Saturday, October 1st, 2011

A VEST? It was so cold that I reached for my winter coat and hat! Staying pretty much immobile in 2 ºC / 35.6 ºF with 70 km winds can become uncomfortable with time but the skies called out to me. Our geographical area goes through a second freshet in the autumn months. This means cloud cover for two months straight as the rains come in so right now, I don't want to let any chances pass me by! There was also the little matter of Vesta,...

Throughout September and into October, this large asteroid is seen near the southern border of Capricornus. My astronomy magazines and my Stellarium program have been hinting at it's location for sometime now. With astronomy, there's always an allure for the first time. If I could catch Vesta, it would be my first asteroid.

My firsts?

I jumped up and down upon seeing my first planet ----> Venus

I danced around my telescope the first time I found Saturn.

I called all my friends when Jupiter made it's first appearance in my eyepiece.

I patted myself on the back for finding Uranus and Mercury.

I nearly cried when seeing my first nebula in the constellation Orion.

I simply stared in wonder the first time I saw northern lights.

I was mesmerized upon seeing my first star cluster.

I laughed and nearly hugged my telescope upon seeing my first galaxy. (Andromeda)

The green comet Lulin was my first dusty ice spectacle (comet).

Now,,... I want Vesta to be my first asteroid.

I think that I was indeed successful last night since I did encounter something looking at the stars in Capricornus. The problem is that an asteroid looks pretty much like a star and therefore difficult to decipher it from other surrounding heavenly bodies. One did stand out to me. It's not that it was bigger but,... it's light seemed more stable to me and after sometime, I started seeing a hint (make that a very small hint) of colour. I have to say however that after peering at the same object after some time through an eyepiece, sometimes what you see becomes what you want to see.

Before heading back in I gave my telescope a whirl and "popped over" the Andromeda galaxy and the planet Jupiter. It's not that I had never seen them before but the thing about being out here,... many times, it feels like the first time all over again!

The skies are clear so far. At 8:00pm, if the weather cooperates,.. I'm heading out again. I need to know if I have indeed become acquainted with this asteroid, the same heavenly body that is currently orbited by the Dawn spacecraft.

How cool is that?