The Night Sky
The ClubHouse: Archives: The Night Sky
Cablejockey | Friday, April 05, 2002 - 07:31 am     For anyone interested in astronomy or who just likes to enjoy the night sky there is something coming up later this month. All five planets visible to the naked eye will be lined up in the western sky at dusk. That will be Venus Mars Saturn Jupiter and Earth. This can be seen for a month. Its already in the beginning stages with four of the planets moving into alignment. 1940 was the last time this could be seen according to the Toronto Star newspsper. |
Teatime | Friday, April 05, 2002 - 07:58 am     Thanks, Cablejockey. I will keep an eye to the sky for that. Did you see that latest comet? |
Teatime | Friday, April 05, 2002 - 08:13 am     I mean the comet Ikeya-Zhang. It's supposed to be naked-eye visible in the western sky for awhile longer. I haven't been out on a clear enough night yet, but I'll keep checking. astronomy.com has good articles and helpful maps for novices like me! |
Webkitty | Friday, April 05, 2002 - 08:44 am     Cool! We'll have to break out the telescope. Thanks for the info CJ! |
Juju2bigdog | Friday, April 05, 2002 - 09:06 am     Ack! And just yesterday I deleted my astronomy links from my Favorites list. Sure hope Weinermr comes along and reposts them. I live on a pretty big hill with a view to the west. We don't often have clear days or nights though (Washington coast). |
Urgrace | Friday, April 05, 2002 - 01:50 pm     Alllllright! We are skywatchers and love it. Wish we still had our telescope. Question: Is it possible to view this from anywhere in North America or more visible in certain areas? <please let us know more when you have specific dates, times....> |
Misslibra | Friday, April 05, 2002 - 02:14 pm     Urgrace that is a good question. But I probably couldn't see them anyway skys are very cloudy here with snow. Maybe someone will give us a play by play again. I think it was Rabbit who gave us a play by play the last time. |
Moondance | Friday, April 05, 2002 - 02:30 pm     Planets to Clump Together in Sky Sight Might Not Be Seen Again for Century By Deborah Zabarenko Reuters WASHINGTON (April 2) - The five so-called naked eye planets -- Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn -- will appear to clump together later this month in a sight that might not be seen again for a century. But don't call this a planetary alignment. And even though this is fairly rare, there is nothing for earthlings to worry about, astronomer Geoff Chester of the U.S. Naval Observatory said on Tuesday. The grouping of the five will begin to be visible with unaided eyes around April 20, with the planets clustered closest by around May 4, Chester said by telephone. "It is an opportunity to see all five of the naked eye planets in the same part of the sky at the same time and that does not happen very often," Chester said. It could be 50 or 100 years before this happens again, he said. The display should be easy to see in most parts of the inhabited world, weather permitting, though those at extreme northern and southern latitudes may need binoculars or a small telescope, and Mercury could still be hard to spot, he said. A similar grouping of the same five planets, plus the moon, occurred on May 5, 2000, accompanied by dire predictions of extraordinary tides and other cataclysms. Earth survived. However, that cluster occurred on the opposite side of the Sun from Earth, and the Sun's light was so bright the planets could not be seen from Earth. This time, most humans should have a good view, Chester said. What they should be able to see will be Mercury, Venus, Mars and Saturn all grouped within the span of 10 degrees of the sky, or about the width of a fist held at arm's length. Jupiter will be a bit higher in the sky, about three fist-widths away, but still quite close. The cluster will start to dissipate around May 12, Chester said, when Mercury will dip closer to the horizon and become less visible. This grouping is only the planets people can see without help, and does not count as an alignment, according to Chester, though others have used that term. Chester considers a true alignment to be when all the planets are on the same side of the sun, and grouped within about 90 degrees -- nine fist-widths -- of each other, or closer. This occurs once in several hundred years. The closest known planetary alignment in the last two millennia occurred on April 11, 1128, before most planets were identified as such, including Earth, according to Chester. Reuters 17:47 04-02-02 |
Webkitty | Friday, April 05, 2002 - 04:42 pm     Thanks for posting that Moon, I printed it out and we will be watching!  |
