To see less ads Register or Login ----- Daily Fantasy Sports games 18+

Look to the East tonight... Plus other astronomy chat

A forum for general discussion on subjects and topics that do not fit anywhere else.

Post Reply
User avatar
juckster
Grumpy Old Man
Posts: 2920
Joined: 24 Jul 2008, 14:57
Location: Sunny Rugeley
FS Record: Winner of a mile in another mans shoes pre TW2. Total wins £550 SDT 2011/12.

Re: Look to the East tonight... Plus other astronomy chat.

Post by juckster »

Plenty of meteors hitting us at the moment, with them due to peak over the next few days.

Am I right that Comet ISON is not going to be as spectacular as first thought ?

User avatar
Zimmerman
FISO Jedi Knight
Posts: 30211
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:42
Location: having a picnic at the Bear Mountain

Lunar Eclipse

Post by Zimmerman »

there used to be a stargazing type thread, but i just cant find it!

Anyway, a lunar eclipse is due tonight (in the UK).
Starts 22:50 until midnight.

Moon will turn red apparently.
Last edited by Zimmerman on 18 Oct 2013, 22:54, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: found it… someone had moved it to the Science forum

User avatar
Spinynorman
FISO Jedi Fish
Posts: 33327
Joined: 23 Jul 2006, 08:12
Location: West Midlands.
FS Record: Under Ordinary

Re: Lunar Eclipse

Post by Spinynorman »

Just been out to have a look and our Moons been pinched. :(

User avatar
hornet
Grumpy Old Man
Posts: 1925
Joined: 24 May 2006, 13:04

Re: Look to the East tonight... Plus other astronomy chat

Post by hornet »

Looking forward to a potentially spectacular comet in our pre-dawn skies in early December.

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013 ... s-december
http://www.cometison2013.co.uk/

Watched a program about comet Ison the other night. Apparently there are 3 potential outcomes to its close shave with the Sun. One of which will result in a comet to rival the previous brightest comet from recent history (sometime in the 1960s).

User avatar
hornet
Grumpy Old Man
Posts: 1925
Joined: 24 May 2006, 13:04

Re: Look to the East tonight... Plus other astronomy chat

Post by hornet »

Further searching has found this disappointing article.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/11/26/tech/ ... on-update/

Looks like Ison may be breaking up :(

User avatar
stevejtr
Grumpy Old Cereal Killer
Posts: 4537
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:32
Location: Out and about
FS Record: I always liked the old Tele FA Cup competition...

Re: Look to the East tonight... Plus other astronomy chat

Post by stevejtr »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25143861" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

So much for the comet of the century. More like it's electrical store namesake

User avatar
hornet
Grumpy Old Man
Posts: 1925
Joined: 24 May 2006, 13:04

Re: Look to the East tonight... Plus other astronomy chat

Post by hornet »

Yep, all broken up. Never mind.

User avatar
Zimmerman
FISO Jedi Knight
Posts: 30211
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:42
Location: having a picnic at the Bear Mountain

Re: Look to the East tonight... Plus other astronomy chat

Post by Zimmerman »

There's a massive bright star in the fly at the moment. Is it mercury? I seem to think its there each November (although usually closer to the moon).

Maybe it's leading me to baby Jesus... Should I follow it?

User avatar
murf
FISO Viscount
Posts: 109450
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:28
Location: here
FS Record: Once led TFF. Very briefly.
Contact:

Re: Look to the East tonight... Plus other astronomy chat

Post by murf »

Zimmerman wrote:There's a massive bright star in the fly at the moment.
Bono?

User avatar
llama
Grumpy Old Man
Posts: 2124
Joined: 03 Sep 2009, 19:19
Location: hellbound airlines

Re: Look to the East tonight... Plus other astronomy chat

Post by llama »

Ison may have survived :D

http://news.sky.com/story/1174976/comet ... h-with-sun" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

User avatar
Zimmerman
FISO Jedi Knight
Posts: 30211
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:42
Location: having a picnic at the Bear Mountain

Re: Look to the East tonight... Plus other astronomy chat

Post by Zimmerman »

murf wrote:
Zimmerman wrote:There's a massive bright star in the fly at the moment.
Bono?
Damn these fat fingers!

User avatar
RomynPG
Dumbledore
Posts: 9639
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:32
FS Record: FPL 134 overall 06/07 ... never close since

Re: Look to the East tonight... Plus other astronomy chat

Post by RomynPG »

This is quite cool...

http://joshworth.com/dev/pixelspace/pix ... ystem.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The moon is a pixel - everything else to scale - use the right arrow to scroll or click the planet icons at the top.

