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Post by NoSoapRadio on Jul 10, 2020 11:44:31 GMT -5
Have you been able to get a look at Comet NEOWISE (C/2020 F3)?
I don't have a clear view of the horizon in that direction so I've been getting up before dawn the past week or so and going down to the beach which faces northeast, with a pair of bins and my small telescope to see what I can see. Today, like most mornings lately, was socked in with fog. Two mornings have had big patches of clear sky, but both times there was a cloud bank offshore that obscured the view. So far I've been skunked.
Anyone having better luck?
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Post by Auf Kiltre on Jul 10, 2020 12:02:32 GMT -5
"should be visible an hour before sunrise"
I'm out.
Sincerely,
Mr. Night Owl
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Post by Mfitz804 on Jul 10, 2020 13:41:53 GMT -5
Insert "clear view of Uranus" joke here.
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Post by De ville on Jul 10, 2020 14:42:05 GMT -5
Thanks for the heads up! I'll have to see if I can photograph this. Sounds like it will be visible in the west after sunset, and rising higher in the sky each night.
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Post by NoSoapRadio on Jul 10, 2020 14:46:44 GMT -5
Sounds like it will be visible in the west after sunset, and rising higher in the sky each night. Yep -- probably a couple more days to get away from the sun. |
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Post by modbus on Jul 10, 2020 15:18:15 GMT -5
If the past 15 years have taught me anything about astronomy, it's that:
1. If something is visible from the northern hemisphere, it'll be a dud.
2. If it's not a dud, it'll be cloudy
I don't even try any more.
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Post by De ville on Jul 10, 2020 15:41:27 GMT -5
You can't win them all, but you can win some.
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Post by Mikeyguitar on Jul 10, 2020 17:46:02 GMT -5
If the past 15 years have taught me anything about astronomy, it's that: 1. If something is visible from the northern hemisphere, it'll be a dud. 2. If it's not a dud, it'll be cloudy I don't even try any more.
Haha! Yep, seemingly year after year I text my friend in AZ regarding the Perseid meteor shower..."clouds"..."burly full moon"..."rain"..."didn't see anything - pretty lame for a big meteor shower"...and so on.  |
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Post by stratcowboy on Jul 11, 2020 9:53:13 GMT -5
I do quite well regularly with watching the night sky for meteors--any time of year. We have big-time dark skies here, with the lack of extraneous light and high altitude. I partake regularly (our bathroom is outdoors, so it's kind of a given that you're going to check out the sky on the way to the can). However, when it comes to special astronomical events, we often get skunked 'cause of the surrounding mountains; not much in the way of distant "horizon" around here. But the scenery's great!
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Post by RufusTeleStrat on Jul 11, 2020 16:48:06 GMT -5
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Post by De ville on Jul 11, 2020 17:39:30 GMT -5
Missed it by "that much". Had perfect weather yesterday, now it overcast. I might have a window Monday, and Tuesday.
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Post by RufusTeleStrat on Jul 11, 2020 20:52:47 GMT -5
@de ville
The evening is the option now.
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Post by De ville on Jul 11, 2020 21:13:10 GMT -5
Yep, I live on the west coast. I'm probably going back to this spot to photograph it should it work out.
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Post by Ragtop on Jul 21, 2020 6:22:45 GMT -5
I read that the best way to find it is to find the Big Dipper right after sundown, and the comet will be just below it.
Checked it out last night, and there it was! Very cool!
The trick is to let your eyes adjust for 15 minutes or so. It will appear as a white smudge, and then it sharpens up as your eyes adjust.
(stratcowboy, it was visible to me above Mt. Columbia, a 14er, so I bet you'll be able to see it.)
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Post by stratcowboy on Jul 21, 2020 8:04:33 GMT -5
(stratcowboy, it was visible to me above Mt. Columbia, a 14er, so I bet you'll be able to see it.) Right you are Ragtop! Last night I was heading out to the bathroom (we live in a one-room cabin, so the bathroom is outdoors--I watch the stars every night), and I looked at the Big Dipper. Down below the lower corner star of the Dipper there it was. Using the binoculars, it looked really cool. Easy to spot even with the naked eye...I never expected it to be visible with all the peaks around. But it is actually well above horizon line--quite high in the sky. I believe the 23rd is supposed to be its closest visibility. Cool stuff! |
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Post by Ragtop on Jul 21, 2020 8:43:37 GMT -5
And there are, I believe, five bright planets visible in the late evening sky right now.
