Astronomy thread/Kìng a teri tanhìyä tìftia

Toliman · March 05, 2015, 06:34:35 AM

Yesterday after sunset, I observed conjunction of Venus and Uranus. It was very nice - little turquoise Uranus very near big golden Venus. Distance between both planets was only 0.1 degree!

After this I shortly observed Jupiter with his moons.

Vawmataw · March 05, 2015, 07:23:35 AM

QuoteYesterday after sunset, I observed conjunction of Venus and Uranus.

Guess what there were yesterday: CLOUDS!!!

I will try this evening. Venus is not going to be very far from Uranus.

I found this on Twitter:

Toliman · March 05, 2015, 10:07:58 AM

Quote
QuoteYesterday after sunset, I observed conjunction of Venus and Uranus.
Guess what there were yesterday: CLOUDS!!!

The weather is our big enemy. Today morning I wanted observe Saturn, but sky was again cloudy.

20th March will be from my country visible partial solar eclipse. I very hope to good weather. But I can only hope $:-\$

QuoteI found this on Twitter:

Condition of Pluto atmosphere strongly depends on distance between Pluto and Sun, because trajectory of Pluto is very excentric: minimum distance is 29 AU (less that Neptun!) and maximum distance is 49 AU. Atmosphere of Pluto consist of compounds evaporated by sunlight from frost surface of Pluto (probbably nitrogen, methane, carbon monoxide). Big diference of distances has big impact on amount of sunlight, which Pluto surface receive. Now, distance of Pluto from Sun is 33 AU and distance currently increase. Thanks rising distance from Sun compounds of Pluto atmosphere now freeze and fall back on surface of Pluto and during next years atmosphere totaly disapear.

Vawmataw · March 05, 2015, 10:12:10 AM

I already knew that Pluto's atmosphere freezes and evaporates.
I think that New Horizons will arrive on time.

Toliman · March 05, 2015, 10:17:50 AM

New Horizons certainly will arrive on time. Freeze of Pluto atmosphere is slow process. However this phact was one of the reasons, why New Horizons was prioritized before next projects of NASA.

Vawmataw · March 05, 2015, 06:14:00 PM

Quote from: Toliman on March 05, 2015, 10:17:50 AM
However this fact was one of the reasons[...]

So the sky is clear now. It's a bit freezing, but it's ok.
I saw Uranus, Venus, Jupiter, J's four moons and M42 through the telescope. I will go back outside to see the Full Moon, M44 and M41.

`Eylan Ayfalulukanä · March 07, 2015, 05:33:15 PM

Our public astronomy site at the MacLean Observatory of the University of Nevada-Reno leaves a lot to be desired. Among other things it has a terrible, almost tragic light pollution problem. (It's right next to a classroom building with a lighted atrium. No one had the forethought to create a way to shut off the lights for astronomy! Close by are two shopping centers and a football stadium.) But every now and then, it surprises us. Last night was one of those nights. We had transparent skies and unusually good seeing. We also had one of the biggest crowds of public I can remember in at least a year. Very memorable things were seeing Rigel B and the red spot on Jupiter. Despite the moon being nearly full, I had a long line of folks who just wanted to enjoy the moon. The Orion nebula was also outstanding, with a few folks being able to see more than four stars in the trapezium. Now, I just wonder what it would have been like with no moon, and a dark sky site! (Maybe we'll find out two weeks hence. Not one, but two Messier marathons are scheduled!)

Vawmataw · March 07, 2015, 05:44:35 PM

Astronomy is interesting for more people than we think, but but not enough efforts are made to keep it accessible enough.

QuoteVery memorable things were seeing Rigel B

Rigel B? I'm still learning!

Toliman · March 07, 2015, 07:24:33 PM

QuoteVery memorable things were seeing Rigel B and the red spot on Jupiter.

My probbably most memorable experience was observing of quasar PKS 0716+71 in October 2012. Distance of this quasar is approx. 5 billion light years (according to some sources). If it is true, I saw light older than our Earth!

QuoteNot one, but two Messier marathons are scheduled!

I do Messier Marathon every year (if weather is reasonable) with my friends. It's almost our tradition

At last years we do modified marathon - Messier Memory Marathon. It's mean than we finding messiers by heart, without maps. It is realy fun

`Eylan Ayfalulukanä · March 09, 2015, 04:01:08 PM

Eltur tìtxen si, ma Toliman! That sounds like a very fun way to do a Messier marathon! I wish my eyes were good enough to do that kind of object-finding. (I have learned how to find a few favorite objects without using a computer or star charts.)

