The Astronomy Thread. - Page 4

Nakani · 21st December 2020, 11:35 PM

Originally Posted by sts60

If you have an iPhone, SkyView is a nice app that shows you where things are, overlaying constellations and symbols on the sky as you swing your phone around.

No iPhone, I have seen that app on the commercial, it does look pretty cool.

I managed to see the planets tonight, even if it was on the highway driving home. Too cloudy when we got back.

Oh well, this was fun anyways, I hope we can all get together next time and do it again.

arthwollipot · 21st December 2020, 11:39 PM

I got Star Walk 2 in anticipation of this event.

It's a little clearer tonight - I'll see how I go.

The Atheist · 22nd December 2020, 01:06 AM

Originally Posted by sts60

Broke out the scope and had a nice view of Jupiter and Saturn hanging out together at 80x.

Winter in the desert is good for stuff like that.

Nice!

I consider myself lucky to have seen it already - three days of solid cloud ever since.

Unlike your desert, I live in a place where the indigenous name was "Place where it's always ******* cloudy!"

arthwollipot · 22nd December 2020, 06:26 PM

That's a... loose translation ;D

Fidelio · 22nd December 2020, 11:37 PM

The 11x80s provided a wonderful view. The kiddos next door apparently had no idea such things were possible. They weren't around for comets Hale-Bopp or Hayutaki (sp) but boyos curiosity supercedes even the most determined idiot parent flat-earth ********.

The Atheist · 23rd December 2020, 12:42 AM

Originally Posted by Fidelio

The 11x80s provided a wonderful view.

Excellent!

I'd been hoping to have another viewing, but we're on four solid days of cloud.

Not a drop of rain, just cloud.

Trebuchet · 23rd December 2020, 07:44 AM

I belatedly remembered to look last night. Went up on the deck and found the telescope had blown over in the wind; haven't been brave enough to look at it yet. Anyway, no planets so I checked Google Sky Map on my phone and discovered they'd set. Damn.

steenkh · 27th December 2020, 06:23 AM

I expected this thread would be full of triumphant photos from those advantageous enough to experience the conjunction under clear skies. But where are those pictures?

The Atheist · 27th December 2020, 10:29 AM

If I had a camera I could use on my telescope I'd have some beautiful shots from 17 December!

Here's what they would have looked like - the first here is about exactly how we saw it: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...os/4022128001/

smartcooky · 27th December 2020, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by steenkh

I expected this thread would be full of triumphant photos from those advantageous enough to experience the conjunction under clear skies. But where are those pictures?

Dec 15 - cloudy night
Dec 16 - cloudy night
Dec 17 - cloudy night
Dec 18 - cloudy night
Dec 19 - cloudy night
Dec 20 - raining
Dec 21 - raining
Dec 22 - cloudy night
Dec 23 - cloudy night
Dec 24 - cloudy night
Dec 25 - clear all day, cloud rolled in about 5pm
Dec 26 - clear all day - thunderstorm began around 4pm - then rain

Bloody frustrating!!!

Trebuchet · 27th December 2020, 12:36 PM

Originally Posted by The Atheist

If I had a camera I could use on my telescope I'd have some beautiful shots from 17 December!

Here's what they would have looked like - the first here is about exactly how we saw it: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...os/4022128001/

Originally Posted by smartcooky

Dec 15 - cloudy night
Dec 16 - cloudy night
Dec 17 - cloudy night
Dec 18 - cloudy night
Dec 19 - cloudy night
Dec 20 - raining
Dec 21 - raining
Dec 22 - cloudy night
Dec 23 - cloudy night
Dec 24 - cloudy night
Dec 25 - clear all day, cloud rolled in about 5pm
Dec 26 - clear all day - thunderstorm began around 4pm - then rain

Bloody frustrating!!!

Much the same here, except for one night -- might have been the 23rd. It wasn't until the next day I remembered I DO, in fact, have the ability to mount a camera to my telescope.

steenkh · 28th December 2020, 01:40 AM

I think of myself as a strictly visual observer, but I have found that some “trophy photos” are useful to explain to others what I can see.

