Skywatchers' Journal (Southern Hemisphere)

[Chacmool]

Tonight is the Full Moon for everyone in the world, and also it appears larger tonight than any other day of the year because it is at perigee.

Special notice for you Aussies too, as you may see a partial Lunar eclipse.

Story on front page of spaceweather as of this post time:

http://www.spaceweather.com/

Eye'll bee watchin'!:eek:

Hey, and what about us South Africans? :cup: We'll see a 19% eclipse. I'll be thinking of you all when I look at the moon tonight!

[Michaelangelica]

Captain cook was into this

 

Ian Musgrave & Peta O'Donohue

<[email protected]> to ian.musgrave

More options 10:29(12 hours ago)

G'Day All

 

Things have been pretty quiet recently, but on the morning of

Thursday, November 9 will be a rare transit of Mercury across the

Sun. Eastcoasters will see the entire event, central states will see

the Sun rise with the transit underway, and western Australians will

see the transit start from midway.As this is the last observable for

32 years from Australia, it's worthwhile having a look.

 

Full details of timings, safe observing tip and techniques and webcam

locations for those clouded out are at

http://home.mira.net/%7Ereynella1/astronomy/trans_06.htm

Remember, NEVER look directly at the Sun, you will damage your eyes.

 

The transit is best observed using a telescope with safe projection

proceedures, but binocular projection will work as well (see above

site). There are some good Sunspots at the moment, so you can test

your projection setup on them,

http://soho.nascom.nasa.gov/data/synoptic/sunspots_earth/mdi_sunspots.jpg

 

Also coming up, the Leonid meteor shower on the morning of the 19th

 

Cheers! Ian

 

To unsubscribe from aurora alert, send an email to

[email protected] with "unsubscribe aurora alert" as the subject.

 

======================================================

Ian Musgrave Peta O'Donohue, Jack Francis and Michael James Musgrave

[email protected] http://werple.mira.net.au/~reynella/

Southern Sky Watch http://www.abc.net.au/science/space/default.htm

 

======================================================

Ian Musgrave Peta O'Donohue, Jack Francis, Michael James and Andrew

Thomas Musgrave

[email protected] http://home.mira.net/~reynella/

Southern Sky Watch http://www.abc.net.au/science/space/default.htm

(scroll down right hand menu)

AstroBlogg http://astroblogger.blogspot.com/

Sky & Space http://www.skyandspace.com.au/public/home.ehtml

[Michaelangelica]

On 15/11/06, Ian Musgrave & Peta O'Donohue <[email protected]> wrote:

 

G'Day All

 

Sunspot

923

http://soho.nascom.nasa.gov/data/synoptic/sunspots_earth/mdi_sunspots.jpg

is now big enough to be seen with safe solar projection techniques

http://astroblogger.blogspot.com/2006/11/sunspot-923-is-big.html but

there is no sign of any aurora producing flares.

 

The Leonid meteor shower will be visible in the north-east on the

morning of Sunday, November 19th between 3:00 and 5:00 am (daylight

saving time). Unfortunately, the peak will occur during the day, but

we may see some nice meteors anyway. See

http://astroblogger.blogspot.com/2006/11/leonids-sunday-19-november.html

for details, skymaps, observing hints and more.

 

Cheers! Ian

 

To unsubscribe from aurora alert, send an email to

[email protected] with "unsubscribe aurora alert" as the subject.

 

======================================================

Ian Musgrave Peta O'Donohue, Jack Francis and Michael James Musgrave

[email protected] http://werple.mira.net.au/~reynella/

http://www-personal.monash.edu.au/~ianm/nchem.htm (professional)

Dawkins inspired weasle programs

http://www-personal.monash.edu.au/~ianm/whale.htm

Southern Sky Watch http://www.abc.net.au/science/space/default.htm

[coldcreation]

You all down under rule.

I would love to see the Megellanic clouds. Can those be seen with the naked eye?

[Jay-qu]

Oh yeah, but the big cities are starting to drown them out.. luckily I live far enough away from Melbourne to be able to see it just fine, it is even better with a pair of binoculars :hyper:

[Boerseun]

Yep, you can see the Magellanic Clouds just fine over here. I received a text message from Over Yonder Down Under regarding lager and a meteor shower this past Saturday, and upon investigating the sky, I was greeted with an all-encompassing grey overcast sheet of wetness.

 

No skies, no stars, no meteors B).

 

Bummer.

[Jay-qu]

But was the Braii at least good?

[Boerseun]

But was the Braii at least good?

They always are, mate, they always are! :warped::);)

To tell you the truth, I don't think I've ever heard of a bad one! :):):)

[Chacmool]

They always are, mate, they always are! ;):):)

To tell you the truth, I don't think I've ever heard of a bad one! :):):)

Well, there was that spitbraai we once had where the pig fell into the fire and my dad's eyebrows got scorched off... :warped:

[Boerseun]

Well, there was that spitbraai we once had where the pig fell into the fire and my dad's eyebrows got scorched off... :warped:

Every sport has its injuries...