The first of the two Messier marathons is a bit unusual, and the first of its kind I have encountered-- it is a public Messier marathon. It will be held at the aforementioned MacLean Observatory, and will use a 22 inch SCT 'scope located there (BTW, the largest SCT I know of!) This is a 'scope I normally don't have access to, but at some point in the future, I am told I will be trained how to use it. I am not sure yet what my role will be with this event. The organizer of this event is well-known for his public astronomy programs. This is not likely to be a complete marathon, and will likely stop after the Virgo supercluster objects. But maybe not. In any case, it will be a good test of what is possible at the light polluted MacLean Observatory site.

The second Messier Marathon will be a more typical one, put on by the club I am active in, the Astronomical Society of Nevada. This will be done from a truly dark sky site, and we will have the club's 20 inch Dobsonian 'scope set up. Although everyone usually does at least part of the marathon, getting caught up in 'observing tangents' is perfectly normal and expected. As long as there is good weather and seeing, a handful of folks see it through and complete the marathon. I am usually one of those folks.

Now, I am just hoping and praying I don't have to work that weekend!

Vawmataw · March 16, 2015, 06:35:50 PM

I saw Venus at 9pm (

) yesterday. On the Neave planetarium website, they say that in May and June, it will be visible at 11pm... What?!

Tìtstewan · March 17, 2015, 12:44:19 AM

Hey, recently, there dropped a meteorite here in southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland region:

Sternschnuppe, Meteorit 15.03.2015 Tirol

Edit: The color of that meteorite reminds me on the C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) comet.

Toliman · March 17, 2015, 12:47:32 PM

QuoteOn the Neave planetarium website, they say that in May and June, it will be visible at 11pm... What?!

It's really correct

. Venus has very good observation conditions on evening sky in this year. At best (generally), Venus can be above horizon even 4.5 hours after sunset (or before sunrise).

Similar good conditions for observing of Venus on morning sky will be in the second half of this year.

Vawmataw · March 17, 2015, 04:26:15 PM

Quote from: Toliman on March 17, 2015, 12:47:32 PM
QuoteOn the Neave planetarium website, they say that in May and June, it will be visible at 11pm... What?!

It's really correct . Venus has very good observation conditions on evening sky in this year. At best (generally), Venus can be above horizon even 4.5 hours after sunset (or before sunrise).

Similar good conditions for observing of Venus on morning sky will be in the second half of this year.

I was not used to this. :-x

`Eylan Ayfalulukanä · March 17, 2015, 04:30:24 PM

The other night, I saw the zodiacal light from my home, something I have never seen from there before. Venus was right in the middle of it. I should have photographed it while I had the chance.

Toliman · March 17, 2015, 07:29:16 PM

I trained orientation in Virgo Cluster now for our Messier Memory Marathon. Orientation in this part of sky without star charts is very hard, because there is only small number of brighter stars and huge amount of small galaxies. It will be very interesting part of marathon...

We will do marathon probably already tomorrow, because forecast for weekend is not too positive...

Vawmataw · March 17, 2015, 07:32:17 PM

Good luck!
There are auroras in Northern North America and Northern Europe now. A solar storm occured Sunday and it hit the Earth today.

Dreamlight · March 18, 2015, 02:51:51 PM

Oi, there's an eclipse coming, at just about the same time as the March equinox. And looky here--the equinoctial sun will be eclipsed at the north pole! How cool is that, eh?

`Eylan Ayfalulukanä · March 19, 2015, 03:16:01 AM

I hope the European (and north African, if there are any) smuk will be able to enjoy the eclipse! Its a rather interesting path it is following. There is a brief total lunar eclipse here in 2 weeks.

Toliman · March 19, 2015, 05:18:59 PM

Yesterday night I succesfuly completed Messier Memory Marathon. I found 108 Messiers by heart without star charts. I unable to find only two object – globular clusters M30 and M55 on morning sky (this two object are in this time (March) practically unobservable from my latitude). It was nice night with almost excellent sky conditions and clear atmosphere so finding object with lower declination was also easy. The most difficult evening objects was galaxies M74 and M77 and the most difficult morning objects was globular clusters M69, M70 and M54. Hard part of marathon was finding of small galaxies in Virgo Cluster but I complete this part without major problems.

Now I prepare solar filters and next equipment for tomorrow solar eclipse.