Pleiades and Venus in conjunction and a brief look at the moon

[Dr Strange]

Just as dusk was falling I set things up, then as the sun went below the horizon but still was giving off some light started viewing. A really nice sky with light blue melding into dark blue then black with Venus shining bright to the naked eye. 

 

My targets were the Seven Sisters (Pleiades) and the goddess of love, Venus in conjunction. My scope was a 92 Stowaway with a 24 Panoptic mounted on my DM6. 

 

Bloody marvelous! Everything was framed nicely in the field of view with Venus shining bright. About level with Caleano and bracketed by Electra below and to the right, Taygeta above and to the left, with Maia also to the left and above to complete the bracket.  Merope, Alcyone, Atlas, and Pleione were nicely set out in a down and to the left, up and to the left, down again and to the left, then almost straight up and in line with Venus (starting with Merope) fashion. Quite a sight!

 

Got my wife and kid to look too. Not as much of a treat for them but at least they can say they saw it. 

 

Ended with a quick look at the moon. Didn't plan to spend a lot of time on my Harsh Mistress (fans of Robert Heinlein will get this reference) since we have another week of storms blowing in quickly but took the time to look anyway. All my old friends were still there and fun to take a quick peek at. 

[Sunshine]

They are an awesome sight now, enjoy that, i have clouds clouds clouds over here.

[Ciaran Meier]

Nice report there Dr Strange 😀.

Read a bit of Robert Heinlein many years ago.   Literary folk tend to look down on us sci-fi fans but reading good science fiction can lead one to question the "norm".  It causes us to look for another perspective on what we are given ( told ) to believe.  

What are you reading at the moment ?

All the Best and keep safe. 

Ciaran. 

[Stu]

Lovely stuff, glad you got to see it. Nice scope!!

[John]

I've changed the colour of your text - it was black on dark grey for me and practically invisible !

 

[Stu]

9 minutes ago, John said:

I've changed the colour of your text - it was black on dark grey for me and practically invisible !

 

That’s strange, I changed it to plain text earlier but can’t read it on my phone now?

[cletrac1922]

Dr Strange, nice report

Sun has just been setting here also, and sun below the western horizon, reflecting off the clouds above the ranges to the west of me

Not sure where you are, if you are above or below the equator

I am 27 degrees south of the equator

Had both Venus and the moon peaking through the clouds as well

Not sure if you are able  to see The Crux, also known as Southern Cross  down under with Centaurus 

Have Orion and the Seven Sisters overhead currently

When do presentation with my club, primary schools, scout groups, enjoy showing them Omega Centaur

Both Orion and Seven Sisters are very prominent in Australian Indigenous astronomy which goes back over 40,000 years

In women's business, Indigenous astronomy,  Orion is chasing the seven sisters to marry one

He can't, because Orion belongs to the wrong mob

In men's business, Orion is a pack of dingoes, chasing a mob of kangaroos

The belt of Orion, is also know as the canoe

Another interesting fact, with Indigenous population northern Australia

The first time Orion appears above the eastern horizon, just after sunset, it is also the onset of our wet season

I hope my info on Indigenous astronomy, which I love to share, and have many more stories, taught to me by the Elders, when growing up on family farm, rural Victoria, passed down by word of mouth from one generation to the next, has brought a bit of happiness into the world, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic

John

 

  

  

 

[Ciaran Meier]

38 minutes ago, cletrac1922 said:

Sun has just been setting here also, and sun below the western horizon, reflecting off the clouds above the ranges to the west of me

Oh wow, what an introductory paragraph !!

Really nice to hear the myths and beliefs of other cultures.  One World Astronomy right here on SGL. 

 

[Dr Strange]

13 hours ago, Sunshine said:

They are an awesome sight now, enjoy that, i have clouds clouds clouds over here.

Sorry to hear that! Hopefully it clears tonight! We are looking at a series of storms starting today that will give us rain and snow in the mountains (much needed) through Thursday.

