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Leonid Meteor Shower Peaks Tonight
2007-11-17 21:02:00
The Leoni d meteor shower will peak tonight at 11pm. This year will provide clear, favorable conditions for viewing the powerhouse Leonid meteor shower show. The moon is only the first quarter phase, and will have long set in the West by the time the constellation Leo, for which the Leonids are named after, climbs high in the sky to provide the best atmospheric viewing conditions.The Leonids are the remains of the Tempel-Tuttle comet. The Earth annually passes through its dusty debris trail, which contains debris as tiny as a grain of sand, and creates an incredible light show for patient observers.Occasionally, we pass through an unusually thick concentration of debris, and in 1999, 2000, and 2001, observers were graced with meteor showers showing more than one thousand objects per hour. The comet had passed through the inner solar system near these times, creating a much higher than expected concentration. The comet has long since vacated our region of the solar system, and these a...
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Five Tips for Great Moon Photography
2007-11-17 18:30:00
Photographing the moon can be a daunting task. There are several tips I can give about photographing the moon.Pick a Clear Night - This is very important. Any haze, clouds, wisps, or fog can ruin a shot. The less atmosphere you shoot through, the better the picture will be.Know Your Phases - Knowing the phase of the moon is crucial for what to expect in the resulting photograph. A full moon gives great pictures of features on the moon's surface, but half moons create shadows on the moon's surface that results in better definition.Know Your Camera Settings - The single most important fact of moon photography is a rudimentary understanding of your f stops, ISO, and shutter speed. The "auto-picture setting" features on most digital cameras will create a bright blur in the sky with absolutely no detail visible. It is possible to take great photos without the need of a tripod with the correct settings. Use a lower ISO setting to reduce noise, a shorter shutter speed to reduce blurring ...
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Planetary Possibilities of the Pleiades
2007-11-17 17:50:00
Planets Forming In Pleiades Star Cluster, Astronomers ReportScienceDaily (2007-11-15) -- Rocky terrestrial planets, perhaps like Earth, Mars or Venus, appear to be forming or to have recently formed around a star in the Pleiades ("seven sisters") star cluster, the result of "monster collisions" of planets or planetary embryos. Astronomers using the Gemini Observatory in Hawaii and the Spitzer Space Telescope report their findings in an upcoming issue of the Astrophysical Journal, the premier journal in astronomy. ... > read full articleScience Daily has released this article (along with a few other astronomy publications) about the planetary possibilities of the Pleiades. This has long been my favorite cluster because of the fantastic view it provides with or without binoculars, the ease of its locations, and the cool blue colors of these young stars. Below is a previously published photograph I took of the Pleaides:

Video: Watch the Kaguya Earthrise!
2007-11-16 18:07:00
Kaguya (Selene), the Japanese lunar orbiter, has sent back this amazing video of an earthrise as seen from the surface of the Moon. Enjoy!
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Deep Sky Blog on Google
2007-11-16 16:35:00
Well, I haven't checked in awhile, but it turns out we are PageRank 2 out of a possible 10. Not bad considering we were N/A for a long time, then we were PageRank 1 for awhile, and now 2. We're growing in popularity and I'd like to thank all the other bloggers who are linking here. Thanks for your support!
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The Amazing Green Flash
2007-11-15 18:56:00
I just found this post over at a blog called The Earth and Weather Space. This is an atmospheric optical phenomena that is quite rare which makes the Sun appear green, and in rare cases, even shoot a green ray into the sky. Check it out: quite a great picture! Wikipedia describes the green flash phenomena as:The reason for a green flash lies in refraction of light (as in a prism) in the atmosphere: light moves more slowly in the lower, denser air than in the thinner air above, so sunlight rays follow paths that curve slightly, in the same direction as thecurvature of the Earth. Higher frequency light (green/blue) curves more than lower frequency light (red/orange), so green/blue rays from the upper limb of the settingsun remain visible after the red rays are obstructed by the curvature of the earth. Green flashes are enhanced by atmospheric inversions, which increase the density gradient in the atmosphere, and therefore increase refraction. A green flash is more likely to be seen in...
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November's Naked Eye Northern Hemisphere Objects
2007-11-15 01:47:00
November has quite a few interesting stars that are visible in the Northern Hemisphere. Check these stars out if you find yourself being new to astronomy and without any "expensive gear":Altair - This is the brightest star in the constellation of Aquila, the eagle. The name Altair literally means "the flying eagle" in Arabic. It is also the apex of the Summer Triangle.Capella - This is the brightest star in the constellation of Auriga. It appears yellowish in color and is a spectroscopic binary. Deneb - This is the brightest star in Cygnus, the swan. This star is one of the most luminous stars known. It is a blue supergiant.Vega - This is the fifth brightest star in the sky and is of the blue-white variety. It is actually the second brightest star in the Northern Hemipshere. It is the brightest star in the constellation Lyra.Algol - This is the brighest star in the constellation Perseus. It means "the ghoul" in Arabic and represented the head of the Gorgon, Medusa. It is actually lo...
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Venus Through The Treeline
2007-11-14 18:30:00
This is a great picture of Venus (yes, Venus, not the moon) through the treeline at about 4:57am EST. Venus is so bright that long exposure photographs, even with my non-DSLR digital camera, makes it appear almost as bright as the moon because of the amount of light collected in the camera's lens. Hope you enjoy this picture as well!

Cepheus
2007-11-14 18:23:00
Constellation Name: CepheusObserved Date: 11/13/07, 8:17pm ESTSky Conditions: ClearCoordinates: (Will be updated)

Ursa Minor
2007-11-14 18:14:00
Constellation Name: Ursa Minor Observed Date: 11/13/07, 8:05pm ESTSky Conditions: ClearCoordinates: (Will be updated)

Mars Phoenix Lander
2007-11-11 23:29:00
My thoughts frequently drift to the Mars Phoenix Lander , which at this moment in time, is hurdling through space at astounding speed to the red planet Mars.The Phoenix will once for all run definitive tests on the orangish-red soils of our less than hospitable neighbor. In honor of my thoughts and wishes for the Phoenix team, I am creating a countdown clock until the day Phoenix lands. Once it lands, who knows what it will find out about the organic (or inorganic) history of Mars' geology.Countdown to Mars Phoenix Lander touchdown!

A Few Projects...
2007-11-11 23:05:00
First of all, let me apologize for my lack of posting recently. I have officially moved to the country, and its been a long, hard work, and I couldn't get off of work. That being said, here's a few things I have in store:For this blog, the next post will be a detailed post about building your own newtonian refractor.I have also created a photo blog only for my astrophotography. Check it out at http://deepskyastrophotography.blogspot.c om.I am creating another blog about eco-friendly living at http://leanergreenerlife.blogspot.com.Thi s blog is not dead, I apologize for the lack of updates and these should pick back up to normal pace shortly.
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Blackberry Gets An Astronomy Lesson
2007-11-03 18:57:00
Starry Night software is now available, and get this, FREE of charge! Simply type this URL into your Blackberry 's browser:http://www.starrynightsupport.com /widgets/blackberry/StarryNight.jadThe download will begin automatically. Enjoy; you now have mobile access to awesome sky maps! Generate real images on-the-fly!This is a huge deal to me because if you're a corporate-type like me, you live on your Blackberry! Finally, something a little less stressful comes from my Blackberry (besides BrickBreaker)!BTW, for all you Apple fans out there, and iPhone version is available too.Enjoy!
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Some More Astrophotos!
2007-11-03 16:07:00
This is a photo of Venus over the treeline on my property. I zoomed in to get a better shot, but if you look at the stars in the picture, you can see them start to trail. If you use a zoom lens on your camera, 30-second exposures are out of the question unless you have some sort of tracking.This is a picture of the open cluster, the Hyades. Notice they form a perfect 'V' with the tip pointing to the upper-righthand corner of the photo. Again, this is a 20-second exposure with NO zoom.
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Cassiopeia
2007-11-03 16:02:00
Constellation Name: CassiopeiaObserved Date: 11/2/07, 12:52am ESTSky Conditions: ClearCoordinates: (Will be updated)

Orion
2007-11-03 15:27:00
Constellation Name: Orion the HunterObserved Date: 11/1/07, 12:34am ESTSky Conditions: ClearCoordinates: (Will be updated)