[Michaelangelica]

==== IN THE SKY THIS WEEK ===

The Full Moon is Tuesday December 5.

The evening sky is now devoid of bright planets.

Saturn can be seen reasonably easily in the early morning sky near Regulus, the brightest star in Leo.

By the end of the week, keen-eyed observers with a flat, unobscured horizon can see Mercury, Mars and Jupiter just above the horizon half an hour before Sunrise, a foretaste of the rare triple massing next week.

For further information see:

http://home.mira.net/~reynella/skywatch/ssky.htm

 

 

Ancient Moon 'computer' revisited

By Jonathan Fildes

Science and technology reporter, BBC News

 

The delicate workings at the heart of a 2,000-year-old analogue computer have been revealed by scientists.

 

The Antikythera Mechanism, discovered more than 100 years ago in a Roman shipwreck, was used by ancient Greeks to display astronomical cycles.

 

Using advanced imaging techniques, an Anglo-Greek team probed the remaining fragments of the complex geared device.

 

The results, published in the journal Nature, show it could have been used to predict solar and lunar eclipses.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6191462.stm

[Michaelangelica]

Ian Musgrave & Peta O'Donohue

<[email protected]> to ian.musgrave

More options 19:19 (35 minutes ago)

G'Day All

 

Remember yesterday I wrote that sunspot 930 had quietened down? Well

today it made a liar of me and blasted out an X 3.4 flare aimed

almost directly at us. We don't know yet if there was a coronal mass

ejection, but given past events, it is highly likely that one is

headed our way. So be prepared for aurora on the night of Thursday

the 14th and morning of Friday the 15th. These are also the times

that the Geminid meteor shower is on, so an aurora watch and meteor

watch could be combined.

 

The areas most likely to see aurora are Tasmania, Southern New

Zealand and Southern Victoria. Unfortunately, Southern Victoria and

Tasmania are also battling savage bushfires, so folks there will

likely be a bit preoccupied with other matters. Lets include them in

our thoughts and wish them respite.

 

The best place to look for aurora is due south, after midnight. With

the Moon rising around 3 am, there is a lot of darkness to pick up

aurora, dark sky sites will be best placed to see aurora. Tasmanians

and New Zealanders might expect to see sheets and curtains of

glimmering light, Victorians are likely to see shifting orange/red

glows. Of course, due to the complex nature of the interactions

between coronal mass ejections and Earths magnetic field, aurora

cannot be guaranteed, we have had cases where strong flares have

produced hardly a ripple (and conversely, cases where little burps

have caused magnificent displays). But, with the Geminids on, its

won't be a waste of time having a look.

 

Also, in the new year comet 2006 P1 may become an unaided eye object,

so keep tuned.

 

Cheers! Ian

 

To unsubscribe from aurora alert, send an email to

[email protected] with "unsubscribe aurora alert" as the subject.

[Michaelangelica]

SUMMER NIGHT SKY

You've spent the whole year with your eyes glued to a computer screen. Now the holidays are here, what better time to expand your horizons? Join Kathy Graham on a dusk-to-dawn tour of the summer night sky.

Summer Night Sky - Features - The Lab - Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Gateway to Science

Then there's the Great Orion nebula, our closest large region of star formation, situated in the saucepan handle. Through binoculars, the Trapezium, the four bright stars at its heart, are easy to spot.

 

Right now in the early evening, Orion is low in the northeast. But by mid January, it will dominate the northern sky.

 

Download your personal night sky tour

 

Feeling starry eyed? Then visit the Sydney Observatory website for upcoming sky events, a night sky star map for each month and an audio guide of the month’s night sky which you can download onto your iPod for your very own personal sky tour.

 

Orion is very useful for locating other stars such as Sirius, the brightest star in the sky due to its proximity to earth – a mere nine light years away. Sirius has a dense ‘white dwarf’ star circling it and can be spied on Orion’s right.

 

Aldebaran, the brightest star in the constellation of Taurus (it forms the bull’s eye), and one of the brightest stars in the sky, twinkles on Orion’s left. Aldebaran dazzles for good reason. It’s 65 light years away and about 38 times the size of our sun – so big in fact that earth would skim close to its surface if we orbited it.

[Michaelangelica]

Ian Musgrave & Peta O'Donohue

<[email protected]> to ian.musgrave

More options 09-Jan (2 days ago)

G'Day All

 

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! To those who

sent me Christmas and/or New year wishes, thank you, I've only just

got back from holidays, so I haven't replied to you. Hello to new

subscribers too!