I made it a few minutes past Jupiter on the arrow key - but had to short cut to the planets after that.

Well worth being patient and scrolling - really gives a good feel for how vast everything is.

(I'm always impressed by how small (relative to the distances involved) the Sun is and how on a hot day you can feel to heat from it ... that it's been burning for a few billion years and is only halfway through it's life .... just incredible)

User avatar
ctibbits
Dumbledore
Posts: 5628
Joined: 01 Nov 2011, 15:49
FS Record: Won "The Bet" 2014/15

Re: Look to the East tonight... Plus other astronomy chat

Post by ctibbits »

RomynPG wrote:This is quite cool...

http://joshworth.com/dev/pixelspace/pix ... ystem.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The moon is a pixel - everything else to scale - use the right arrow to scroll or click the planet icons at the top.

I made it a few minutes past Jupiter on the arrow key - but had to short cut to the planets after that.

Well worth being patient and scrolling - really gives a good feel for how vast everything is.

(I'm always impressed by how small (relative to the distances involved) the Sun is and how on a hot day you can feel to heat from it ... that it's been burning for a few billion years and is only halfway through it's life .... just incredible)
Awesome! My telescope has been collecting dust recently. Anyone know of something good to see in the near future? I hear Saturn will be visible later this month but if I remember correctly it is low on the horizon and won't be visible from my perspective.

User avatar
Zimmerman
FISO Jedi Knight
Posts: 30211
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:42
Location: having a picnic at the Bear Mountain

Re: Look to the East tonight... Plus other astronomy chat

Post by Zimmerman »

ahhhhh…. if only;

There was a massive asteroid passing last night closer to us than the moon.

User avatar
WilBert
Dumbledore
Posts: 7767
Joined: 28 Dec 2009, 21:07
Location: 2nd in SP4's Ashes comp.

Re: Look to the East tonight... Plus other astronomy chat

Post by WilBert »

Gutted I missed this last week. Had my phone downstairs when a mate texted me. A few miles from home :(
http://metro.co.uk/2014/02/28/uk-treate ... w-4338977/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

User avatar
WilBert
Dumbledore
Posts: 7767
Joined: 28 Dec 2009, 21:07
Location: 2nd in SP4's Ashes comp.

Re: Look to the East tonight... Plus other astronomy chat

Post by WilBert »

RomynPG wrote:
Well worth being patient and scrolling - really gives a good feel for how vast everything is.
Great find, and that is just our solar system :shock: no wonder astronauts go all religious.

User avatar
unc.si.
FISO Knight
Posts: 11778
Joined: 11 Oct 2010, 14:08
Location: Off to buy Loctite
FS Record: 'Loser' by Beck

Re: Look to the East tonight... Plus other astronomy chat

Post by unc.si. »

RomynPG wrote:This is quite cool...

http://joshworth.com/dev/pixelspace/pix ... ystem.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The moon is a pixel - everything else to scale - use the right arrow to scroll or click the planet icons at the top.

I made it a few minutes past Jupiter on the arrow key - but had to short cut to the planets after that.

Well worth being patient and scrolling - really gives a good feel for how vast everything is.

(I'm always impressed by how small (relative to the distances involved) the Sun is and how on a hot day you can feel to heat from it ... that it's been burning for a few billion years and is only halfway through it's life .... just incredible)
Somewhere in there it says that if the Proton of a Hydrogen atom was scaled up to the size of the sun, you'd need 12 of those charts to represent the average distance to its electron. That's pretty mind blowing tbh

User avatar
unc.si.
FISO Knight
Posts: 11778
Joined: 11 Oct 2010, 14:08
Location: Off to buy Loctite
FS Record: 'Loser' by Beck

Re: Look to the East tonight... Plus other astronomy chat

Post by unc.si. »

and right at the end it says you'd need to scroll through another 6,771 of those maps before you see anything else

User avatar
Zimmerman
FISO Jedi Knight
Posts: 30211
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:42
Location: having a picnic at the Bear Mountain

Re: Look to the East tonight... Plus other astronomy chat

Post by Zimmerman »

RomynPG wrote:This is quite cool...

http://joshworth.com/dev/pixelspace/pix ... ystem.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The moon is a pixel - everything else to scale - use the right arrow to scroll or click the planet icons at the top.

I made it a few minutes past Jupiter on the arrow key - but had to short cut to the planets after that.

Well worth being patient and scrolling - really gives a good feel for how vast everything is.

