Jump to content

SkySurveyBanner.jpg.21855908fce40597655603b6c9af720d.jpg

stolenfeather

Members
  • Posts

    1,822
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by stolenfeather

  1. Sounds like you had a very productive night! Isabelle
  2. I have been reading that the Rosette Nebula is indeed hard to find. It calls for some extremely dark skies. I'm happy that your weather is cooperating and that you are getting lovely views. Tonight, the mercury is reaching -38. I have decided to remain indoors since frostbite is not my friend. Once again, thank you for your ongoing encouragement George. Isabelle
  3. February 24th, 2012 The mercury boasted a temperature of -21. Since the wind was inactive, this created comfortable viewing conditions outside. I wanted to post many of my own pictures with this entry but my chosen photographic subjects were not very cooperative except for the first two seen on the bottom left. Early in the evening, around 6:30 pm, a small crescent moon seemed to dance in the advancing darkness while Venus and Jupiter praised our natural satellite with their brilliancy. The night surely promised to be interesting! The "moon shadow" can be seen in this picture giving a new significance to the term "Dark Side of the Moon". Yeah, yeah,.. I know, "There is no dark side of the moon. As a matter of fact, it's all dark" Pink Floyd Venus on the other hand did not show any hint of a shadow and it's light beams seemed to stretch beyond what I could see in my eyepiece. With these two pictures I went back indoors to cook and eat my supper since it was past 7:00pm. I made scallops, balsamic rice and asparagus. I washed this culinary delight down with a small glass of Sauvignon Blanc (Bordeaux). For dessert I made myself a small apple turnover and Espresso. Dessert is supposed to be the last delight of the evening. It my case, it had just begun! I had noticed for some time now an interesting object in the constellation Monoceros on my Stellarium program. The catalogue indicated a cluster of bright stars engulfed in a reddish haze named the Rosette Nebula or NGC 2244. Further research unraveled this majestic image: A favourite object for many astro-photographers, and backyard astronomers, it was about time the nebula and I became better acquainted. I was not looking to be completely mesmerized sinceI know far too well that pictures seen above cannot be seen in a telescope but only through a camera with long exposure capacities. Needless to say that the human eye is therefore incapable of such a feat but I would see something right? A blur, a small distortion in the darkness? Alternating between my telescope at low power and my birdwatching binoculars, I made out something of a haze (maybe more out of wishful thinking) and some bright stars. Further reading highlighted the importance of extremely dark skies and pristine viewing conditions. I had neither. Disappointed? Come now, knowing exactly where these super hot stars delivering extreme amounts of radiation can be found in the night sky is enough to give me chills! The constellation Gemini is one easily recognized and holds many treasures of its own. I therefore set my gaze towards M35 (NGC 2168). A hop, skip and a jump away from Propus, my eyes fell on this open cluster that takes up an area in the sky as big as our full moon. Rather faint, this 1billion year young cluster still packs enough punch to capture ones imagination. During all this time, Mars seemed to look over my shoulder probably wondering why it was being ignored. I just knew it wouldn't show me any detail but since our little red neighbour had made its way far from the horizon, I couldn't evade it any longer. This time, since there was little atmospheric disturbances, Mars gave me hints of black patches and not the usual red ball I had grown accustomed to! I attempted to take a picture to capture the glory I had just witnessed but the details were not distinct enough for my camera. Three planets and two deep sky objects were seen on this night but although my eyelids were protesting for some much needed sleep, I resisted packing up my equipment knowing full well That Saturn was out as well. I was being greedy. Saturn could be seen but was extremely low in the horizon at this time. I simply had to wait till the end of March and the view it will grant me would deliver much more detail than it could now. I shivered, looked in the direction of our ringed planet and gave a salute. Till next time sir Roman God of agriculture and justice! Isabelle Click on individual targets for image sources: - M35 - Gemini Constellation - NGC 2244 (Rosette Nebula) Isabelle
  4. Great image. We can actually see the "moon shadow" and the brilliancy of Venus! Tonight the two should be even closer. Are you going to give it another try? I was thinking of doing this myself but the clouds have rolled in. :( Isabelle
  5. stolenfeather

