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Old 01-04-2010, 08:20
BeethovensPiano
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Martian Rover "Spirit" has entered hibernation mode for the winter.
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Old 01-04-2010, 09:32
Galvatron
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I think the Prof must have an obscene amount of airmiles!

It's all very pretty and lovely in HD but pretty thin on the actual science content. Just looks like an excuse for him and the film crew to go on a massive global jolly. Not a patch on The Planets - can't believe that series in 10 years old now!
I agree.

Is 'The Planets' the one with Sam Neill narrating?
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Old 01-04-2010, 14:57
Assa2
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I agree.

Is 'The Planets' the one with Sam Neill narrating?
Nope, Samuel West narrated The Planets. The Sam Neill series was The Universe, and was on C4 IIRC. I've got that one on video somewhere.

There was a great period of scientific TV 10 years ago but personally I think it's dumbed down somewhat at present. Even Horizon seems to have lost it's sparkle.
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Old 02-04-2010, 14:48
HenryGarten
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Mercury and Venus meet in the evening sky.

See http://www.skyandtelescope.com/obser.../89721762.html

This sight is best right about now.
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Old 02-04-2010, 20:28
HenryGarten
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Good explanation on how to spot Mercury here. See http://www.popastro.com/youngstargazers/thismonth.html
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Old 03-04-2010, 04:44
HenryGarten
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Now here is a picture I have never seen before. It is of the South Celestial Pole. See http://astronomy.fm/aapod/
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Old 03-04-2010, 05:13
balthasar
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Now here is a picture I have never seen before. It is of the South Celestial Pole. See http://astronomy.fm/aapod/
good pic south celestial pole erm ?
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Old 03-04-2010, 05:16
HenryGarten
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good pic south celestial pole erm ?
Well the celestial south pole does not have a bright star like the north pole. Those star tracks let you imagine where it is.
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Old 03-04-2010, 06:25
HenryGarten
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Not too many shuttles to go now. The next one due to launch on Monday. See http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sh...131/index.html
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Old 03-04-2010, 15:08
Maybelle
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Mercury and Venus meet in the evening sky.

See http://www.skyandtelescope.com/obser.../89721762.html

This sight is best right about now.
Not too many shuttles to go now. The next one due to launch on Monday. See http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sh...131/index.html
Thank you Henry, these links are great especially for a newbie like me - I've got them in my tabs now to keep me busy! I got into the habit of popping outside at night to look for the ISS and I 've been missing it! Lots to look out for now, though . By the way I never did hear back from San Diego!
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Old 05-04-2010, 08:14
HenryGarten
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Space shuttle launches this morning with four women on board.

Launch due at 11.21 BST

10 minute window.
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Old 05-04-2010, 08:16
HenryGarten
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Thank you Henry, these links are great especially for a newbie like me - I've got them in my tabs now to keep me busy! I got into the habit of popping outside at night to look for the ISS and I 've been missing it! Lots to look out for now, though . By the way I never did hear back from San Diego!
Thank you. Another good pass over San Diego this morning at 6.08am.
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Old 05-04-2010, 16:13
tiger2000
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Next week is the 30th Aniversary of Apollo 13, The BBC have put a few items online about the incident and all of the Apollo programme.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereport...o-archiv.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/moonlandings/
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Old 06-04-2010, 12:55
Assa2
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I was in Bristol over the weekend and took my daughter (aged 4) to the planetarium at the science museum (@Bristol - silly name). They were doing a special show for under 5's for the first time. Not very long and only went totally dark for a few seconds right at the end to stop the kiddies from freaking out. Very good and a nice intro to the planets, the nights sky, constellations etc... My daughter seemed to enjoy it so I'm going to take her to the planetarium in Birmigham this summer.

I'd highly recommend the Bristol museum, by the way.
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Old 06-04-2010, 13:50
njp
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Very good and a nice intro to the planets, the nights sky, constellations etc... My daughter seemed to enjoy it so I'm going to take her to the planetarium in Birmigham this summer.
Do you mean the one in the Think Tank?

I was disappointed. Then again, I'm not four...

I have fond childhood memories of visiting the London planetarium, when it was a proper planetarium with an expensive and imposing Zeiss projector standing like some alien artefact in front of the audience. It was bristling with optics, and meant that you got a startlingly realistic depiction of the night sky, with pin-sharp stars, set against a jet black background.

