*** The Official Astronomy & Universe Thread ***

[Cosimo]

Go get it:

http://eyes.nasa.gov/download.html

 

[Cosimo]

 

[Cosimo]

Just a small telescope....

Gaia is scheduled for launch on December 20th.

 

[Cosimo]

 

[Rannoch]

Clear skies here tonight so I'm going for The Horsehead Nebula. I generally find if the Flame Nebula is visible you can see it.

 

[NeilF]

Clear skies here tonight so I'm going for The Horsehead Nebula. I generally find if the Flame Nebula is visible you can see it.

Using?

Going to bed last night I happened to peak out of the window and noticed how beautifully clear it was then.

 

[Rannoch]

A 22" dobsonian with Argo Navis and Servocat. H-beta filter is a must also.

 

[NeilF]

A 22" dobsonian with Argo Navis and Servocat. H-beta filter is a must also.

WOW!

 

[Tibbz2]

A 22" dobsonian with Argo Navis and Servocat. H-beta filter is a must also.

Well jel

 

[Cosimo]

 

[Cosimo]

 

[benjii]

Here's my 12 inch dobsonian. I've not had a chance to use it since last winter unfortunately, however, I hope to get back up onto Dartmoor this winter.

Tell you what though, you cannot be wearing enough clothing to be on Dartmoor, at night, in the winter.

 

[NeilF]

^^ How painful is it to get to that eyepiece at times?

 

[benjii]

^^ How painful is it to get to that eyepiece at times?

I have one of those folding stools. If you're looking at the horizon you can sit down, but if you're looking up, you just have to bend forward a bit. It's not as bad as it looks (as long as you don't have a bad back).

 

[Cosimo]

 

[xxalxx]

I would recommend a Telrad finder or something similar for a dob, the straight through finder is back breaking work when trying to find things high in the sky

Cheers Tibbz2 looks a lot more useful than what came attached.

 

[Cosimo]

 

[benjii]

Cheers Tibbz2 looks a lot more useful than what came attached.

Definitely get a telrad. The 9x50 finderscope on my dob (pic posted above) can definitely be a pain in the ass to use. Apart from the back ache, it can sometimes be harder to find things due its magnification. I know it should be aligned, but as soon as it gets cold and the metal restricts, it shifts position. The car journey doesn't help either.

 

[Cosimo]

Billions of years ago when the Red Planet was young, it appears to have had a thick atmosphere that was warm enough to support oceans of liquid water - a critical ingredient for life. The animation shows how the surface of Mars might have appeared during this ancient clement period, beginning with a flyover of a Martian lake. The artist's concept is based on evidence that Mars was once very different. Rapidly moving clouds suggest the passage of time, and the shift from a warm and wet to a cold and dry climate is shown as the animation progresses. The lakes dry up, while the atmosphere gradually transitions from Earthlike blue skies to the dusty pink and tan hues seen on Mars today.

 

[Cosimo]