    Summer Treats

    Amazing, simply amazing picture! Isabelle
  6. Venus is the first planet I ever took a picture of upon receiving my scope 3 years ago. I was elated since I had no idea that I could take a picture like that! Thank you for your encouragement and I hope you get clear skies soon! Isabelle
  7. Sorry, I could never see it since my Internet provider has been slow of late. I will try again later. Isabelle
  8. Wednesday, February 15th, 2012 Many purchase telescopes and once that the moon has been spotted or a couple of chance views of planets, the excitement wanes, the equipment is soon forgotten and collects dust somewhere in the backrooms. We all want to see the planets don't we? I admit to jumping up and down upon seeing Saturn through my eyepiece and I also confess doing a "dance of joy" upon seeing Jupiter the first time but that's not where my interest lies. I always want to look farther than my own backyard, my own solar system that is! My passion lies in deep space objects such as the one I discovered on this night. I had little time since school related responsibilities kept me glued to my computer for most of the week and this night was no different. Well, yes it was. The night was warmer than usual boasting a very comfortable -6 degrees and the sky conditions looked good. I worried at first about the presence of humidity and wondered about condensation issues with the scope but they turned out minimal in the end. Since I didn't have much time, I decided to channel my efforts into finding a new Messier object. Usually, I have little trouble finding Charles' little fuzzy collection of wonders but this winter is a little different because of the construction project down the road. Since this major building is very costly to the community, the baseball flood lights remain lit for the whole night. The light pollution is immense making most of the more remote stars disappear into the light. I used Sirius in the constellation Canis Major and Procyon in Canis Minor to star hop towards the majestic open cluster of M47 ( NGC 2422) that you see to your left. This was no easy feat since these two locations aren't too close to each other but created a very neat "L" to my desired location. There are times that I wish my mount was more of an equatorial one since I would be able to discover the stars with the help of celestial coordinates but then again,.... I do believe in a challenge! After a couple of tries, the Messier object came into view! M47 is an open cluster which boasts an age of 78 million years. It is not as spellbinding as globular clusters since it does not have many stars but really distinguishes itself from other deep space (Messier) objects because of the brightness of some of its members. Of course the image found at the top is not my picture since my camera and telescope can't handle this attention to detail. After making my notes, I swerved the telescope to face our red neighbour Mars. I have to say that I admire this planet more when seen with the naked eye since its ruby like texture disappears with magnification to a dull red. Jupiter was also out but was not very cooperative with my camera. Venus, however, out for a stroll at the beginning of the evening was more than willing to show its wonders to all who wanted to see: You can clearly see the phase in the picture at the top and the reason why it is so bright at this time of the month. Although the sky conditions were pristine, I was unable to stay much longer since I had 6 classes to tend the following day at school. The weekend is upon us but this will not be very helpful when it comes to me escaping outside since thick clouds are expected to be visiting for the whole weekend! Although this night offered me little time for serious stargazing and was pretty much over in 30 minutes (done sparsely as I tended to my teaching duties) I consider 3 planets and one deep sky object nothing to scoff at! Now I wait once more for clear skies,... Isabelle
  9. I'm sorry that your health has taken a downward turn with this flare up of arthritis. I hope you can take advantage of the clear skies once again soon. Isabelle
  10. Seeing colour (if you see it) is the best one can do with Uranus. Like locating an asteroid,.. it's simply the fun of the "chase". Isabelle
  11. An orange tear drop with a white top,... I would pay good money to see that! once again, I shall be patient! Isabelle
  12. It's all a question of "good seeing" isn't it? I was unable to go that night due to clouds. I'm sorry that you couldn't see Uranus but I have to say that even with high magnification,.. it is unimpressive. I found it and it was nice to know that I had "captured" it. It is quite difficult but don't give up! Isabelle
  13. and then there are nights you look at exactly the same thing you have seen a zillion times and there is a slight difference. Call it an atmospheric jolt of good seeing bu it happens. Like you, I do come inside utterly frustrated of not finding "that one thing" but,... I always return. Isabelle
  14. Yeah,.. I have yet to be amazed but many have said that they had a more positive experience so I wait,... Isabelle
  15. I really need to find myself an adapter for my camera Neil. I'm sure it would make all of the difference. I wish you clear skies! Isabelle
  16. I'm hoping to have an experience like yours Pat,.. anything but an orange/reddish ball! Oh to see the ice cap or SOMETHING,.. Anything! I shall be patient! Thank you for your encouragement! Isabelle
