 

Hope you get a chance to observe if your skies are clear.

 

Nice post Syrhus; glad to see another enthusiast reply.

___The Catholic Church continues to build observatories; one recently started operation in the American Southwest & I 've heard they a relatively new one in the Southern Hemisphere.

___The secret knowledge of the stars has been arduously guarded by the /mathematician/clerics the world over. It is the knowledge of how to navigate the oceans. Disapeear over the 'edge' of the world & return with more marvels with which to separate trusting people from their resources. When the cat's out of the bag, ...well, the cat's out of the bag. It is also the parlor magic of ballistics, wherby you can blast your enemy to oblivion. Accurate canon at sea is secret knowledge of the superior kind.

___The triangle alignment you see, while visualy engaging, is an illusion. This too will pass.

___Keep looking up,

Turtle Under Cloudy Skys:)

[Turtle]

Geez, should have put my 'shooting stars' here, huh?

...Anyhow, love this log, and will continue to check it out.

 

Gazing upwards,

Irish

 

___Speaking of meteors, I found this article today on astronomers who photographed a meteor impact on the Moon back in November. We so often think the Moon's surface cratering is an historical episode which ended, so it is very exciting to see a cratering event captured. The crater left I believe they say is about a meter across.:shrug:

[cwes99_03]

I myself, love to look up at the Pleaides (sp). They are about directly overhead right now. Of course it is raining, so the nimbus clouds block out all light and reflect back the light of the city.

[TheBigDog]

I have never been an avid skywatcher. There have been times that I have been caught up in the exuberance of others and spent many hours looking toward the heavens. And when I imagine my ideal vacation or retirement local it always contains a crystal clear view of the sky.

 

As for things that stand out, I have four.

 

Around 1976 my parents took me and my sisters to a public park (Rengstorf Park, Mt View CA) to see an eclipse of the moon. I can remember the view as clearly today as I could then.

 

A couple of years later I saw my first fireball. I was walking along a path that ran between two schools at night. I was there for some event that I do not recall. For no reason in particular I looked straight up as I was walking and a fireball went from directly behind me straight over my head to my front until it disappeared.

 

Around 1993 I was driving on the New Jersey Turnpike and turned my gaze to the left toward Manhattan, when I saw my second fireball. It went across the sky just as I looked. I tracked it until it disappeared a couple seconds later. Someone hit their horn, I guess I drifted out of my lane.

 

In 1999 I was on a flight from LA to Newark. Our flight was given a northern route that took us almost to the Canadian border. That was the only time in my life that I saw the Northern Lights. They were mesmerizing. I want to see them again someday.

 

Bill

[Turtle]

In 1999 I was on a flight from LA to Newark. Our flight was given a northern route that took us almost to the Canadian border. That was the only time in my life that I saw the Northern Lights. They were mesmerizing. I want to see them again someday.

 

Bill

 

Welcome Bill, & thanks for posting on skywatching. There is a new story up on auroras at the http://www.spaceweather.com/aurora/gallery.html site which brings together over 1,000 member submitted photos of auroras. In addition, people can sign up there to receive a phone call message at home alerting them to anticipated auroras in time to go outside & watch.:)

[Turtle]

___The clouds have broken a bit & I watched the Moon for a while near its zenith.. Uranus is about to set, and Mars then Saturn trail beyond the Moon to the East. Spotty viewing at best, but I haven't seen a star in weeks, let alone a planet.

___Keep looking skyward.:cup:

[Turtle]

___The skys here have cleared & tonight I may take out the Aces 5" reflector to have a look at Saturn. A lightning storm on Saturn is currently a popular sight among skywatchers, so I plan to throw in with the crowd. Bundle Up!:hihi:

 

___Also tonight the Full Moon & a particular Full Moon called the "Snow Moon". The Space Weather site has stories on both events:

http://www.spaceweather.com/

 

___Keep looking up.:)

[Turtle]

___Things have clouded over a bit, but I went out with the scope anyway for a look. Through the 5" Meade reflector I made out "a" ring around Saturn; no divisions visible in the ring & certainly not the storm on the planet's surface I mentioned in the previous post.

___I took a look at Luna too, the Snow Moon. What to say? Bright is all I guess. Too late to have a try at Mars as he moved behind the trees. Something about looking at these things first hand & knowing some photons visited them & came to end in my eye.

___ Keep looking skyward!:hihi:

[Queso]

snow moon indeed.

[syrhus]

Hi All!

 

Back on 11/28/05 I posted some thoughts about Mars and a relationship I thought Math had to Mars as it was forming a perfect Isosceles Triangle. Since Mars has begun to move rapidly away from Earth and if you've had the opportunity to observe this movement, and because I was able to point out the Math relationship I would say without question on my part it has been the best example of a Planet in Retrograde Motion that I have ever encountered naked eye.

 

Back in Dec cwes99_03 posted his love for observing the Pleiades. Believe it or not cw it was the Pleiades that created the enthusiasm I personally have for the Heavens when I first noticed a small dipper shaped group of stars to the west 12 years ago in March of 1994. It was my first star cluster seen in a telescope, although at the time I didn't know they existed. Now at nightfall, Mars and the Pleiades will be appearing at their closest, about 2 degrees apart. In binoculars it's been a dramamtic sight! Now with each week that passes Mars will become dimmer and dimmer.

 

I believe the distinction I am able to put on this retrograde motion is do to Mars closeness to us in the Solar System but yet far enough to give that dimensional effect.

 

Just before cwes post Turtle said he found an article that mentioned a meteor impact that was photographed impacting the moon back in November. Turtle also said so many of us think the Moon's surface cratering is an historical episode. But rather the fact is the surface of the Moon is changing due to a process that I read several years ago called "gardening".

 

Unfortunately I can't bring that information up right away as I've forgotten were the source came from. But, Turtle in the meantime there is a Moon Site that gives credence to your post and comes from The Lunar Transient Phenomena Research Observatory located at Azusa CA.

 

I believe if I'm not mistaken the quivering Lunar images that you see from that site as it's opened are live images and can be found at:

 

http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Launchpad/1837/

[Queso]

ever noticed how the little dipper seems to be trying to scoop mars up? and it has been for the past few months!

[Turtle]

Hi All!

 

Just before cwes post Turtle said he found an article that mentioned a meteor impact that was photographed impacting the moon back in November. Turtle also said so many of us think the Moon's surface cratering is an historical episode. But rather the fact is the surface of the Moon is changing due to a process that I read several years ago called "gardening".

 

Unfortunately I can't bring that information up right away as I've forgotten were the source came from. But, Turtle in the meantime there is a Moon Site that gives credence to your post and comes from The Lunar Transient Phenomena Research Observatory located at Azusa CA.

 

I believe if I'm not mistaken the quivering Lunar images that you see from that site as it's opened are live images and can be found at:

 

http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Launchpad/1837/

 

____Thanks syrhus! I love the link. It is a waning gibbous Moon tonight, & while it is clear, it is bitterly cold. 28 deg. F & dropping. I expect to only dash out for a few minutes at a time for a naked eye view.

___Hey Orby, that is quite a scoop given the Little Dipper is far from the ecliptic. A few months ago I watched Cetus try to gobble up Uranus.:lol: