Astronomy thread/Kìng a teri tanhìyä tìftia

Started by Vawmataw, December 31, 2012, 11:38:07 AM

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Toliman

#220
QuoteMa  Toliman, you've been to the Atacama Desert? Did you see the ALMA observatory? How high up were you?
I was in San Pedro de Atacama (northern Chile, 22.9°S, approx. 2450 m above sea). I didn't see ALMA radio observatory. ALMA is placed on high mountain (5000 m above the sea) near San Pedro de Atacama, but we dealed with our observations.

QuoteMy one and only trip to southern latitudes, actually only a couple degrees south of the equator, was to Tanzania, East Africa in the winter of 1000. My primary purpose there was to observe wild lions and other African wildlife. My secondary purpose was to observe the southern sky. The very first night I was there, in Arusha, I was observing the Large Magellanic cloud. When we got to Serengeti National Park, we stayed one night in a lodge where it was safe to be outside at night. There, I got my first good look at M44, and watched Leo rise over the Serengeti plains. (I was not yet prepared to observe the other items you mentioned.) I got my guide interested in astronomy, and left my astronomy field guide with him. We have been friends ever since.
Wild lions on ground and lion (Leo) on the sky ;D  It was certainly nice (I had seen lions only in ZOO).
Large Magellanic cloud is amazing already by naked eye. Did you see Tarantula nebula in this galaxy? This nebula is also visible on dark sky by naked eye as little bright spot. It's interesting that is possible see some object in another galaxy by naked eye.

Vawmataw

Oh, you're so lucky, Toliman! I will not be able to do that until many years! :( :'(
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Toliman

I was realy lucky, when I saw this beautiful southern objects.
ma Vawmataw, I wish you simiral experience sometimes in future!

Both Magellanic clouds (two dwarf satellite galaxies of our galaxy) and southern milky way is on dark sky visible by naked eye similarly as on this picture:


Vawmataw

QuoteI was realy lucky, when I saw this beautiful southern objects.
ma Vawmataw, I wish you simiral experience sometimes in future!
How much did it cost to you? I need to save money!
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Toliman

QuoteHow much did it cost to you? I need to save money!
It was very expensive. Cost on one person was arround 2400 USD.

Vawmataw

:o I will need to save a lot! But it will probably be worth.
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Toliman

QuoteShocked I will need to save a lot! But it will probably be worth.
Yes, it's very expensive, but it is worth resolutely.

`Eylan Ayfalulukanä

The major US/Canada astronomy magazines frequently offer trips to the southern hemisphere, especially South America and Australia (more rarely, Africa) for astronomers. I, too would be interested in a trip like this, but it really is expensive. Even though there are less big 'scopes there, I would prefer Africa as the place to go on an astronomy tour.

Historically, a lot of eclipses are visible in East Africa, and they have offered some combined safari/astronomy trips.

I did get out for about an hour tonight. It turned out being much colder than predicted, plus there is a nearly full moon. We still had about 17 people show up in the hour I was there. Because of the moon and local light pollution, we didn't look at much. But I did get a good look at Comet Lovejoy through the Celestron 11 inch 'scope we have available at this site. We had the observatory-mounted Celestron 14 inch 'scope running this evening as well, but that 'scope is still very buggy, even for an experienced operator of it (which I am not all that experienced with).

Despite the forecast, it looks like we will have decent conditions tomorrow night (except for the moon). I might try from home again, if I get everything else done. Unfortunately, I think any further chance of observing the supernova in NGC 4666 are probably gone.

Yawey ngahu!
pamrel si ro [email protected]

Toliman

Yesterday, before midnight, I had clear sky so I could again observed comet C/2014 Q2 Lovejoy. Despite light of Moon, comet was very easily visible already in binocular 10x50 as bright spot. In 12 inch telescope was very obvious and easily was visible cometary core.

The best conditions for observing of this comet will be between 10-14th January. Comet will be in Taurus (so high above horizon) and will have a maximum brightness and mainly Moon will rise after midnight.

