Astronomy stuff - Life, the Universe & Everything

Discussion in 'The Lounge Bar' started by geoff501, Sep 20, 2010.

  1. marcus69x

    marcus69x I love WW2 meah!!!

    Sky really clear here.

    Doing my head in here. Been cloudy all night. Been keeping an eye out and it looks like it's starting to clear a bit.

    Only got an old pair of old noculars with one lens all smudgy so prob not much chance of seeing anything great.

    Adam great photo. Try again tonight. :)
     
  2. marcus69x

    marcus69x I love WW2 meah!!!

    Nope. I can see it but it just looks like a bright star.

    Wish we hadn't threw the kids telescope out now. lol
     
  3. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Just had another look with me scope.
    1 moon at 8 o'clock from Jupiter, 2 at 2 o'clock, one further out than other.
    I'm not sure but there might be the 4th one really close in at 10 o'clock.
     
  4. marcus69x

    marcus69x I love WW2 meah!!!

    Owen I'm jealous. What magnification is it?

    Me and Kelley just been looking at some scopes on ebay. Anyone know of a good telescope to get with good magnification but not too expensive?
     
  5. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  6. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    Owen I'm jealous. What magnification is it?

    Me and Kelley just been looking at some scopes on ebay. Anyone know of a good telescope to get with good magnification but not too expensive?

    You'd be better off getting a pair of binos rather than a telescope.
    I can see the 4 brightest moons with my cheap 8x30, look a bit better on my German 15x40 (not Zeiss :mad: unfortunately) however it's hard to hold steady by hand, you need a tripod mount to see the moons, or if there is a wall you can rest on - I used a garden fork as I could not find my tripod.
     
  7. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    Also showed them our moon through the scope which mad ethem all go "WOW!".
    Thanks again Geoff for heads up on it.

    Here's another WOW

    The Transit of Venus: Predictions for 2012 June 5-6

    But you need to project the bino image on to a white card, or your eyes will fry instantly.

    I've seen a couple of transits of Mercury, but the next one of these is 2016.
     
    CL1 likes this.
  8. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Remind me of that in 18 months time Geoff.

    I'm going to look for Uranus tonight.
    The Night Sky September 2010 | Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics

    This month,Jupiter and Uranus come within one degree of each other as they both reach opposition on the 21st September. The chart shows the relative positions of the two planets during the month. Jupiter is closest to the Earth on the 20th and this is Jupiters closest approach to Earth since 1963 and until 2022. This is because Jupiter is closest to the Sun and, during August the Earth is furthest from the Sun.
     

    Attached Files:

  9. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Just had a look outside, Jupiter is now to the right of our Moon at 4 o'clock.
    I can only see on of it's moons just to the left.
     
  10. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    Just had a look outside, Jupiter is now to the right of our Moon at 4 o'clock.
    I can only see on of it's moons just to the left.

    Hide and seek.

    Patchy clouds here, not worth getting the kit out.
     
  11. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    Finally got a clear sky and the telescope working. One moon on the right, far out and two on left, one very close and dim. Cant see this close one with the binos. The telescope is around x50 and lots of chromatic abberation.
     
  12. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    are you seeing it miror image?
    I got 1 far left, 2 on right.
    I got a lovely clear view from my front door.
    Can see well with bins & scope.
    So wish I could take a photo.
     
  13. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    just had another look. The one close in on my left is now a little further out and a fourth has appeared on the right very close in.
    Left - right? I think astronomical scopes have images upside down so I'm puzzled by the left/right bit. Is one of us standing on our heads? I ain't done yoga for years.
     
  14. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    A 4th has appeared, on the left Geoff as you say very close in.
     
  15. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    "21:12 UT, Io exits eclipse by Jupiter's shadow." from link below

    I'm seeing a mirror image of the Direct view diagram here. Click the Inverted view button then its exactly what I see. Given up with binos, can't hold steady and only one tripod.


    Jupiter's Moons

    If the above link does not work, select Javascript utility from here:

    SkyandTelescope.com - Planets - Jupiter's Moons Javascript Utility
     
  16. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    I love that link Geoff, just been playing with it.
    Inputed last night's time and image was exacly as we saw it, just had a look at what it will be tonight at 20.35.
    There will be 3 moons to the right.
    Cheers for link.
     
  17. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    More sky stuff, there is the Geminid meteor shower on 14th December
    Link Could be a good year for this.

    Also a total Lunar Eclipse on 20th/21st December. The septics get to see the whole show around midnight local time, in Blighty you see just a bit before sunrise, if you're lucky.

    Did anyone see the bright meteor last Wednesday?
     
  18. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

  19. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

  20. RemeDesertRat

    RemeDesertRat Very Senior Member

    I remember when I was around 6/8 old I woke one night and saw the moon under similar conditions, huge and red, I was convinced it was hurtling towards Earth and it was the end of the world!
     

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