The modern breed of digital planetarium projectors are undoubtedly more versatile, but they can't do that (or at least, none that I've seen can). They lack the magic.
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Old 06-04-2010, 16:37
Assa2
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Do you mean the one in the Think Tank?

I was disappointed. Then again, I'm not four...

I have fond childhood memories of visiting the London planetarium, when it was a proper planetarium with an expensive and imposing Zeiss projector standing like some alien artefact in front of the audience. It was bristling with optics, and meant that you got a startlingly realistic depiction of the night sky, with pin-sharp stars, set against a jet black background.

The modern breed of digital planetarium projectors are undoubtedly more versatile, but they can't do that (or at least, none that I've seen can). They lack the magic.
I went to the one at the Think Tank a few years ago and while it was OK I agree the projectors around the edge don't do the best job of projecting a pin sharp night's sky. The one at Bristol had the central 'old-school' type projector with all the pin holes on the globe so gave a nice night sky image as well has having a standard PC projector for normal slides.
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Old 08-04-2010, 18:59
spang
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This may have been mentioned before, but I haven't read through the whole thread.

On the Sky at Night last night they said Venus and Mercury could both be seen just after the sun has gone done.

If you look west just after sunset (to be honest I looked about an hour after sunset last night, but it was still reasonably light), there is a bright 'star' with a much dimmer one to the right of it. They are quite close to the horizon. According to The Sky at Night the bright one is Venus and the dimmer one is Mercury. I'm fairly sure I managed to see Venus though was a bit less certain that the dimmer one was actually Mercury, and not a real star, although it wasn't really dark enough to see any other stars, so I'm hopeful it was.

If this was already obvious to everyone or really boring I apologise!

EDIT: And just after posting I scroll up the page and see it already mentioned. Sorry!
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Old 08-04-2010, 19:41
Carlos_dfc
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I'm fairly sure I managed to see Venus though was a bit less certain that the dimmer one was actually Mercury....
Yes, that was Venus and Mercury.
Mercury doesn't seem all that bright while there us still some light in the sky, but it is still brighter than most of the stars.
After Venus, Mercury is by far the next brightest thing in that part of the sky... The next brightest star in that part of the sky is 'Alpha Arietis', which is currently right and up a bit from Venus, but is 2 magnitudes dimmer than Mercury - In astronomy terms, a drop of 2 magnitudes is only about 1/6th as bright.

It is reputed that the ancient 'great' astronomer Nicholaus Copernicus never managed to actually see Mercury for himself.

Also - If you have a decent pair of binoculars, or a small spotting scope - anything capable of about 12x or more magnification... Take a look at Venus - It shows phases like the Moon, and currently looks like a tiny version of a roughly 3/4 full Moon.
Worth watching every now and then over the next few months - It'll be down to half-phase by about July/Aug, and a crescent from about Sept onwards
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Old 08-04-2010, 20:20
BeethovensPiano
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Its clear out - I can see Venus easily - going to try Mercury with binoculars.
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Old 08-04-2010, 20:57
spang
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Its clear out - I can see Venus easily - going to try Mercury with binoculars.
I can also see Venus again, but cannot see Mercury, but it has to be said it is quite a bit higher than it was last night at the moment, (when I could see Mercury). I must have looked later last night. As it gets darker/later and Venus/Mercury get lower Mercury may become more visible.
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Old 08-04-2010, 21:21
BeethovensPiano
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Cool .... could just about make out Mercury next to Venus, first time i've seen it.

Also got a picture HERE
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Old 08-04-2010, 21:25
tvqueen1905
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saw venuis and mercury last night

cloudy tonight though
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Old 08-04-2010, 23:32
HenryGarten
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Yes I saw Venus and Mercury in a lovely clear sky around 8.25pm. Nice to have seen them together.
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Old 08-04-2010, 23:40
Kablamo
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Yes I saw Venus and Mercury in a lovely clear sky around 8.25pm. Nice to have seen them together.
Seriously?

You have to be very close to low pollution area and try and catch it away from any buildings to catch that.
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Old 12-04-2010, 07:03
HenryGarten
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"Houston We Have A Problem" the man who said this is in BBC 1 very soon.

He then said "We have had a main bus B undervolt".
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