[Dr Strange]

11 hours ago, Ciaran Meier said:

Nice report there Dr Strange 😀.

Read a bit of Robert Heinlein many years ago.   Literary folk tend to look down on us sci-fi fans but reading good science fiction can lead one to question the "norm".  It causes us to look for another perspective on what we are given ( told ) to believe.  

What are you reading at the moment ?

All the Best and keep safe. 

Ciaran. 

Big fan of Heinlein! My favorites are Time Enough for Love, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, and Friday. I also enjoyed his other works including Star Ship Troopers (wretched  movie aside). Right now I am reading an Alister Stone novel which is a paranormal magic series. I also am a really big fan of Jim Butcher Harry Dresden series. As to SciFi I just finished a Star Trek TOS book that was a reread as well as a couple Shadowrun Cyberpunk books. I am a voracious reader and enjoy a wide swath of topics that range from Fiction to Fantasy to SciFi. If you haven't tried a Dresden book I highly recommend it.

[Dr Strange]

8 hours ago, John said:

I've changed the colour of your text - it was black on dark grey for me and practically invisible !

 

Thank you John!

[Dr Strange]

8 hours ago, cletrac1922 said:

Dr Strange, nice report

Sun has just been setting here also, and sun below the western horizon, reflecting off the clouds above the ranges to the west of me

Not sure where you are, if you are above or below the equator

I am 27 degrees south of the equator

Had both Venus and the moon peaking through the clouds as well

Not sure if you are able  to see The Crux, also known as Southern Cross  down under with Centaurus 

Have Orion and the Seven Sisters overhead currently

When do presentation with my club, primary schools, scout groups, enjoy showing them Omega Centaur

Both Orion and Seven Sisters are very prominent in Australian Indigenous astronomy which goes back over 40,000 years

In women's business, Indigenous astronomy,  Orion is chasing the seven sisters to marry one

He can't, because Orion belongs to the wrong mob

In men's business, Orion is a pack of dingoes, chasing a mob of kangaroos

The belt of Orion, is also know as the canoe

Another interesting fact, with Indigenous population northern Australia

The first time Orion appears above the eastern horizon, just after sunset, it is also the onset of our wet season

I hope my info on Indigenous astronomy, which I love to share, and have many more stories, taught to me by the Elders, when growing up on family farm, rural Victoria, passed down by word of mouth from one generation to the next, has brought a bit of happiness into the world, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic

John

 

  

  

 

Unfortunately I am at 34 degrees so no luck on the Crux. I want to take a trip down under for observing. Been to Perth, Hobart, and Sydney for work but that was before I got into the hobby. 

 

LOVE the story! I am a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador so I am going to steal it and incorporate it into my talks!  

[Dr Strange]

10 hours ago, Stu said:

Lovely stuff, glad you got to see it. Nice scope!!

Cheers Stu

[cletrac1922]

On 05/04/2020 at 04:04, Dr Strange said:

Unfortunately I am at 34 degrees so no luck on the Crux. I want to take a trip down under for observing. Been to Perth, Hobart, and Sydney for work but that was before I got into the hobby. 

 

LOVE the story! I am a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador so I am going to steal it and incorporate it into my talks!  

Stu

Also google Emu in the Sky

With Australian Indigenous astronomy, they also look at the dark surrounding the stars

I have a contact as well as NASA/JPL had my cubs and joeys, scout movement, also register for Parker Solar Probe, do solar observing when do weekend camps

They have also registered for Perseverance, when launches later next year

Drop me a message, and will give you my personal email address, definitely stay in touch

I am also associated personally with the guys from Gilmore Space, an Australian company doing amazing things with small payload rocketry

https://www.gspacetech.com/

If you ever make it to my part of the world, only too happy to introduce you to the guys at Gilmore Space, give you a tour of our night sky

Attached pic is my Solarmax11

John