DS Forums

 
 

Space and Astronomy Thread


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 30-11-2008, 18:04
HenryGarten
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
Ooh, thanks to this thread I've just realized what I'm looking at right now to the south-west. A rare clear night in Blackpool!

They're so bright, I thought they were the ISS and something else, but now I realize I'm probably looking at Venus and Jupiter?
You had me really puzzled for a moment as I know the time was wrong for the ISS. Yes you probably are seeing Jupiter and Venus presumably very close together? See http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/ataglance

Is the crescent moon there too?
HenryGarten is offline   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old 30-11-2008, 20:01
ClarkF1
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: London
Posts: 5,859
20 minutes from de-orbit burn.

Links to video:

Lo-res
Hi-res
ClarkF1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30-11-2008, 21:33
Ricardodaforce
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Alacant
Posts: 7,773
Nice landing.
Ricardodaforce is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30-11-2008, 21:58
HenryGarten
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
Not too many shuttle landing left.
HenryGarten is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2008, 07:55
HenryGarten
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
Interesting series of videos including landing of Endeavour. See http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540...85589#27985589
HenryGarten is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2008, 10:10
HenryGarten
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
Occultation of Venus by the moon takes place after 3.35pm depending on where you are. See http://www.popastro.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=10777

More interesting is its re-emergence at after 5pm. Then the moon, Venus and Jupiter should be pretty trio in the sky.

The ISS will pass over at 5.16pm.
HenryGarten is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2008, 17:47
mb@2day
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 8,710
It's something I havn't seen before, so I saw for the first time as the planet emerged from behind the moon at around quarter past five. A really good view with binoculars. Venus appeared from behind the bright part of the moons face like a small light on the surface that got brighter, pity it wasn't from the darker area. I'm glad I saw it and I caught the whole spectacle as it happened.

Didn't see the iss but an airbus flew over the top of the moon about the same time.
mb@2day is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2008, 18:03
HenryGarten
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
It's something I havn't seen before, so I saw for the first time as the planet emerged from behind the moon at around quarter past five. A really good view with binoculars. Venus appeared from behind the bright part of the moons face like a small light on the surface that got brighter, pity it wasn't from the darker area. I'm glad I saw it and I caught the whole spectacle as it happened.

Didn't see the iss but an airbus flew over the top of the moon about the same time.
Oh well done. Sadly the clouds rolled in and it was not possible to see it from here.
HenryGarten is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2008, 19:33
Ricardodaforce
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Alacant
Posts: 7,773
Looks awesome from South Wales.
Ricardodaforce is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2008, 20:59
mb@2day
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 8,710
Looks awesome from South Wales.
Yes it did. This was a surprise and a beautiful sight. With a stunning conjunction like that in December I wouldn't have been surprised if three guys on camels had gone past me this evening.
mb@2day is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2008, 21:03
paulyoung666
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 8,151
It's something I havn't seen before, so I saw for the first time as the planet emerged from behind the moon at around quarter past five. A really good view with binoculars. Venus appeared from behind the bright part of the moons face like a small light on the surface that got brighter, pity it wasn't from the darker area. I'm glad I saw it and I caught the whole spectacle as it happened.

Didn't see the iss but an airbus flew over the top of the moon about the same time.
shit , i saw what i thought was a star next to the moon !!!!!!!!! , never even thought it would be a planet
paulyoung666 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-12-2008, 09:21
HenryGarten
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
Here is a picture of Venus emerging from behind the moon See http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...g?t=1228156804

This is of the moon Jupiter and Venus. See http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...g?t=1228158381

Oh these were taken by a friend of mine up in Cheshire.
HenryGarten is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-12-2008, 09:25
freckle59
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: At my desk
Posts: 22,617
I saw it! Dashed home for my camera and then tried to get to some high ground to avoid trees due to only having a 'normal' digital camera and it was all gone behind clouds

It looked like the front cover of a children's nursery rhyme book - totally black sky, brilliant crescent moon and two large 'stars' just to the right of the moon. Lovely.
freckle59 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-12-2008, 22:50
HenryGarten
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
Anyone see Venus/Jupiter tonight?
HenryGarten is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-12-2008, 23:28
girloutofwishaw
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 69

Yes Henry. I was not sure if it would be visible tonight - yesterday was very cloudy - but the crescent moon was lovely, with two glowing lights to the right of it. Buckinghamshire.I could not see it in London though.How long will this phenomenon be visible for?Regards
girloutofwishaw is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-12-2008, 23:51
HenryGarten
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
Yes Henry. I was not sure if it would be visible tonight - yesterday was very cloudy - but the crescent moon was lovely, with two glowing lights to the right of it. Buckinghamshire.I could not see it in London though.How long will this phenomenon be visible for?Regards
Oh the moon will be quite a distance away tomorrow and Jupiter will start falling towards the sun quite quickly I imagine. I would have thought that it will be over as a spectacle by this weekend. Mind you the apparition of Venus is only beginning to come good. Mind you I think this is a relaively poor one as it heads toward the next transit of the sun in 2012.
HenryGarten is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-12-2008, 17:25
Ricardodaforce
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Alacant
Posts: 7,773
Both planets look gorgeous tonight.
Ricardodaforce is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-12-2008, 22:57
HenryGarten
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
Wow Wow Wow. What a picture! See http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap081203.html
HenryGarten is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-12-2008, 13:47
Ricardodaforce
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Alacant
Posts: 7,773
If you have an iPhone Henry you can get an APOD application to put on it.
Ricardodaforce is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-12-2008, 18:03
Ricardodaforce
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Alacant
Posts: 7,773
The next mission to Mars has been delayed.
Ricardodaforce is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-12-2008, 09:55
HenryGarten
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19,567
Another wow picture of the occultation of Venus. See http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap081204.html

This one is pretty amazing too. See http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap081205.html
HenryGarten is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-12-2008, 18:43
KJ44
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: location location
Posts: 28,248
This thread needs a Daily Mail article!

It's rather good actually. ...
KJ44 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-12-2008, 16:45
TelevisionUser
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Storbritannia
Posts: 28,927

...and you want to contribute to the science of astronomy here's how you can do that:

The Galaxy Zoo website at http://www.galaxyzoo.org/ has been looking for helpers to categorise galaxies into their different types. The background science aspects are covered here http://www.galaxyzoo.org/Project.aspx.

If anyone is interested in taking part, there's more information available from here http://www.galaxyzoo.org/Tutorial.aspx.
TelevisionUser is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-12-2008, 15:42
Ricardodaforce
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Alacant
Posts: 7,773
On this day in 1972 the crew of Apollo 17 took this beautiful photo.
Ricardodaforce is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-12-2008, 17:47
sg_
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Northern Ireland
Posts: 2,638
Two very bright stars out towards the south/south western area of the sky again. Are these still Jupiter and Venus only them drifting further and further apart?.

The one more to the west has a slightly red tinge off it, unless my eyes are playing tricks on me
sg_ is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply



Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 03:40.