Nightcrawler | Friday, April 05, 2002 - 08:48 pm     I love astronomy I'm singed up for the nasa new leter. They send out emails about 3-5 times a week on all kinds of things about space. Here the last one I got today. If you click on the link you can sing up for them also at the bottom of the page. If you all would like I can keep doing the old cut and past here if you would like? NASA Science News for April 5, 2002 Learning what near-Earth asteroids are made of and how they're put together is simply prudent. NASA's NEAR spacecraft got a closer look at one when it landed on 433 Eros in 2001. FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2002/05apr_hitchhiker.htm?list547577 |
Weinermr | Saturday, April 06, 2002 - 06:21 am     The Night Sky April 2002 Your Sky |
Juju2bigdog | Saturday, April 06, 2002 - 08:38 am     Thanks, Weinermr, those are the sites I deleted this week. |
Egbok | Sunday, April 07, 2002 - 11:53 am     Thanks for the links NC and Weinermr - I'll add them to my favorites. |
Xxlt | Monday, April 08, 2002 - 01:18 pm     a short list of things i have found to be useful in watching the sky cheap compass red lensed flashlight an Astrorama-Griffith Observatory website sells one a good pair of binoculars to start (you'll buy a telescope soon after!) watch or time piece find a spot away from streetlights....... |
Nightcrawler | Wednesday, April 10, 2002 - 12:31 pm     NASA Science News for April 8, 2002 Scientists are building atomic clocks that keep time with mind-boggling precision. Such devices will help farmers, physicists, and interstellar travelers alike. FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2002/08apr_atomicclock.htm?list547577 |
Xxlt | Wednesday, April 10, 2002 - 04:31 pm     what kind of equipment does everyone own? |
Teatime | Wednesday, April 10, 2002 - 08:08 pm     Xxlt, here's what I pack: Flashlight: You're right, the red lensed flashlight is handy so your eyes don't have to adjust if you're checking a sky map. Unscrew the end off your flashlight and place a piece of red cellophane between the bulb and the clear lens. Sky maps/star guides: I like the circular sky maps that you find at bookstores, museums, telescope shops. You turn to the date and time, there's the sky you need! Also, Weinermr's links above are excellent. Binoculars: I take out several binoculars, of different strengths. I prefer the simplicity of the binoculars, but wouldn't turn down a telescope if someone wants to get me one! I should shop for a tripod to set the binoculars on, that will help steady them. Other essentials: A packing blanket to lay on. Friends to watch with. Mug of hot tea. |
Xxlt | Thursday, April 11, 2002 - 11:26 am     tea, i forgot the blanket!! check out the qvc channel (i may be wrong-it may be the other channel) for a guy that hawks telescopes...i've seen some good deals. or drop a bunch of hints before xmas or your b-day. there are some outdoor shops that sell hiking staffs that can be converted to camera monopods, or a camera shop can help you too. i check out the surplus stores/sporting goods stores for stuff. picked up a nice night vision scope for a C note (always bumping into wildlife in the hills) and found that surplus poncho liners are light and warm, also found at the surplus was a military flashlight with a red lens, pretty durable. be careful looking at telescopes tho....... i started with a pair of binocs, and now own two pair, the NV scope and three telescopes.. two scopes are bushnell, 600 and 900, they make a decent, inexpensive 'scope...i'd love a celestron, or the time to make my own! |
Nightcrawler | Tuesday, April 16, 2002 - 07:45 pm     Space Weather for 16 April 2002 http://www.spaceweather.com AURORA WARNING: On Monday, April 15th (0400 UT), a full-halo coronal mass ejection billowed away from the Sun. The expanding cloud is heading toward Earth and could ignite Northern Lights (most likely at high latitudes but possibly at mid-latitudes as well) when it sweeps past our planet on April 17th or 18th. Visit spaceweather.com for updates. |
Nightcrawler | Wednesday, April 17, 2002 - 08:17 pm     Space Weather News for 17 April 2002 http://www.spaceweather.com AURORAS TODAY: A coronal mass ejection swept past Earth this morning and triggered a moderate geomagnetic storm. The disturbance began at 1100UT on April 17th was still happening 12 hours later when this alert was issued. High-latitude sky watchers -- i.e., those in northern Europe, Canada and the northern tier of US states -- should remain alert for auroras after sunset on Wednesday. AND LATER THIS WEEK.... Twisted magnetic fields above sunspot 9906 erupted and hurled a lopsided coronal mass ejection toward Earth on April 17th. The expanding cloud could ignite Northern Lights when it sweeps past our planet on April 19th or 20th. Visit SpaceWeather.com for updates and details. |
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