Star Gazing

Wow, can I come! I'll bring batteries. It's too bright here in the northeast for serious stargazing.

Still it's suprising what one can see of God's wonders here. One canoueing trip to the upper Deleware (1/2 hour form NYC) left me in awe. At 2AM we were still sitting in front of our tents staring at the sky and seeing stars we hadn't seen since we were kids. Better than movies!

Rob

 

Sounds nice! I need to get a telescope.
I bought a planetarian type thing for the kids last year from National Geographic's line. It's just a small globe with a light and the stars on it, but you turn out the lights and it shows them all on the ceiling. Unfortunately I didn't stop to think that the ceiling here is textured, and the ceiling at the house is tiled. Oops!
I've been deciding between a telescope and a microscope, and the microscope is winning out. Would be more useful for the kids than a telescope right now.
Growing up stinks sometimes!
I'm still watching Mars for the next few weeks though. Got my oldest daughter out of bed last night to see it, she was thrilled.
Gina

 

Got this in the e-mail today from a relative - thought it would be interesting for this thread:

Parents. Bone up on the Red Planet and take your youngsters out to see this once-in-their-lifetime spectacle. They may be inspired to become interested in astronomy or be an astronaut.

The best viewing area will be away from city lights or street lights etc., the darker the sky area the better visable the planets will be.

Never again in your lifetime will the Red Planet be so spectacular! This month and next month the Earth is catching up with Mars, an encounter that will culminate in the closest approach between the two planets in recorded history. The next time Mars may come this
close is in 2287. Due to the way Jupiter's gravity tugs on Mars and perturbs its orbit, astronomers can only be certain that Mars has not come this close to Earth in the last 5,000 years but it may be as long as 60,000 years.

The encounter will culminate on August 27th when Mars comes to within 34,649,589 miles and will be (next to the moon) the brightest object in the night sky. It will attain a magnitude of -2.9 and will appear 25.11 arc seconds wide. At a modest 75-power magnification Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. Mars will be easy to spot. At the beginning of August, Mars will rise in the east at 10 p.m. and reach its azimuth at about 3 a.m.

By the end of August when the two planets are closest, Mars will rise at nightfall and reach its highest point in the sky at 12:30 a.m. That's pretty convenient when it comes to seeing something that no human has seen in recorded history. So mark your calendar at the beginning of August to see Mars grows progressively brighter and brighter throughout the month. Share with your children and grandchildren.

No one alive today will ever see this again.

 

Wow, your telescope sounds awesome Dr. Bob. I just love gazing at the stars too because it makes me feel closer to God. There is a certain serenity about that, especially when living out in the country. It sure helps me to relax, and I know I need to do that more often. Hopefully, I will be able to get a telescope before the end of the year. But if I don't, no big deal as the stars will always be there.

God Bless

Sal

 

Alot of people are travelling to Australia to head out to some of the big telescopes to get a look at the planet Mars as it comes into view, at present it is quite a bright light in the night sky.