  17. I have yet to capture any worthwhile close views of the moon. You have a wonderful capture here! Isabelle
  18. February 3rd, 2012 There are certain people that fill us with resentment and make us shrink into a world where battery acid pulses through our veins. Of course, one understands that such a negative power is controlled entirely by you. Although you are the only one that can stop the unbelievable crippling sensation, sometimes it seems much easier to do nothing and let it fester. Yeah, one therefore creates their own suffering. "It comes from others!" you scream! "I wouldn't be like this if she/he would be more understanding and less cruel!" That maybe true but resentment is a feeling you create and is simply a matter of perspective right? This astronomy journal is undeniable proof that resentment lies only in the eyes of the individual that nurtures it. You see, I hold a grudge against Mars. This feeling developed slowly throughout my stargazing experiences. One by one, I "captured" different planets in my eyepiece and each one filled me with awe! First there was Venus which was quickly followed by Saturn and then the majestic Jupiter. Seeing Mercury and Uranus were also a mesmerizing experiences since both were more elusive (one so close to the sun and the other farther away). Then there was Mars,.. Mars has yet to fill me with any excitement. After reading so much on the planet, I expected so much more from what my eyepiece shared with me the first time. All I saw was a red blur! Unfortunately, nothing has changed since that first encounter. It's not the telescope or my stargazing prowess that's at fault but circumstances beyond anyone's control. Time (I had professional restraints which kept me bound to my computer), an orbit that doesn't coincide with my viewing pleasure, bad collimation because of a lack of adequate tools, clouds, being too close to the horizon and,... more clouds. Last night I told myself that nothing would stop me! I set up eagerly, making a serious attempt to forgive the misdeeds of yesterday. "My efforts will be in vain." I told myself as I set up and checked the status of my weather station module. The humidity was at 86% while the mercury boasted -26. Once outside, this translated to extreme condensation. I thought that maybe I could see "just enough",.. No. Once again, it was a big blurry mess and absolutely no detail could be seen. I would have settled for so little yet, my efforts were ignored once more. My failure has nothing to do with the red planet. However, being foiled for so long by a heavenly body bright red, an arrogance bordering on snotty so easily seen with the unaided eye deeply insults my proud Dobsonian and I. Isabelle
  19. I will try again at high power then. It can't elude me forever! Isabelle
  20. I have yet to see the crab nebula. I was told that it is quite elusive to see! Thanks James! The cloud cover receded last night but with the humidity and cold,... it was condensation fever out there! Isabelle
  21. Catching Mars with any detail has been virtually impossible for me even without the camera. I have yet to distinguish the ice caps! It's rather frustrating! Isabelle
  22. That is one amazing panaroma! Isabelle
  23. I was told I couldn't take a picture of the Orion Nebula with my small point and shoot so I can understand your emotion for capturing this! Very nice! Sorry for being quiet by the way. I was away from my telescope for some time and coming on this site just hurt! Seeing all that I was missing,... Isabelle
  24. January 16th, 2012 It has been nearly 2 months since I last gazed at the stars. As each night filled with clouds passed, a small part of me ached and succumbed to darkness. December sneaked by without revealing any sky splendours yet I rejoiced about being reunited with loved ones. My return to the north was one filled with many teaching responsibilities making stargazing difficult. That January night, the skies seemed to come out and embrace me as I brought out my telescope to acclimate to the cold. Since this felt more like a reunion than mere exploration, I decided to gaze at sights I knew well but stirred strong emotions from the past. The first was Venus, the first planet I found and observed with my telescope a long time ago. Looking at this planet like it's first observers from earth did in antiquity, I marveled at its beauty. I resisted thinking about its hostile surface and tried to imagine exactly how early astronomers saw this planet. Aphrodite, Goddess of love and beauty,.. With time we now recognize it as something totally different. Mind you, does that translate to our view of love and beauty today? Can danger be beautiful? Is love, a state of mind and emotion, devoid of danger? Tell me now,.. Does this look dangerous to you? With an atmospheric pressure 92 times more prevalent than earth's, an atmosphere consisting mainly of carbon dioxide and clouds of sulfuric acid,.. you should. Then again, we say that a sunset is beautiful as well but I wouldn't go strolling around on it's surface either. Love? We all know the perils yet we still venture forward. So Venus,... shine bright, your title is well deserving! Jupiter was also shining brightly but was quite camera shy so I tried my luck with something that pushed the limits of my small point-and-shoot technology. It was with this picture of the Orion Nebula that I packed up my equipment and returned to the warmth of my living room. It just doesn't get any better than this: Isabelle
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.