 

The next solar cycle could be very big, so we may have some auroral

delights ahead of us,

<http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/21dec_cycle24.htm?list28479>NASA - Scientists Predict Big Solar Cycle

just last week some massive CME's made SOHO's image of the week

SOHO Pick of The Weeek

 

But the big news is Comet 2006/P1 McMcNaught. If it survives its

close encounter with the Sun, it could become very bright in the

Southern hemisphere skies. Unfortunately, it will be also close to

the horizon, making it likely we will only see it in binoculars. But

as Australian astronomers have been following it with telescopes in

the daytime, there is the possibility of a nice view with the unaided

eye. The comet will only become visible in Australia on the 15th

(next Monday evening) low in the western twilight. A spotters map is

here http://home.mira.net/~reynella/skywatch/gifs/jan_p1.gif People

should start looking low to the left of Venus (the brightest object

above the horizon) between 20 to 30 minutes after sunset, binoculars

would be best for this.

 

For more information, images of the comet from the Northern

Hemisphere, Terry Lovejoys daylight image, other maps and links to

the STERO and SOHO spacecraft , see

Astroblog: Comet P1 McNaught is Bright!

Astroblog will have updates of this exciting comet as they come.

 

Cheers! Ian

 

To unsubscribe from aurora alert, send an email to

[email protected] with "unsubscribe aurora alert" as the subject.

 

======================================================

Ian Musgrave Peta O'Donohue, Jack Francis, Michael James and Andrew

Thomas Musgrave

[email protected] Peta, Ian, Jack and Mike do the Web Thang

Southern Sky Watch In Space: our gateway to the stars - ABC Science Online

(scroll down right hand menu)

AstroBlogg Astroblog

Sky & Space SKY & SPACE - Home

[Jim Colyer]

I was in Australia in 2002 and saw the southern stars. It was the South Pacific Star Party. Glad I came.

[Michaelangelica]

I was in Australia in 2002 and saw the southern stars. It was the South Pacific Star Party. Glad I came.

Next time go to the Outback. the stars pu on quite a show there!

We have a Comet !

Ian Musgrave & Peta O'Donohue

<[email protected]> to ian.musgrave

More options 22:01 (14 minutes ago)

G'Day All

 

I saw it! I saw it! It was fantastic. I also saw it at 1:00 pm in

daylight as well, I'll put up a detailed account at astroblog after

I've put the kids to bed. Beats Halley hands down.

 

Listen to the Tony Delroy show 702 ABC, at 10:00 pm AEST (NOW!) or

listen via computer at

http://www.abc.net.au/streaming/702/702stream.asx or realpayer from

here, where Bernie Hobbes interviews an astronomer over the Comet.

 

Cheers! Ian

 

To unsubscribe from aurora alert, send an email to

[email protected] with "unsubscribe aurora alert" as the subject.

 

======================================================

Ian Musgrave Peta O'Donohue, Jack Francis and Michael James Musgrave

[email protected] http://werple.mira.net.au/~reynella/

Southern Sky Watch In Space: our gateway to the stars - ABC Science Online

 

======================================================

Ian Musgrave Peta O'Donohue, Jack Francis, Michael James and Andrew

Thomas Musgrave

[email protected] Peta, Ian, Jack and Mike do the Web Thang

Southern Sky Watch In Space: our gateway to the stars - ABC Science Online

(scroll down right hand menu)

AstroBlogg Astroblog

Sky & Space SKY & SPACE - Home

[Michaelangelica]

I was in Australia in 2002 and saw the southern stars. It was the South Pacific Star Party. Glad I came.

Get out your row-boat and come over the big pond again!

Look at this:-

 

G'Day All

 

This will be a busy weekend, mostly for Tasmanians.

 

Tasmanians will see the Moon will pass in front of the bright star

Antares at 5:04 am on Saturday May 5. Antares reappears from behind

the dark limb at 5:51 am.

 

Yesterday evening sunspot group 953, which is big enough to see with

safe solar projection techniques, blasted out a C9.8 flare. Still

don't know if there is a coronal Mass ejection from this one, but if

so it could arrive on the morning of the Sunday the 6th of May. Any

aurora touched off will be weak (Tasmania only), and dimmed greatly

by the Moon.

 

The brightness of the Moon means that the eta Aquariid meteor shower,

visible on the morning of Sunday 6, will be almost completely drowned

out. Similarly, the Asteroid Vesta, which becomes theoretically

visible to the unaided eye (under dark skies) on Sunday, will need

binoculars to be seen. The morning of Sunday is also the first time

comet Encke can be effectively see seen in binoculars.

 

Charts 'n stuff can be found at

Southern Sky Watch 2007

Southern Sky Watch 2007

Southern Sky Watch 2007

 

Cheers! Ian

 

To unsubscribe from aurora alert, send an email to

[email protected] with "unsubscribe aurora alert" as the subject.

 

======================================================

Ian Musgrave Peta O'Donohue, Jack Francis and Michael James Musgrave

[email protected] http://werple.mira.net.au/~reynella/

Southern Sky Watch In Space: our gateway to the stars - ABC Science Online