|
Post by astronankin on Dec 4, 2023 8:06:09 GMT -5
Anyone else here who enjoys amateur astronomy? Even if it's just the occasional outdoor nighttime venture to watch meteors or gaze at the stars. I've been into the hobby for a while and for the first 18 years of my life it was only the occasional meteor watching or when "I got the urge to use the spotting scope or learn the constellation' sort of thing. First view of Saturn was through our small wildlife watching spotting scope during a lunar eclipse in 2010. I was enthralled! Saturn was closer than usual to Earth and there was also some atmospheric stuff going on so the ringed planet looked like a red pinXXXXX near the eclipsed Moon. Could hardly see the rings but I was enthralled! Then in 2014 we visited a planetarium and heard that the Andromeda Galaxy is the closest large galaxy and is visible to the naked eye.... I was serious for a month until I gave up on trying to find it with the spotting scope (should have saved money by buying a telescope and accessories back then). Fast forward to 2020. I was bored watching the Perseid meteor shower with nothing but my eyes. Something tickled the back of my mind that binoculars could be used to see a few objects in the night sky. Well, I picked Mom's 10x50s and walked outside... The rest is history. Finally found the Andromeda Galaxy and laughed at myself for missing the obvious and also not looking in the right place all those years ago. In February 2021 a pair of 12x50 binoculars were added (with which one AWESOME winter night the Orion Nebula appeared not it's typical greenish-grey-white, but eye popping bright pink, one of its natural colors). Then I hummed and hawed about getting a telescope for a year. In January 2022 a 10" telescope was added. Then I temporarily fell down the rabbit hole.... Added a few accessories to make my telescope setup better and viewing experiences better, but stopped after a few new eyepieces and some new filters. Since then, that telescope has given me hours of fun and enjoyment (and pains when the object I want to find just isn't visible or is hard to get to!). During Jupiter's 2022 opposition while the planet was at it's closest to Earth in 800 years I took the chance to view the king of planets a lot around opposition. It was phenomenal! We typically see just the main cloud belts, the Great Red Spot, some of the color, and some of the smaller storms. Well, the viewing around that 2022 opposition was not the typical Jupiter viewing with a 10" telescope. Those smaller storms weren't just visible, they were OBVIOUS. The color of the planet wasn't just vivid as usual, it was DEEPLY VIVID. The reds were so vivid they were nearly brown! Those of you who have telescopes that are bigger than 6" and have viewed for a long time will know what all the hype was about. Views don't get much better than that. As for the deep sky objects, it's common to see me chasing either some old friend like the Ring Nebula or searching for sometime new and faint like Stephan's Quintet (those of you who don't know... This is a small and extremely faint group of five galaxies in the constellation of Pegasus the winged horse. Thy are considered a test of an amateur astronomer's viewing skills in a telescope that's about 14" or smaller, and require very dark skies for east observing. Believe me, I tried. From my "dark" country skies. Closest I got was a nearby large and bright galaxy known by the catalogue number Caldwell 30). And through my Ivy Tech astronomy Professor in Spring 2022, I got involved with Slooh the online telescope. This is remote imaging from telescopes in Chile, the Canary Islands, and very soon, Australia. I don't process my images, so I take what comes from the scopes. Sometimes the image is so bad we call it Slooh art, and other times it doesn't need any processing at all. And also this summer I went to my first star party! Right here in Indiana, at Camp Cullom. The Indiana Family Star Party, held every June at the Prairie Grass Observatory. That was pretty fun. Only went for 2 days but had fun. Helped with a kids program, listened to speakers, participated in a raffle (got rid of an eyepiece that way and also won a free accessory that has changed my solar system observing!). Best of all... There were some of the big ones there! Got to look at my first carbon Star (Beautiful deep red, by the way) through a guy's 20" Obsession telescope (for those who don't know... Obsessions are literally among the best of the best amateur telescopes there are, handmade and so expensive I'm not buying one anytime soon). The observatory had their telescopes and giant binoculars running, so I took the opportunity to visit the 28" telescope quite a bit; the views were awesome and the guy running it is a Nobel Prize winner in Physics for work he did with the Arecibo Radio Telescope array. Plus, I will NOT forget that view of the Ring Nebula anytime soon! It appeared as a huge, bright white ring with a smoky interior. Might have glimpsed the little central star too). So, anyone else out there with astro stories or memories to share? Even if it's just a quick look at the Moon.