Constellation Hunter
2007-11-03 15:17:00
I'm going to be starting a new project on this blog. I'm going to be going for the Constellation Hunter certificate through the Astronomical League. The rules for this award are that you:List date and time.List latitude and longitude of observation.List constellation name.List sky conditions and/or transparencyA sketch of all stars that were visible to the unaided eye, out to the limits of the constellation's boundary. Named stars should be identified on the sketch. The sketch should include other objects that are visible within the boundaries of the constellation, including but not limited to: galaxies, open clusters, globular clusters, and nebulas. I'll be photo-logging all my constellations in the Northern Hemipshere. It might not be up right away, but I'll have a links box to all constellations I have located and cataloged.
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Let's Get Our Kids Involved!
2007-11-01 19:53:00
Astronomy is a rewarding, interesting, and ultimately fulfilling hobby. This hobby, as most involved know, is very kid friendly. Here are a few ideas for parents looking to get there kids involved in astronomy:1.) Join an astronomy club. These clubs have meetings and usually some sort of educational presentation. They also have observing sessions at designated spots, and they also may host star parties, which are fun events for guests and other people to enjoy astronomy. Check these out at http://www.astronomyclubs.com/.2.) If you join a club, or if you join the Astronomical League, you can complete observer challenges. These can be as simple as sketching the listed constellations, observing galaxies with binoculars, or even observing obscure nebulae with a 17" telescope.3.) Learn a little and share it. My daughter was nearly excited as me when I showed her 17P/Holmes, and let's face it: if you didn't know what you were seeing, it wasn't that incredibly impressive. Her enthusiasm...
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Build Your Own Astro Cameras!
2007-10-31 21:51:00
For the monetarily-challenged astrophotographers (such as myself), there is a simple alternative. Single-use, disposable cameras can make excellent astronomical cameras; with some modifications of course.The idea behind the whole concept is simple: even though the camera is handicapped with a focal plane of around f/10, the removal of the shutter mechanism allows for long-exposure photography. All the original pictures taken by me on this site are taken at f/2.8, and more often than not are a 30-second exposure. However, for the budget-minded astrophotographer, we are simply replacing the poor focal length with more time to collect light. A 25-minute exposure will generally, under decent conditions, provide a photo yielding about 2.5 more stars than are visible. Not too shabby, especially since disposable camera bodies are free from most photo labs. You also will want to pick up some used film canisters with toothed spindles.Since this technique is so useful, let's go through the s...
More About: Cameras , Build , Astro

Deadly Dance of Two Galaxies
2007-10-31 21:22:00
Yesterday, the Hubble telescope spotted two intertwining galaxies and produced this stunning image:The pair of galaxies are gliding past each other, and literally through each other, and the effects of gravity are evident. Even in the spiral arms, which appear as "fuzz", there are many millions of stars and even though they pass through the galaxy together, stars won't likely collide, though orbits will likely be altered.
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Our First Award: Break Out Blogger Award
2007-10-31 17:16:00
DrowseyMonkey has awarded this site with the Break Out Blogger award. Look for it (and any other) awards we receive at the very bottom of this webpage. Thanks!
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More Astrophotography From Last Night
2007-10-30 23:46:00
Here's a few of my photos from last night's photo session. I mostly did some stuff with the comet, but took a few more snaps. Check em out!
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A Night with the Comet (17P/Holmes)
2007-10-30 18:00:00
Our solar system post for Wednesday is an update on an object about 99.9% of all telescopes pointed upward are looking at: Comet 17P/Holmes .It looks like the comet is still maintaining its current magnitude, and a "fuzziness", often described as nebulous, dust cloud surrounds the yellowish-greenish object. It is east of Mirfak, and nearly as bright, and it is very obviously apparent that it is not a star anymore. In the following photo, the contrast of the yellowish tint of the comet has been increased digitally to give a more accurate picture of what I saw, rather than what the camera saw. I kept the other stars dim to make its location more apparent.Here is an unaltered photograph depicting what you can expect through the naked eye. Comet 17P/Holmes continues to blaze at a very visible 2.8 magnitude and will remain so until it burns its fuel and diminishes in magnitude again. No one knows when the comet will fade, but its very apparent anyone who wants to see 17P/Holmes will have...
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Deep Sky Objects Viewable with Binoculars
2007-10-29 19:59:00
For today's deep space object post we'll be checking out a few deep sky objects that are visible this time of year to the amateur using binoculars! That's right, there are a number of deep sky targets that can be seen, albeit not in the vibrant, colorful flare that the best astrophotos exhibit. Below is a list of must-see objects that the amateur can see even before buying their first scope: Andromeda Galaxy - This vibrant galaxy in the Andromeda constellation is the most well-known galaxy among amateur astronomers. You won't see the full visual prowess of this galaxy, like the dust lanes seen in photos, but you will see the Andromeda Core, the bright center of the galaxy surrounded by some fuzzy nebulosity. Don't expect the full glory of this galaxy and it won't disappoint.Orion Nebula (M42) - The most famous of all nebula and a favorite among amateur astronomers is Messier's 42nd, the Orion Nebula. Simply aim your binoculars at Orion's "sword" (three visible stars perpendi...
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The Last Survivor of a Cosmic Clash
2007-10-27 22:36:00
Hubble telescope's most recent addition to its list of already impressive cosmic phenomena is disocvery of a quasar, MC2 1635+11.9, surrounded by the "shells" of stars. It resides in the MC2 1635+119, the host galaxy.Researchers are suggesting that these star remnants are the casualties of a cosmic collision between two galaxies. This supports current views that many quasars are formed between galactic collisions.Quasars are some of the brightest objects in the universe and exist in the centers of galaxies and are fueled by blackholes.
More About: Survivor , Clash , The Last , Cosmic