Vawmataw

Then I will try again. I really hope I will see it in my telescope if there aren't clouds, or I will highly doubt its existence.
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Vawmataw

#230
^ I confirmed its existence. lol

I have finally seen that comet through my scope! It's fluffy, colorless and a bit fainter than what I expected, but it's better than nothing. However, it's very cold tonight. :/
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`Eylan Ayfalulukanä

I saw the comet naked eye last night. We had good sky conditions, and the comet is currently in a place where it can easily be found. Tonight, if we have good sky conditions, I hope to try and photograph it.

Yawey ngahu!
pamrel si ro [email protected]

`Eylan Ayfalulukanä

We had wonderful sky conditions this evening, and I got some great photos!


Comet Lovejoy



The nearby Pleadies



The most interesting part of Orion

These were all taken with a full frame DSLR with a 70-300 mm lens. In retrospect, I could have boosted the ISO a little more and gotten a little sharper images.

Yawey ngahu!
pamrel si ro [email protected]

Toliman

Also I had reasonable sky condition yesterday and today, so I observed especialy comet Lovejoy. Comet was very easily visible by naked eye and in telescope was very nice. I observed also deep sky objects - example M 42 Orion Nebula and open cluster NGC 457 in Cassiopeia (very funny cluster).

And yesterday I had totally clear sky throughout full day - so I tried and successfully found and observed Venus and Mercury - but on daily sky  ;D (arround 1:20 pm)  ;D  It was very funny and crazy. Despite relatively little distance between Sun and Venus (approx. 20 degree), Venus was visible already in binocular 10x50 as very little "star" and in telescope was visible also Mercury. View on Venus and Mercury on blue daily sky was very interesting and special.

And ma 'Eylan Ayfalulukanä, this are very nice photos!

Vawmataw

#234
Quote from: Toliman on January 14, 2015, 06:08:39 PM
Also I had reasonable sky condition yesterday and today, so I observed especialy comet Lovejoy. Comet was very easily visible by naked eye and in telescope was very nice. I observed also deep sky objects - example M 42 Orion Nebula and open cluster NGC 457 in Cassiopeia (very funny cluster)!
I can't see the comet with the naked eye.Through my telescope, it looks like a fuzzy gray ball (the Andromeda galaxy looks like this too, btw). I can see the Orion nebula, but it doesn't look like a nebula through my telescope. O.o As for NGC 457, it's more or less visible through my telescope (depending on the transparency of the sky). #realityofcities

So, tonight, I prefer to stay warm, so I only watched and took pictures of Venus and Mercury (see the gallery).
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Vawmataw

Yesterday night, no Mercury-Venus, but I TRIED to see Mars and Neptune. The sky conditions were far from being perfect, but I MAYBE saw Neptune thanks to the averted vision. (Any advice?)

And tonight, I saw Venus and the Moon together. As for Mercury, I saw it once in the trees, that's it. I successfully had photos of the Moon.
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`Eylan Ayfalulukanä

At magnitude +8, I seriously doubt you saw Neptune. But Comet Lovejoy should still be easily visible. Its at magnitude +4.4, and is very near the +3.61 magnitude star 41 Aries.

I forgot to look for Mercury this evening, when I was on a suitable hilltop. Probably Friday night, before I go out with our club to view the triple moon transit of Jupiter.

Yawey ngahu!
pamrel si ro [email protected]

Toliman

Neptune is really hard target for little telescopes now (especially on urban sky). Neptune is now visible only very low above horizon shortly after twilight so is very extincted by atmosphere.

In this year, Venus will have very good conditions for observing.

QuoteProbably Friday night, before I go out with our club to view the triple moon transit of Jupiter.
Ahh... I very like observing transits and shaddow transits of Jupiter's moons, but I have totally cloudy sky now and is not any hope for change  in next days :(

`Eylan Ayfalulukanä

I'm sorry to hear that, ma Toliman. Its always frustrating when something astronomically interesting is clouded out.

Yawey ngahu!
pamrel si ro [email protected]

Vawmataw

Quote from: Toliman on January 22, 2015, 09:54:15 AM
Neptune is really hard target for little telescopes now (especially on urban sky). Neptune is now visible only very low above horizon shortly after twilight so is very extincted by atmosphere.
I was observing Mars at 6:30pm, so it's maybe possible. And as I said, I saw the dot by averted vision.
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