I have taken a lot of photos by holding my iPhone at the eyepiece, and getting an adapter has really made the process easy. The pictures of the Moon have been very successful, but in general I must say that the pictures are invariably worse than what I see with the naked eye.

I then started labeling my Moon pictures, and realized that I could find features like chains and rilles that I had not noticed when I saw them live, so I could use the pictures to familiarize myself with the Moon, and refund those features.

That caused a warming up to the idea of buying a real astro-camera, which I did in time for the conjunction that was drowned in clouds here in Denmark. I have only used the camera once since I bought it, but it really does not improve on the iPhone pictures. It is easier to use, but because I have to watch the proceedings on a computer, I also need to set up a table and cables etc. so I am probably not going to use it very much.

Trebuchet · 29th December 2020, 01:47 PM

I debugged my telescope yesterday. I went out to use it to look at a passing submarine and there was a blotch that hadn't been there before. With a little careful disassembly I was able to remove a moth from inside!

The Atheist · 29th December 2020, 03:01 PM

Haha! Telescopes are highly prone to foreign body attacks.

It takes me 10 minutes to get mine out of or into the dust protection.

21st December 2020, 11:39 PM	#122
arthwollipot Observer of Phenomena Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Ngunnawal Country Posts: 70,272	I got Star Walk 2 in anticipation of this event. It's a little clearer tonight - I'll see how I go.
	__________________ Please scream inside your heart.

22nd December 2020, 01:06 AM	#123
The Atheist The Grammar Tyrant Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 28,276	Originally Posted by sts60 Broke out the scope and had a nice view of Jupiter and Saturn hanging out together at 80x. Winter in the desert is good for stuff like that. Nice! I consider myself lucky to have seen it already - three days of solid cloud ever since. Unlike your desert, I live in a place where the indigenous name was "Place where it's always ******* cloudy!"
	__________________ The point of equilibrium has passed; satire and current events are now indistinguishable.

22nd December 2020, 06:26 PM	#124
arthwollipot Observer of Phenomena Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Ngunnawal Country Posts: 70,272	That's a... loose translation ;D
	__________________ Please scream inside your heart.

22nd December 2020, 11:37 PM	#125
Fidelio Muse Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: The island of Atlanta Posts: 879	The 11x80s provided a wonderful view. The kiddos next door apparently had no idea such things were possible. They weren't around for comets Hale-Bopp or Hayutaki (sp) but boyos curiosity supercedes even the most determined idiot parent flat-earth ********.
	__________________ "SCE to AUX" Thanks John Aaron and RIP Al Bean

23rd December 2020, 12:42 AM	#126
The Atheist The Grammar Tyrant Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 28,276	Originally Posted by Fidelio The 11x80s provided a wonderful view. Excellent! I'd been hoping to have another viewing, but we're on four solid days of cloud. Not a drop of rain, just cloud.
	__________________ The point of equilibrium has passed; satire and current events are now indistinguishable.

21st December 2020, 11:35 PM	#121
Nakani Muse Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Acho Dene Koe Posts: 958	Originally Posted by sts60 If you have an iPhone, SkyView is a nice app that shows you where things are, overlaying constellations and symbols on the sky as you swing your phone around. No iPhone, I have seen that app on the commercial, it does look pretty cool. I managed to see the planets tonight, even if it was on the highway driving home. Too cloudy when we got back. Oh well, this was fun anyways, I hope we can all get together next time and do it again.

23rd December 2020, 07:44 AM	#127
Trebuchet Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Port Townsend, Washington Posts: 31,024	I belatedly remembered to look last night. Went up on the deck and found the telescope had blown over in the wind; haven't been brave enough to look at it yet. Anyway, no planets so I checked Google Sky Map on my phone and discovered they'd set. Damn.
	__________________ Cum catapultae proscribeantur tum soli proscripti catapultas habeant.

27th December 2020, 06:23 AM	#128
steenkh Philosopher Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Denmark Posts: 6,142	I expected this thread would be full of triumphant photos from those advantageous enough to experience the conjunction under clear skies. But where are those pictures?
	__________________ Steen -- Jack of all trades - master of none!