(I'm always impressed by how small (relative to the distances involved) the Sun is and how on a hot day you can feel to heat from it ... that it's been burning for a few billion years and is only halfway through it's life .... just incredible)
Its all just mind blowing. Impossible to imagine the distances (or the sizes).

moonlightdribbler
Grumpy Old Man
Posts: 3913
Joined: 15 Mar 2009, 17:52

Re: Look to the East tonight... Plus other astronomy chat

Post by moonlightdribbler »

And there's no way 'we are alone'!

User avatar
ctibbits
Dumbledore
Posts: 5628
Joined: 01 Nov 2011, 15:49
FS Record: Won "The Bet" 2014/15

Re: Look to the East tonight... Plus other astronomy chat

Post by ctibbits »

Supposed to be a full Lunar Eclipse here tomorrow night. Im not sure if it will be visible for you in the UK or not but wanted to make sure you knew about it just in case it was.

User avatar
bloggie
Dumbledore
Posts: 9693
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:26
Location: Tourists swarm to see your face Confucius has a puzzling grace Disoriented you enter in unleashing
Contact:

Re: Look to the East tonight... Plus other astronomy chat

Post by bloggie »

Some say it isn't.This says it is:
http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/uk/london" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

User avatar
Zimmerman
FISO Jedi Knight
Posts: 30211
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:42
Location: having a picnic at the Bear Mountain

Re: Look to the East tonight... Plus other astronomy chat

Post by Zimmerman »

Looks like it will be below the horizon for us?

User avatar
ctibbits
Dumbledore
Posts: 5628
Joined: 01 Nov 2011, 15:49
FS Record: Won "The Bet" 2014/15

Re: Look to the East tonight... Plus other astronomy chat

Post by ctibbits »

I'll see if i can get some good pics with my telescope

User avatar
murf
FISO Viscount
Posts: 109450
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:28
Location: here
FS Record: Once led TFF. Very briefly.
Contact:

Re: Look to the East tonight... Plus other astronomy chat

Post by murf »

A new moon is a virtual lunar eclipse isn't it and that happens every 28 days.

A full eclipse will hardly be any different. Or have I missed something. ...

User avatar
bloggie
Dumbledore
Posts: 9693
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:26
Location: Tourists swarm to see your face Confucius has a puzzling grace Disoriented you enter in unleashing
Contact:

Re: Look to the East tonight... Plus other astronomy chat

Post by bloggie »

The moon's orbit around the Earth is inclined about 5 deg to the Earth's orbit around the sun. Since the moon only appears half a degree wide, you can understand that most of the time that 5 deg mismatch causes the moon to not align perfectly every time.
Depending on the date, the full moon can be anything up to 5 deg too high or 5 deg too low to completely line up.
However, the lunar eclipse is much more frequent than the solar eclipse, simply because the Earth's shadow (which eclipses the full moon) is much larger than the moon's shadow (which eclipses the sun during new moon).
https://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/i ... 051AANJgcN" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

User avatar
ctibbits
Dumbledore
Posts: 5628
Joined: 01 Nov 2011, 15:49
FS Record: Won "The Bet" 2014/15

Re: Look to the East tonight... Plus other astronomy chat

Post by ctibbits »

murf wrote:A new moon is a virtual lunar eclipse isn't it and that happens every 28 days.

A full eclipse will hardly be any different. Or have I missed something. ...
A new moon is dark while the lunar eclipse will have the moon take on a reddish hue. Last one I saw was pretty spectacular.

User avatar
Zimmerman
FISO Jedi Knight
Posts: 30211
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:42
Location: having a picnic at the Bear Mountain

Re: Look to the East tonight... Plus other astronomy chat

Post by Zimmerman »

The lyrid meteor shower is upon us... should peak Tuesday night.


http://www.darkskytelescopehire.co.uk/2 ... -uk-skies/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Pretty much ALWAYS cloudy when one if these showers is due.

User avatar
Zimmerman
FISO Jedi Knight
Posts: 30211
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:42
Location: having a picnic at the Bear Mountain

Re: Look to the East tonight... Plus other astronomy chat

Post by Zimmerman »

The ISS has past over the last couple of nights... I guess tomorrow might be too early (still light)?

User avatar
Mav3rick
FISO Jedi Knight
Posts: 20858
Joined: 20 Jul 2009, 20:35
FS Record: FPL: 1082, 1201, 1800, 10203

The stats are dark and full of errors.

Re: Look to the East tonight... Plus other astronomy chat

Post by Mav3rick »

Speaking of the ISS, there's a live video feed from it at the moment, showing Earth from it's cameras in real time. Pretty cool, especially as you can watch it go from the light to the dark side of Earth and back again.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronom ... ation.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

View Latest: 1 Day View Your posts
Post Reply

Return to “Stuff (That Doesn't Fit Anywhere Else!)”