|
|
|
Post by joebuck on Dec 4, 2023 9:43:29 GMT -5
Always been interested in whats overhead, but the learning curve was an issue. First scope was a 4 inch newtonian which i barely used because, well, i didnt have the patience for star hopping, i wanted to see things NOW. Next was a small Meade go to scope, which made things a LOT easier. Since then i've upgraded to a Meade Schmidt-Newtonian 10 inch (which is great but in retrospect i wouldnt have bought if i'd known what a pain in the butt it would be hauling it around and setting it up). I usually reserve my stargazing for when we go camping where the skies are less light polluted(i live in lake county). But i keep a logbook of what i've observed, which is probably the most common objects everyone sees. I have seen both the major and minor transits of venus, and been lucky enough to see 3 fireballs(or is the term bolides?). Anyway, keep looking up!
|
|
|
Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Dec 4, 2023 9:58:21 GMT -5
I like to follow the past and sometimes very past to today's astronomy signs. Like the Star of Bethlehem and the nova 3 years later that where listed as new stars back then. Then in 2020 the Star of Bethlehem re-appeared in the same region. Some are now waiting for the nova event.
|
|
|
Post by parrothead on Dec 4, 2023 10:18:21 GMT -5
We have a lady here at school whose daughter is a Brain. Teaches at Southern Miss. I believe. The past 2 summers NASA has hired her to map the surface of the moon. Last summer they paid for her to go to Hawaii, and paid for her mother to go also so she could watch her grand baby. She used that big telescope out there in Hawaii.
|
|
|
Post by astronankin on Dec 4, 2023 11:09:47 GMT -5
We have a lady here at school whose daughter is a Brain. Teaches at Southern Miss. I believe. The past 2 summers NASA has hired her to map the surface of the moon. Last summer they paid for her to go to Hawaii, and paid for her mother to go also so she could watch her grand baby. She used that big telescope out there in Hawaii. Keck? That had to have been a great experience! Mapping the moon is a huge project that is very necessary. Wonder how much of her work goes towards information for the Artemis missions.
|
|
|
Post by parrothead on Dec 4, 2023 11:14:09 GMT -5
Not sure. We did a skype with her last year to talk with kids. You could just tell by listening to her talk how brilliant she was.
|
|
|
Post by parrothead on Dec 4, 2023 11:21:32 GMT -5
Her mother told me a story when she was doing her doctoral thesis they were instructed to hide little pictures in their thesis drawings so if someone tries to use it/steal it she has proof it was hers. Like on one page she hide a spider in one picture that she knew was there. She has had people from other universities contact her and ask her if it was her work and someone else was trying to use it.
|
|
|
Post by astronankin on Dec 4, 2023 11:22:47 GMT -5
I like to follow the past and sometimes very past to today's astronomy signs. Like the Star of Bethlehem and the nova 3 years later that where listed as new stars back then. Then in 2020 the Star of Bethlehem re-appeared in the same region. Some are now waiting for the nova event. You sound like someone I need to talk to! I enjoy this sort of stuff. There is a lot of theories surrounding the Star of Bethlehem and while yes it was a miracle, it was also an astronomical event. Listen to ANY speaker or scholar on the topic, read books, websites, and even input the dates around Jesus' birth into Stellarium if you have that. How many astronomical conjunctions, alignments, and oppositions that DON'T OCCUR commonly will you find that happened within days to months to just a few years of HIS birth? Lots! Apparently there was even a comet in the constellation Virgo the virgin that occured around that time. While I wouldn't agree with you that the Jupiter/Saturn conjunction of 2020 was the same as the Star of Bethlehem, we know there was a Jupiter/Saturn conjunction around that time and that there was also a Jupiter/Saturn/Venus triple conjunction around that time as well, something I think is possibly the Star of Bethlehem because when you think about how bright those three planets, put them so close together the naked eye can't separate them, then think about how bright the 2020 conjunction was, you will realize that at and around the time of closest conjunction this triple conjunction would have been so bright it would have been visible during the day! There is a group in Texas whose name is Psalm 19 Astronomy who focused on outreach but also preaching the Word at the same time. They use a lot of science to back up their mission work. This is something they have done presentations, etc on. There are a lot of theories out there, but so far we know of none that completely fits the Star of Bethlehem and the astronomical events surrounding it. Personally I think the Star and the surrounding events are a mix of nearly all the theories because nearly all of them include astronomical events that we know for sure occured around 1-3 BC. Did I mention that Jupiter around this time was in Leo, the Lion which was an important constellation to the ancient Hebrews? And that it was multiple times in conjunction with Alpha Leonis, Regulus, also associated with kings? Pretty interesting.
