Friday, February 03, 2012
I Said I was Going to Bed, But LASERS ON TELESCOPES!!
via @Plutokiller http://mkwc.ifa.hawaii.edu/current/cams/camsanim.cgi?location=subaru-E&mode=multi
Labels: miscelaneous
Comet C/2009 P1 Garradd near M92 - February 3, 2012
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These are just the preview images taken with iTelescope T4 and T 20 respectively. I've been remiss in blogging this fantastic comet/cluster pairing, but I've been organising graduate student lectures instead (missed out on two days of imaging because I was distracted by lecture preparation and didn't press the button to launch my observing run :-(.
Exhausted now, heading to bed, I'll do proper analysis on the FITS images tomorrow, after a long sleep.
Labels: C/2009 P1 Garradd, cluster, comet, comets, iTelescope
Thursday, February 02, 2012
P/2003 T12 = 2012 A3 (SOHO).
I wrote a little while ago of the fantastic cooperative effort from the STEREOHUNTERS that lead to the recovery of comet P/2003 T12. The Minor Planet Center has assigned the recovered comet the identifier 2012 A3 (SOHO).
It's predicted magnitude is around 12, Hidetaka Sato may have picked it up, and Comet Al, who first detected it in stereo images, has picked it up deep in the twilight with T11.
It will be a difficult object for some time as it climbs out of the twilight, but will be interesting to follow.
It's predicted magnitude is around 12, Hidetaka Sato may have picked it up, and Comet Al, who first detected it in stereo images, has picked it up deep in the twilight with T11.
It will be a difficult object for some time as it climbs out of the twilight, but will be interesting to follow.
Labels: comets, iTelescope
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
Carnival of Space #234 is here.
Carnival of Space #234 is now up at Dear Astronomer, there's Dyson Sphere's around black holes, solar storms, global warming, another "blue Planet" photo and much more. Head on over and have a read.
Labels: carnival of space
Southern Skywatch February 2012 Edition Up
Evening sky looking westh as seen from Adelaide at 20:30 pm local daylight saving time on Saturday February 25 showing Venus and Jupiter near the crescent Moon. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.The February edition of Southern Skywatch is now up.
The Moon occults eta Geminorum on the 4th.
Venus is prominent in the early evening sky and is close to Jupiter the crescent Moon on the 25th.
Jupiter is prominent in the early evening sky, but is now a difficult telescopic object in the early evening.
Mars climbs higher in the evening sky and is close to the Moon on the 10th.
Saturn enters the evening sky sky and is close to the Moon on the 12th.
Mercury returns to the evening sky late in the month, but is not easy to see.
Labels: southern skywatch
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
The Sky This Week - Thursday February 2 to Thursday February 9
The Full Moon is Wednesday February 8. Venus is easily visible in the western evening sky . Jupiter dominates the evening sky in the north-west once Venus has set. Mars enters the evening sky, but is best visible in the morning sky heading towards Saturn, which is near the star Spica. The Moon occults the star eta Geminorum on the late evening of Saturday the 4th.
Morning sky looking east as seen from Adelaide at 2:00 am local daylight saving time on Sunday February 5 showing Mars and Saturn. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time. The inset shows the telescopic appearance of Saturn and it's Moons at this time. Click to embiggen.
The Full Moon is Wednesday February 8.
Mars is high in the northern morning sky. After a brief sojourn in the constellation of Virgo, Mars reverses direction and re-enters the constellation of Leo.
Mars has now entered the evening sky, rising around 10 pm (local daylight saving time), but will be relatively low above the late evening horizon for the rest of the week.
Saturn is above the north- eastern horizon, not far from the bright star Spica. Saturn is now high enough in sky in the early morning for telescopic observation.
Mercury is now lost in morning twilight.
Evening sky on Saturday February 4 looking west as seen from Adelaide at 9:00 pm local daylight saving time in South Australia showing Venus in Aquarius, with Jupiter not far away. The insets shows the appearance of Venus and Jupiter and its Moons as seen telescopically at this time. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen)
Bright white Venus is readily visible in the evening western twilight sky from around half an hour after sunset for somewhat over an hour and a half.
Venus is in Aquarius this week. It is almost on top of Uranus on the 9th. You will need binoculars to see Uranus, Venus may drown the planet out with its brightness.
Jupiter was at opposition, when it is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, on Saturday the 29th of October.
However, Jupiter is still a great binocular and telescope object and will be for many weeks to come. Jupiter is visible for most of the night in the north-western sky, setting half an hour after midnight.
In the evening Jupiter is readily visible in the northern-western sky, from about twilight. It is coming closer to Venus, and the pair look very nice in the western evening sky.
Now is a still good time for telescopic observation of this massive world (although the window for observation is narrowing), or follow its moons in binoculars. For good telescopic observation Jupiter is best from 9 pm - 11 pm.
Although Jupiter is the most prominent now, there are lots of interesting things in the sky to view with a telescope. If you don't have a telescope, now is a good time to visit one of your local astronomical societies open nights or the local planetariums.
The evening sky facing North in Adelaide on February 4 at 11:30 pm AEDST showing the waxing Moon about to cover eta Geminorum (indicated by circle). (similar views will be seen from other cities at the equivalent local time eg 11:30 pm ACDST Adelaide.
