Chinahand Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 What is a year? It's quite complicated actually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chinahand Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 In the next day or so you've a pretty rare opportunity to see all 5 of the visible planets all within a couple of hours in an evening. From about 6:30 with the sunset you'll be able to see Mercury for about 1/2 an hour close the western horizon just to the left of where the sun has set, higher up and a bit further round to the left you'll see Venus and Jupiter as two bright stars close together, then on the eastern horizon you'll see Mars already risen as a redish star and then by 9:30 Saturn will rise also in the East. Its pretty unique - seeing Mercury is an especial treat, its a difficult planet to see. Last night the clouds ruined it, Today doesn't look hopeful, but if the Skies do clear pop out at Sun set and then later - the night skies are a beautiful thing! Link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wing of the Nut Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Chinahand, one of my sons likes to sit on the back patio on a clear night and starwatch. Could you recommend a decently priced telescope that would further his enjoyment. I passed Jessops the other week but the salesman could be less helpful if he tried. I have since discovered that their telescopes are not up to much anyway. Any pointers gratefully received Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GD4ELI Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 FWIW I have Radio Astronomy code to write in a few weeks... Is anyone into RA on the rock? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chinahand Posted March 23, 2012 Author Share Posted March 23, 2012 Great explaining the recent supernova in M95 More here and a video before and after here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chinahand Posted March 23, 2012 Author Share Posted March 23, 2012 Chinahand, one of my sons likes to sit on the back patio on a clear night and starwatch. Could you recommend a decently priced telescope that would further his enjoyment. I passed Jessops the other week but the salesman could be less helpful if he tried. I have since discovered that their telescopes are not up to much anyway. Any pointers gratefully received I have a Meade telescope - they cater for everyone from the beginner to the dedicated. If you've only got a small telescope don't get too powerful a lense - the power really looses alot of light and you'll end up with a very dim image. It's much better to use a lower power lense and go for more open views. You not going to see a dim galaxy with a entry level scope, but you'll have great fun with a less powerful lense looking at Andromeda, the Orion Cluster and the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules etc etc. To be honest you can see all of these things and get loads of enjoyment with just a good pair of binoculars mounted on a tripod. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GD4ELI Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 FWIW this little jobbo is ~ 1.5 miles from me. http://www.sternwarte-mirasteilas.ch/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mal48 Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 I see a planning application in the Courier for a small domed observatory way out Smeale.Should not be much light polution, has the electric reached there yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Passing Time Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 Chinahand, one of my sons likes to sit on the back patio on a clear night and starwatch. Could you recommend a decently priced telescope that would further his enjoyment. I passed Jessops the other week but the salesman could be less helpful if he tried. I have since discovered that their telescopes are not up to much anyway. Any pointers gratefully received I have a Meade telescope - they cater for everyone from the beginner to the dedicated. If you've only got a small telescope don't get too powerful a lense - the power really looses alot of light and you'll end up with a very dim image. It's much better to use a lower power lense and go for more open views. You not going to see a dim galaxy with a entry level scope, but you'll have great fun with a less powerful lense looking at Andromeda, the Orion Cluster and the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules etc etc. To be honest you can see all of these things and get loads of enjoyment with just a good pair of binoculars mounted on a tripod. Thanks Chinahand. I will pass this onto him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierrot Lunaire Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Chinahand, one of my sons likes to sit on the back patio on a clear night and starwatch. Could you recommend a decently priced telescope that would further his enjoyment. I passed Jessops the other week but the salesman could be less helpful if he tried. I have since discovered that their telescopes are not up to much anyway. Any pointers gratefully received I have a Meade telescope - they cater for everyone from the beginner to the dedicated. If you've only got a small telescope don't get too powerful a lense - the power really looses alot of light and you'll end up with a very dim image. It's much better to use a lower power lense and go for more open views. You not going to see a dim galaxy with a entry level scope, but you'll have great fun with a less powerful lense looking at Andromeda, the Orion Cluster and the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules etc etc. To be honest you can see all of these things and get loads of enjoyment with just a good pair of binoculars mounted on a tripod. Thanks Chinahand. I will pass this onto him Sock puppet exposé. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chinahand Posted April 30, 2012 Author Share Posted April 30, 2012 I do find it slightly awe inspiring that a tiny space-craft 800 million or so miles away from the earth can be maneuvered by its controllers back at NASA to take images like . The calculations to hold its camera bearing fixed as it, Saturn/Jupiter and their moons all move relative to each other will be pretty monstrous! Most of the time it'll just be in gravitational free-fall going where ever all the various force vectors acting on it pull. A tiny hunk of metal swinging under gravity and giving us an awesome view of alien worlds ... science at its best! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chinahand Posted June 5, 2012 Author Share Posted June 5, 2012 I've not had time to post about this earlier, and now its late to make plans, plus the weather forecast is terrible, but there is a once in a life time event happening tomorrow morning with the transit of Venus. If you've eclipse glasses, or can cast a reflection of the sun through a mirror masked off apart from a small hole, or if your really lucky and have a solar filter, then get up for the sun rise - 4:50 - and watch Venus passing across the sun's surface. Sadly it'll be most of the way across as the sun rises, and will be all over by 5:55, but it will be 100 + years til it happens again, so worth trying to see! Don't look at the sun directly! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Tatlock Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 Don't look at the sun directly! The Independents best. Shame the weather was so crap for most UK viewers. Interesting that astronomers are using this event to fine tune their instruments and techniques for detecting planets around other stars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GD4ELI Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 Don't look at the sun directly! The Independents best. Shame the weather was so crap for most UK viewers. Interesting that astronomers are using this event to fine tune their instruments and techniques for detecting planets around other stars. Is anyone into Radio Astronomy? I'm working on the software side now, have a good SDR receiver for 50MHz through to 2.2GHz. When back on the rock will look out for a decent dish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chinahand Posted June 6, 2012 Author Share Posted June 6, 2012 Well, I was up at 4:00, but the mist was so thick you couldn't see 300m :-( NASA's flickr feed is pretty good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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