|
|
|
Post by astronankin on Dec 4, 2023 11:44:40 GMT -5
Always been interested in whats overhead, but the learning curve was an issue. First scope was a 4 inch newtonian which i barely used because, well, i didnt have the patience for star hopping, i wanted to see things NOW. Next was a small Meade go to scope, which made things a LOT easier. Since then i've upgraded to a Meade Schmidt-Newtonian 10 inch (which is great but in retrospect i wouldnt have bought if i'd known what a pain in the butt it would be hauling it around and setting it up). I usually reserve my stargazing for when we go camping where the skies are less light polluted(i live in lake county). But i keep a logbook of what i've observed, which is probably the most common objects everyone sees. I have seen both the major and minor transits of venus, and been lucky enough to see 3 fireballs(or is the term bolides?). Anyway, keep looking up! A 10" SCT is pretty good! I like the SCTs but they are too expensive for me. Nice and compact compared to the long tube on a solid tube Newtonian. Lake County... Yikes. I live south of you 3 hours and I still feel your pain. Chicago's light pollution is still a nice dome here. Maybe one day some clubs will go complain to them and invite the city government out to an Indiana dark sky site at night to see what impact they have on our skies. They think "more lights, better security." False as we who live without security lights in the country know (and those who live in cities or pay attention to the news). What they don't know is that their light pollution isn't just local. It's killing the night skies of people who live hours away! I live close enough to Lafayette that Chicago is minor compared to that light dome, but my club needs to step up our efforts to get the city council to enforce light pollution reduction measures. I live in Bortle 4ish skis which today is dark compared to most regions! And they have gotten remarkably worse since 2020. Let's just say I'm not happy about Lafayette installing a lot of LED lights a few years back....... But now due to some life things my scope isn't at home and is in some friends shop here in Bortle 3 skies! So I get to enjoy some nicer views, maybe even tonight! My first scope is also my only scope, a 10" Apertura AD10 dobsonian and I really enjoy it. That SCT is a pain to set up sure, but carrying it is probably easier than carrying a 10" dob. More compact. Fireballs are so fun! I've seen multiple, but only one bolide. Bolides are large fireballs that visibly break up in the atmosphere. I've yet to hear one pop though. The one I saw was traveling east to west across the northern sky and was bright orange. It left a smoke train of ionized gas. And broke up into multiple pieces. I bet that one sent some fragments to the ground. I haven't seen the Venus transits, but did read about them. I did forget to add that I have see the Aurora borealis, back in October 2013 while outside with the spotting scope trying to "observe." The northern sky didn't darken after sunset. You should have seen Mom's reaction when I told her about the strange light in the north! How often does a vivid aurora occur in central IN? Almost NEVER! The blues and greens were crazy Vivi's, there was a bit of yellow, and we even got lucky and saw faint red pillars dancing to the west at the end! Not a sight that all aurora watchers get to see without a camera. Then we were in MN when the one this spring occurred...... Missed it due to being in town. Then I saw the pics taken just 15 minutes from where we live... Needless to say I was jealous and not too happy that it occured while we were gone. I sort of keep an observing log too. It is helpful. I do a lot of star hopping. Pain in the everything for sure when it doesn't go my way or when I can't get to a new object, but I do get to learn the sky and also no looking at screens. I don't want to spend thousands of dollars on a go-to scope. Have you heard of the amateur astronomy online forum Cloudy Nights? I'd go there and join. Lots of helpful people, great information, and sometimes you just might find a "new toy." Meaning something for your telescope and observing experience. I bought an eyepiece and some quality star charts from there.
|
|
|
Post by Ahawkeye on Dec 4, 2023 12:44:43 GMT -5
I don't have time right now to read the whole thread but yes I do enjoy it. Especially on a nice early spring evening before the bugs emerge.
|
|
|
Post by Ahawkeye on Dec 4, 2023 20:30:11 GMT -5
Ok so I've had a chance to read through. You guys are way "over my head" ha ha ha see what I did there? Anyway so yeah I am looking at stuff through a spotting scope, I do ok with it but have not made any major investments in a decent telescope. I live 10 minutes west of Evansville and the light pollution is not great but I go a little more west and do ok. I enjoy Stelarium I like to find Mars, Venus, Jupiter and so on and confirm with Stelarium. I think about the people who lived thousands of years ago and tried to imagine what they thought of everything at night. With their limited knowledge, like flat Earth, the notion of the Universe revolving around us, and planetary conjunctions and what they would think about such events. The first astronomers, their simple archaic tools and how they could probably find everything I find and more without the help of an app on my phone! Another thing that is so mind boggling to me is how small we really are compared to what's out there. How my paycheck, my house, whatever buck, turkey, fish or whatever I killed or caught doesn't mean a dang thing in the grand scheme of things but in the same sense I hold my belief in God that much higher because He created ALL of it and that in and of itself is the most wondrous thing of all to me.