Harmony Node Installed
2007-10-27 20:07:00
The Harmony node is officially installed in the International Space Station.Wearing protective gear in case any equipment or hardware was jarred loose during the rocket flight, astronauts opened the door and went inside Harmony for the first time. Equipment was secured using more than 700 bolts; each of which will have to be removed by astronauts.Harmony is about the size of a school bus and is the first living space increase in the space station since 2001. Harmony will serve as a connecting point for European and Japanese modules.It certainly is a great day for space advancement. The spirit of spce exploration combined with a spirit of international cooperation is crucial if we ever want to make our home the entire solar system and not just Earth.You can view the opening of the new hatch at CNN.com.

Supernova Remnant: G292.0+1.8
2007-10-27 18:47:00
The Chandra X-Ray telescope has created a new, beautifully colorful composite image from the G292.0+1.8 nebula in Centaurus. This is considered a "textbook example" of the image, but the different colors, which represent different elements such as hydrogen or neon, teach us many things about the nature of supernovae. More information available at Chandra's Official Site.
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Planetary Astrophotography: The Web Cam Trick
2007-10-26 21:32:00
Of all the expensive CCD and DSLR cameras available for astrophotography, a surprisingly cheap alternative exists for planetary photography that many video bloggers actually might already have: the web cam.The premise is simple: a web cam essentially takes many camera shots, stitches them together, and then creates a video. Anyone interested in astrophotography knows that the sharpest, most colorful, most detailed images come from stacking multiple exposures on top of each other. If we take that same principle and reverse it by dissecting the video created by a webcam, we essentially have many multiple exposures in a relatively short amount of time. This works well on planets because we don't need very long exposures to extract tons of light because we'd just have a big blur if your telescope already has the planet in sight.Connecting the webcam to the telescope is the most beautiful part: you don't need any special parts, just point the webcam down the eyepiece of your telescope...
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Mega Outburst in Comet 17/Holmes
2007-10-25 19:37:00
The magnitude 17 comet, Holmes , has experienced a tremendous boost in brightness. It jumped almost instantly from magnitude 17 to magnitude 3, an increase of about one million times brighter! This makes a near-impossible comet to observe a naked-eye object in Perseus. Slew eastward from Alpha Perseii and you will run across it.There is a distinct yellowish color to the comet. It is expected to stay bright for at least a week, at which time is will decrease in magnitude slowly until it is invisible, and ultimately, back to its original magnitude of 17. New reports are putting the comet at a magnitude 2.8, which is brighter than its original magnitude when it was first discovered during an outburst in 1892. This photo was taken by platarko on the Cloudy Night Forums.
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The Overview Effect on Observers
2007-10-25 02:35:00
"The O verview Effect " is described as a feeling of oneness, unification, and connection with the Earth as one single living organism. This effect occurs when astronauts are in space observing the Earth from the outside in.Their is debate upon the legitimacy of this effect; however, some have gone so far as to say that it's inherent in our genes: being in space is part of our evolution. Five billion years of life and in the last forty five years, life finally made it back where it was "truly" born: space, the origin of all life.So physicists actually hypothesize that the overview effect is a natural effect of quantum physics (that devilish little subject even the Ph.D's don't fully understand) on the human body. Will all these hypotheses flying around, one question still hasn't been answered definitively and I do not know if it will anytime soon: is the overview effect physiologically real, or psychologically real or both? I personally believe space is simply a part of evolution:...
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