Planets

[AMM]

Last week, while I was with my kids at a place on Lake George (northern New York state, USA), I noticed a rather bright star-like object about 10 or 20 degrees west of the (full) moon in the early morning. I figured it couldn't be Venus, since Venus is always more or less near the sun and this was near the opposite horizon.

So, yesterday, I looked again and saw it again. I went to an on-line star map to see what it could be. The map showed a big blue blob which was labeled Uranus, but I thought you could only see that planet with a telescope (esp. given the amount of light pollution in the NYC area.) Eventually, I saw a second, dark grey blob on their map, which I think was labelled Jupiter. A quick Wiki lookup told me that Jupiter is something like the third- or fourth-brightest object in the sky, almost as bright as Venus or Mars.

So I think I'm seeing Jupiter! It makes me feel like an astronomer, just like those ancient shepherds and Babylonians who identified all those planets and constellations.

The star map showed me that I should also be able to see Mars, Venus, and Saturn in the evening, near the setting sun, but due to all the "tree pollution", I can't see anything below about 30 degrees above the horizon. I was able to find Venus through a tiny gap in the trees, but I couldn't find Mars (even thought it is supposed to be right next to Venus), and Saturn was way too low in the sky. Maybe tonight I'll try walking up to the school, where there's a view to the west over the playing fields and the Tappan Zee.

Obligatory skirt/kilt reference:

While I was on Lake George, I went mostly skirted or kilted, except when I went swimming or boating. When we were at "The Store" buying ice cream, one lady asked if it was OK to ask what was under the kilt. I said she could always ask, but I wouldn't promise she'd get a straight answer. Ah, the joy of kilts --- and the pity that I haven't (yet) got the nerve to be tasteless enough to really enjoy it....[*]

[*] One friend of mine likes to say, "Good taste is timeless, but a good time can be tasteless!" And to live by it.

[Since1982]

Amazing mentalities of some women in the public. It's been probably 2 years since a man asked me why I was wearing a skirt instead of pants, 1 year since a woman has asked that same question but only 2 days since a woman asked me "politely" (If such a question could BE polite)what I was wearing under my skirt, and at least 15 times in the last 2 years I've had women ask me the same question. I always "think" about returning the question with a similar question, ie: "What are you wearing in the the crotch of your pants?" but I consider that such bad taste, I never ask it, just think about asking it.

When I've answered, I always just say, "I'm commando" any other questions?? NO man has ever asked me what was under my skirt, only women ask that question. Most women have no clue what "Commando" means, so the answer I use to that question, "What's commando mean?" is simply "Nothing". Which usually leaves them with a completely blank look on their countenance.

To follow the subject, the last time I looked at the heavens, I was 12, at the Fort Lauderdale High School Observatory using their VERY good telescope. I was completely taken aback by the one and only satellite circling the earth, and spent nearly all my spare time there watching it. That was a wonderful amazing thing to see in 1953. It was a Russian one we referred to as a "Sputnik". That year seems like something on another planet. How things have changed since then.

[Stevie D]

Last week, while I was with my kids at a place on Lake George (northern New York state, USA), I noticed a rather bright star-like object about 10 or 20 degrees west of the (full) moon in the early morning. I figured it couldn't be Venus, since Venus is always more or less near the sun and this was near the opposite horizon.
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So I think I'm seeing Jupiter! It makes me feel like an astronomer, just like those ancient shepherds and Babylonians who identified all those planets and constellations.

Based on the information you've given, what you were seeing was indeed Jupiter. It's quite a bright object at the moment.

[Sylvain]

That was a wonderful amazing thing to see in 1953. It was a Russian one we referred to as a "Sputnik". That year seems like something on another planet. How things have changed since then.

1953 or 1957?

[Uncle Al]

FYI - - - - -

History changed on October 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union successfully
launched Sputnik I. The world's first artificial satellite was about the size
of a beach ball (58 cm.or 22.8 inches in diameter), weighed only 83.6 kg.
or 183.9 pounds, and took about 98 minutes to orbit the Earth on its elliptical
path. That launch ushered in new political, military, technological, and
scientific developments. While the Sputnik launch was a single event,
it marked the start of the space age and the U.S.-U.S.S.R space race.

Information acquired from the NASA website at
http://history.nasa.gov/sputnik/

Uncle Al

[Kirbstone]

I list Astronomy as one of my hobbies, so I'm into this sort of thing.

Just now we have a very large and observable Jupiter in the early evening Eastern sky. Recently we had a 'Star-be-que in the Wicklow hills just South of Dublin, to which all we stargazers went. As it got pretty dark (near-zero light pollution) we were invited to queue up to look down several hefty portable telescopes trained at various objects visible that night.

The view of Jupiter with its wavy horizontal lines, great red spot and about nine moons visible through a 14" reflector left me wanting to swap my 8"-er for one straight away. The real key to making a powerful telescope user-friendly is the mounting. It is essential really to specify a GPS-driven object finder facility, and once found, the mount moves with the Erath's rotation to hold that object centre stage, so to speak, for uninterrupted viewing.

Without this facility one can spend ten minutes carefully lining something up for observation, only to lose it again just as quickly out of the viewfinder due to the Earth's rotation. Vibration in the mount is another problem.

By the way, the Moon, or a small section of it, to be precise, through such an instrument is truly a wonderous object to behold.