|
|
|
Post by astronankin on Dec 5, 2023 8:51:35 GMT -5
Ok so I've had a chance to read through. You guys are way "over my head" ha ha ha see what I did there? Anyway so yeah I am looking at stuff through a spotting scope, I do ok with it but have not made any major investments in a decent telescope. I live 10 minutes west of Evansville and the light pollution is not great but I go a little more west and do ok. I enjoy Stelarium I like to find Mars, Venus, Jupiter and so on and confirm with Stelarium. I think about the people who lived thousands of years ago and tried to imagine what they thought of everything at night. With their limited knowledge, like flat Earth, the notion of the Universe revolving around us, and planetary conjunctions and what they would think about such events. The first astronomers, their simple archaic tools and how they could probably find everything I find and more without the help of an app on my phone! Another thing that is so mind boggling to me is how small we really are compared to what's out there. How my paycheck, my house, whatever buck, turkey, fish or whatever I killed or caught doesn't mean a dang thing in the grand scheme of things but in the same sense I hold my belief in God that much higher because He created ALL of it and that in and of itself is the most wondrous thing of all to me. I'm sort of "in over my head's in some places on this forum, so you are not alone! What spotting scope do you have? You can still observe some night sky objects with one! Thousands of years ago they also didn't haveth light pollution we have now. They had better sight than we do. And the Mily Way and other galaxies were stunning night after night. But actually, the flat Earth theory isn't as old as a lot of people think it is. Same as the geocentric Universe. Those are both medieval notions that have their origins with the ancient Greeks. The archaic instruments the ancients used were really quite sophisticated in many ways. What's really amazing to me is how they figured out that the Earth is not flat (Think Eratosthenes, using the angle of the Sun's shadow in two different places in Egypt at the same time (noon) on the same day to calculate the Earth's circumference. And by the way, his simple calculation is JUST A FEW FEET off what we have measured with our "sophisticated" mathematics and satellites). We really are pretty small compared to what is out there.
|
|
|
Post by Ahawkeye on Dec 5, 2023 13:08:54 GMT -5
I have no clue what spotting scope I have, it's an elcheapo Bushnell I believe.
|
|
|
Post by astronankin on Dec 5, 2023 14:19:27 GMT -5
I have no clue what spotting scope I have, it's an elcheapo Bushnell I believe. The brand should be printed near the focuser which is at the top near the rear of the spotting scope.
|
|
|
Post by astronankin on Dec 5, 2023 14:58:43 GMT -5
I like to follow the past and sometimes very past to today's astronomy signs. Like the Star of Bethlehem and the nova 3 years later that where listed as new stars back then. Then in 2020 the Star of Bethlehem re-appeared in the same region. Some are now waiting for the nova event. Mackabees, you might be interested in checking this out..https://psalm19astronomy.org/what-was-the-star-of-bethlehem/ I will say that until the Cloudy Nights amateur astronomy forum I am on, Hunting Indiana is FAR more tolerant of any discussions and people are far more kind to each other even when arguing here!
|
|
|
Post by astronankin on Dec 17, 2023 14:39:24 GMT -5
Anyone get a chance to see some of the Geminids meteor activity? I forgot about them and then happened to be observing in the evenings of December 13th and 14th and saw bright slow fireball meteors. I wasn't out late enough to see any super good activity like others were, but still happy with the ones I saw. Two green ones and two white ones. Two tracked along the same path as each other, a large green fireball heading east to southwest on December 13th and then a large bright white one taking the same path 26 hours later. And two were near the horizon through the trees, which was neat. The last one was a bright white north to south horizon skimmer that was offset by the neighbor's headlights lighting up the forest.
|
|
|
Post by freedomhunter on Dec 17, 2023 15:22:14 GMT -5
We saw quite a few two nights in a row great viewing. Only better I've ever seen was the good Leonids year. Avg was about 5 every 15min on the 13 and 14th
|
|
|
Post by Ahawkeye on Dec 17, 2023 16:02:56 GMT -5
Not sure what the date was but the timing sounds about right, saw 3, one in the evening 2 on the way to work.
|
|
|
Post by Ahawkeye on Dec 17, 2023 16:03:50 GMT -5
Please keep me posted on events like that if you remember.
|
|
|
Post by astronankin on Dec 17, 2023 21:08:38 GMT -5
Please keep me posted on events like that if you remember. Will do.
|
|