27th December 2020, 10:29 AM	#129
The Atheist The Grammar Tyrant Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 28,276	If I had a camera I could use on my telescope I'd have some beautiful shots from 17 December! Here's what they would have looked like - the first here is about exactly how we saw it: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...os/4022128001/
	__________________ The point of equilibrium has passed; satire and current events are now indistinguishable.

27th December 2020, 11:56 AM	#130
smartcooky Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Nelson, New Zealand Posts: 16,783	Originally Posted by steenkh I expected this thread would be full of triumphant photos from those advantageous enough to experience the conjunction under clear skies. But where are those pictures? Dec 15 - cloudy night Dec 16 - cloudy night Dec 17 - cloudy night Dec 18 - cloudy night Dec 19 - cloudy night Dec 20 - raining Dec 21 - raining Dec 22 - cloudy night Dec 23 - cloudy night Dec 24 - cloudy night Dec 25 - clear all day, cloud rolled in about 5pm Dec 26 - clear all day - thunderstorm began around 4pm - then rain Bloody frustrating!!!
	__________________ I want to thank the 126 Republican Congress members for providing a convenient and well organized list for the mid-terms. - Fred Wellman (Senior VA Advisor to The Lincoln Project) If you don't like my posts, my opinions, or my directness then put me on your ignore list. This will be of benefit to both of us; you won't have to take umbrage at my posts, and I won't have to waste my time talking to you... simples! ! Last edited by smartcooky; 27th December 2020 at 11:58 AM.

27th December 2020, 12:36 PM	#131
Trebuchet Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Port Townsend, Washington Posts: 31,024	Originally Posted by The Atheist If I had a camera I could use on my telescope I'd have some beautiful shots from 17 December! Here's what they would have looked like - the first here is about exactly how we saw it: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...os/4022128001/ Originally Posted by smartcooky Dec 15 - cloudy night Dec 16 - cloudy night Dec 17 - cloudy night Dec 18 - cloudy night Dec 19 - cloudy night Dec 20 - raining Dec 21 - raining Dec 22 - cloudy night Dec 23 - cloudy night Dec 24 - cloudy night Dec 25 - clear all day, cloud rolled in about 5pm Dec 26 - clear all day - thunderstorm began around 4pm - then rain Bloody frustrating!!! Much the same here, except for one night -- might have been the 23rd. It wasn't until the next day I remembered I DO, in fact, have the ability to mount a camera to my telescope.
	__________________ Cum catapultae proscribeantur tum soli proscripti catapultas habeant.

28th December 2020, 01:40 AM	#132
steenkh Philosopher Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Denmark Posts: 6,142	I think of myself as a strictly visual observer, but I have found that some “trophy photos” are useful to explain to others what I can see. I have taken a lot of photos by holding my iPhone at the eyepiece, and getting an adapter has really made the process easy. The pictures of the Moon have been very successful, but in general I must say that the pictures are invariably worse than what I see with the naked eye. I then started labeling my Moon pictures, and realized that I could find features like chains and rilles that I had not noticed when I saw them live, so I could use the pictures to familiarize myself with the Moon, and refund those features. That caused a warming up to the idea of buying a real astro-camera, which I did in time for the conjunction that was drowned in clouds here in Denmark. I have only used the camera once since I bought it, but it really does not improve on the iPhone pictures. It is easier to use, but because I have to watch the proceedings on a computer, I also need to set up a table and cables etc. so I am probably not going to use it very much.
	__________________ Steen -- Jack of all trades - master of none!

29th December 2020, 01:47 PM	#133
Trebuchet Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Port Townsend, Washington Posts: 31,024	I debugged my telescope yesterday. I went out to use it to look at a passing submarine and there was a blotch that hadn't been there before. With a little careful disassembly I was able to remove a moth from inside!
	__________________ Cum catapultae proscribeantur tum soli proscripti catapultas habeant.

29th December 2020, 03:01 PM	#134
The Atheist The Grammar Tyrant Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 28,276	Haha! Telescopes are highly prone to foreign body attacks. It takes me 10 minutes to get mine out of or into the dust protection.
	__________________ The point of equilibrium has passed; satire and current events are now indistinguishable.