The nearly full Moon passes in front of the moderately bright star Tejat Prior (eta Geminorium, magnitude 3.5) on the evening of Saturday February 4-Morning Sunday February 5.
The dark limb of the Moon covers the star at 23:38 pm ACDST Adleaide (4th), 0:06 am AEDST Hobart (5th), 0:11 am AEDST Melbourne (5th) and 20:00 pm AWST Perth (4th). The Star will reappear on the bright side of the Moon at 0:13 am ACDST Adleaide (5th), 0:59 am AEDST Hobart (5th), 0:52 am AEDST Melbourne (5th) and 21:00 pm AWST Perth (4th).
With the Moon close to full, this event is really best seen with binoculars or a small telescope. Picking up the stars reappearance will be quite difficult against the brightness of the Moon.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm AEDST, Western sky at 10 pm AEDST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch (this will be up dated to February a little later).
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Morning sky looking east as seen from Adelaide at 2:00 am local daylight saving time on Sunday February 5 showing Mars and Saturn. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time. The inset shows the telescopic appearance of Saturn and it's Moons at this time. Click to embiggen.The Full Moon is Wednesday February 8.
Mars is high in the northern morning sky. After a brief sojourn in the constellation of Virgo, Mars reverses direction and re-enters the constellation of Leo.
Mars has now entered the evening sky, rising around 10 pm (local daylight saving time), but will be relatively low above the late evening horizon for the rest of the week.
Saturn is above the north- eastern horizon, not far from the bright star Spica. Saturn is now high enough in sky in the early morning for telescopic observation.
Mercury is now lost in morning twilight.
Evening sky on Saturday February 4 looking west as seen from Adelaide at 9:00 pm local daylight saving time in South Australia showing Venus in Aquarius, with Jupiter not far away. The insets shows the appearance of Venus and Jupiter and its Moons as seen telescopically at this time. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen)Bright white Venus is readily visible in the evening western twilight sky from around half an hour after sunset for somewhat over an hour and a half.
Venus is in Aquarius this week. It is almost on top of Uranus on the 9th. You will need binoculars to see Uranus, Venus may drown the planet out with its brightness.
Jupiter was at opposition, when it is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, on Saturday the 29th of October.
However, Jupiter is still a great binocular and telescope object and will be for many weeks to come. Jupiter is visible for most of the night in the north-western sky, setting half an hour after midnight.
In the evening Jupiter is readily visible in the northern-western sky, from about twilight. It is coming closer to Venus, and the pair look very nice in the western evening sky.
Now is a still good time for telescopic observation of this massive world (although the window for observation is narrowing), or follow its moons in binoculars. For good telescopic observation Jupiter is best from 9 pm - 11 pm.
Although Jupiter is the most prominent now, there are lots of interesting things in the sky to view with a telescope. If you don't have a telescope, now is a good time to visit one of your local astronomical societies open nights or the local planetariums.
The evening sky facing North in Adelaide on February 4 at 11:30 pm AEDST showing the waxing Moon about to cover eta Geminorum (indicated by circle). (similar views will be seen from other cities at the equivalent local time eg 11:30 pm ACDST Adelaide.The nearly full Moon passes in front of the moderately bright star Tejat Prior (eta Geminorium, magnitude 3.5) on the evening of Saturday February 4-Morning Sunday February 5.
The dark limb of the Moon covers the star at 23:38 pm ACDST Adleaide (4th), 0:06 am AEDST Hobart (5th), 0:11 am AEDST Melbourne (5th) and 20:00 pm AWST Perth (4th). The Star will reappear on the bright side of the Moon at 0:13 am ACDST Adleaide (5th), 0:59 am AEDST Hobart (5th), 0:52 am AEDST Melbourne (5th) and 21:00 pm AWST Perth (4th).
With the Moon close to full, this event is really best seen with binoculars or a small telescope. Picking up the stars reappearance will be quite difficult against the brightness of the Moon.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm AEDST, Western sky at 10 pm AEDST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch (this will be up dated to February a little later).
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Labels: weekly sky
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Another Kayak Adventure
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This time it was a Kayak trip to meet up with the Friends of Torrens Island for a picnic at the historic Quarantine Station.
Great fun and lots of yummy scones were had by all.
Labels: kayak, miscelaneous
Saturday, January 28, 2012
It's not every day...
It's a little wet
Friday, January 27, 2012
While we were eating schnitzel
Schnitzel was great though, we were celebrating EldestOnes birthday (he's an odd number old, not a prime number, but the sum of the first and second digits you get an even number which is half MiddleOnes age, and twice the sum of the first and second digits of MiddleOnes age).
Strangely enough, video conferencing on an Android phone doesn't work too well when you are eating dinner.
Labels: asteroids, home life, iTelescope
Carnival of Space #233 is now Here
Carnival of Space #233 is now Up at Riding with Robots. There's Death Stars, Star factories, the mysterious atmosphere of Titan and much, much more. Pop on over and have a read.
Labels: carnival of space
Click to read about or order
Click to read about or order
