The Wheel Goes Around

Sunday, February 02, 2014

January Stargazing

January has been a very nice month for weather and stargazing.

Did not rain until the very last night of the month and very warm days in the 70's mostly.

For example,

on 1/30/2014 5:10am-6:10am 47deg F.
15" Obsession with 14mmES100 @ 140X 44'fov.

Viewed M81,M82

SN2014J in M82 , same mag as nearest star
SN2014G in NGC3448 - very dim

M13 with adjacent galaxy NGC6207

Ring Nebula

M92 in Hercules

Two comets:

C/2013 R1 Lovejoy
C/2012 X1 Linear
both about same magnitude, could not see in finder used chart to locate.
Lovejoy is getting much dimmer as it moves away.

NGC6572 - the Blue Racquetball - might be my first for this object was near Lovejoy

M101
M51 (NGC5194&5195) - was hazy with clouds.

the red planet Mars was hazy in the clouds and shaky

Saturn - very nice as the rings are opening up.

M4 in Scorpio

Clouds came moving in and Venus rose brightly in the East over the mountains.

One hour early stargazing:
2 Comets
2 Supernova
3 Planets
2 Nebula
3 Globular Clusters
7 Galaxies

and then Coyotes and sunspots 1967 renamed from 1944 prior revolution.

You can check out the super nova here:
http://www.rochesterastronomy.org/supernova.html

and the comets here:
http://cometchasing.skyhound.com/

Monday, January 27, 2014

Leon Russell and Hot Tuna and Supernova 2014J

Got to see a wonderful show at the Rialto.

Hot Tuna

and nonstop Leon Russell

and later a supernova

that night in my 80ED with averted vision at 600/8 = 75X magnification.

Then the next night at 217X using 9mm in 15" Obsession. WOW!!

Light Curve from AAVSO

Friday, January 03, 2014

Sunspot AR 1944 - It's a Big One !

Occultation of Beta Capricorni by Moon January 2, 2014

Took a video of Beta Capricorni coming out from the behind the Moon on the ridge.


Bird waiting in tree near Dog Walk

Moon and Venus

Earthshine

Gemini and Jupiter

Psycho Jupiter

Orion's Sword

Pleiades

Orion

Sunset half mile north of Tucson

Venus

Beta Capricorni three minutes after Occultation

Capture from video of first sight of Beta Capricorni emerging from behind the Moon

Thursday, January 02, 2014

New Moon January 1, 2014 6:20pm 13:48 hours NEW!!

Jan and I went to top of the ridge and saw the NEW MOON at 5:54pm! This was 13:40 hours new.

Picture taken at 6:02pm and found it in the photo.

Also took photo of Venus Crescent, it was much smaller than this shows due to exposure, diffraction, light stuff.

Also got picture of Kitt Peak telescopes. These ARE your purple mountain majesties!

Back in April 22, 2009 took my first amateur photo of Moon and Venus just prior to occultation.

Got Christmas card from Ursulign Knowles, she was my next door neighbor and she sent picture of Green Flash which Jan and I saw many of from our picture window:

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Jan and I on Christmas Day

Christmas 2013

Tuesday, November 05, 2013

Double Rainbow Full On

Unexpected Rain, then,

Friday, November 01, 2013

Comet C/2012 X1 Linear

October 28 Very nice Sunset

November 1


New Moon in Old Moon's Arms

Beautiful Moon caught rising just over mountains at 5:15 in front yard. Above photo was taken later after it had risen quite a bit.

Used 12x50 binoculars on photo tripod and found new Comet C/2012 X1 Linear. This comet had an unexpected brightening recently and was easy to spot this morning in binoculars above roof of house across street.

Prior to that, between 4 and 5 viewed Orion nebula, Mars, and Comet Lovejoy. It was about 47 degrees Fahrenheit coldest day this fall.

EDIT: Found out it was M3 NOT!!! c/2012 x1 linear. Looked again the next morning and clearly identified the star field which a few degrees to the right of M3. C'est la vie!

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Observing Session NGC 2261 Hubbles Variable Nebula and C/2013 R1 LOVEJOY

Had a great night observing.

Found another comet C/2013 R1 LOVEJOY.

Comet was easily visible in 12x50 binoculars and scope, could not see tail.

Also found NCG 2261 , Hubble's Variable Nebula. At first confused it with comet, then cone nebula but it is NGC 2261 and is very bright.

Here are my notes:

Will check for Cone next time!

Friday, October 25, 2013

In Cosmology, the third and fourth dimensions are equivalent.

The first two are polar coordinates. The third is distance from the origin and also elapsed time.

Local time is so small comparatively, it can be ignored.

However, local time is our most important fact, and gives us both a warning and a clue.

The failure to identify the equivalence of the 3rd and 4th gives rise to much of the confusion in cosmology.

The warning and clue are to the existence of a separate reality.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Finally get a clear explanation of the theory

Finished Einstein's "Relativity The Special and The General Theory - A Clear Explanation That Anyone Can Understand"

The last pages Appendix V which were added in 1952 explain his further thoughts.

In the note to the Fifteenth Edition:

" I wished to show that space-time is not necessarily something to which one can ascribe a separate existence, independently of the actual objects of physical reality. Physical objects are not in space, but these objects are spatially extended. In this way the concept "empty space" loses its meaning.

June 9th, 1952 A. Einstein

The appendix discusses Descartes view on whether space and exist without matter.

Tuesday, September 03, 2013

Sept 2 7pm HASP Balloon from New Mexico

We were walking the dog on the golf course and I remarked to Jan that Venus was very bright tonight, more so than I recall seeing it.

We continued walking and as we neared home I noticed that Venus was in the wrong place! I found the real Venus, which was more to the South. This was about 15 degrees west of North and about 15 degrees elevation.

I reached home and got out binocs and noticed it was an UFO!!!!!

I got the 80ED scope with 8-24mm zoom eyepiece and took some photos at 75x magnification.

Here it is:

http://laspace.lsu.edu/hasp/Flightinfo-2013.php?py=2013

Aug 24, 2013 Mirror Lab Tour by Dean Ketelsen

We were so fortunate to be invited to a tour of the Tucson Mirror Lab where they were cooling and rotating the 8.4m third mirror for the Giant Magellan Telescope in Chile.

Dean Ketelsen graciously provided a wonderful tour.