Will have to look into that further. Lots going on in the night sky right now.
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Post by gato on Jul 21, 2020 9:23:15 GMT -5
The Neowise Comet will be back in 6,800 years, so I can always catch it next time.
Assuming my distant relatives will connect with Alcor to get me thawed out.
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Post by NoSoapRadio on Jul 21, 2020 12:47:23 GMT -5
^^ Just send them a link to this thread so they can find it for themselves.
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Post by modbus on Jul 26, 2020 20:59:00 GMT -5
I think I saw it tonight - a very faint fuzzy smudge between Coma Berenices and the Big Dipper. It was definitely passed it's prime, but still pretty cool.
They said it was fading fast, and they was right. I wish I could have seen it earlier, but it's been so hazy in the last couple of weeks.
Hopefully within the next 20 or 30 years there will be another comet visible in the northern hemisphere.
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Post by stratcowboy on Jul 26, 2020 21:55:47 GMT -5
Yeah...it's been hard to see around here; pretty much cloudy most days/nights the last 10 days or so (we needed the rain, so it's OK). But back last Monday night we had a super clear night. It was super easy to see, and it was very distinct. Really cool through the binoculars. Seen it a couple of other times briefly between the clouds, but it was more of a smudge because of the interference.
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Post by De ville on Jul 27, 2020 3:47:20 GMT -5
I just got back from photographing it. It's 1:30 am. I took photos for 4 hours. I have not yet downloaded the photos off the memory cards, or done any Lightroom adjustments, but photos will be forthcoming. I have shots from 28mm up to 750mm.
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Post by LTB on Jul 27, 2020 4:16:08 GMT -5
When I was young and growing up in 1960's Arlington Texas night skies were beautiful and the Milky Way could be seen. Now however lights are too great especially near DFW Airport where I now live. We are luck if we see 1 or 2 stars and those are really planets. Used to have a telescope but once it became useless I sold it.
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Post by De ville on Jul 27, 2020 12:11:48 GMT -5
Yep, it's to bad the light has that affect. There are places you can go. Even in Texas, but it usually requires some driving to a remote location. Here's a dark sky map link. You can move over to Texas, zoom in, and then use the overlay slider to see where you are.
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Post by Leftee on Jul 27, 2020 12:13:54 GMT -5
Insert "clear view of Uranus" joke here. We don’t be inserting anything there. |
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Post by Mfitz804 on Jul 27, 2020 13:35:57 GMT -5
Insert "clear view of Uranus" joke here. We don’t be inserting anything there. We save that for the colonoscopy threads. |
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Post by De ville on Jul 28, 2020 21:32:12 GMT -5
I captured the Comet. More photos in the Photography Thread.
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Post by Ragtop on Jul 29, 2020 6:49:54 GMT -5
Social media is going crazy this morning about a meteor that broke up over our valley last night about 8:45. Reports say it looked like a big plane on fire that broke up into 100 pieces before hitting the ground. A few people report that it went right over their houses.
It will be interesting to hear further reports today. I wonder if any of it will be found?
(Central Colorado, btw.)
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Post by modbus on Jul 29, 2020 7:39:14 GMT -5
I captured the Comet. More photos in the Photography Thread.
That's a great picture!
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Post by De ville on Jul 29, 2020 9:47:25 GMT -5
Social media is going crazy this morning about a meteor that broke up over our valley last night about 8:45. Reports say it looked like a big plane on fire that broke up into 100 pieces before hitting the ground. A few people report that it went right over their houses. It will be interesting to hear further reports today. I wonder if any of it will be found? (Central Colorado, btw.) Hopefully someone's security cameras caught some action. I saw a piece of space junk fall out of orbit once. It looked like a big blue green streak across the sky as it burn up. It just lasted a second, but it was something to see. It was like a meteor, x1000 with colors. Thank you! There are closer up photos in the photography thread, and I also caught the ISS flying by. |
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