A Beautiful Sunset

It was fairly difficult to get a good picture of a sunset unless I wanted to freeze while waiting down by the beach. I am happy to say I had a great opportunity while driving with my family (of course we were coming home from hockey in Detroit) and I just happen to have my camera with and was able to capture this nice sunset. It was about 5:15 pm and the sun was at about 270 degree azimuth and at about 35 degree altitude. It was really interesting to watch the sun set that night because it was a clear sky up to the lower part of the horizon. As the sun starting setting, it went behind a front of clouds that made it look like the horizon was higher than it should have been. It also made the timing of the setting sun go a lot faster (about 5-10 minutes total) than normal.


Overall, it was very interesting and cool to see.

Venus sighting!

As I was walking, half awake/half asleep, downstairs to get my son off to school at about 6:30am this morning, I looked out a window and saw this star, bright as day, shining through the trees. It was like it was starring straight at me saying "hey you, look at me". It was so pretty, I logged onto the heavens above website and confirmed it was Venus! It was located at an azimuth of about 170 degrees and a latitude of about 20 degrees.


I tried to take a picture this morning with my camera, but of course the shot wouldn't come out good. So I found this photo on the web, it is very similar to what I saw this morning with the exception of fewer trees

Reference: http://www.utahskies.org/image_library/shallowsky/planets/mercury/Mercury20040320-2crsm.jpg

Amazing sky

It was another clear night and I was letting my dog out before heading to bed when I looked up and saw the milky way- clear as day- right above my house (360 degrees azimuth, 85 degree altitude). I was so amazed, I knew immediately that's what it was, I didn't even have to double check with the computer. It was like a faint fog or thin cloud behind the stars. I know that I have seen it before, I just never knew what it was. I've always thought things like the milky way, comets etc. were things that had to be seen with a good telescope. Now I know all you need is to be at the right place at the right time and to just look up!

references:http://www.startellers.com/5901/screen_milkyway.jpg

Cool Constellations

Finally!


We finally had a night where there were no clouds and the stars were out and absolutely beautiful to see! It was about 6:45 pm and my daughter and I sat on our back deck and searched for a few constellations. Of course, we saw the big dipper and most of Ursa Major. It was located at about 10 degrees azimuth and latitude of about 30 degrees.





We also found Cassiopeia, which was located at about 345 degree azimuth and at a latitude of about 80 degrees. But the constellations we were most excited to find was Draco and Perseus (Camelopardis was there, but not as easy to see as the others). Draco was located at about 10 degrees azimuth and was rather easy to find because I knew it ran between the big and little dippers. I knew Perseus was located around Casseopeia and once I found the cluster of stars I knew it had to be it. It was located at about an azimuth of 320 degree and a latitude of about 45 degree.



It was a lot of fun showing my daughter the constellations, we are both excited to go out and find some more.

references:
http://www.areavoices.com/astrobob/images/Draco_summer_SMALL.jpg
http://mexicanskies.com/constellations/cassiopeia.gif

A Beautiful Sunrise

This is a picture of a sunrise that my family and I saw as we were traveling one early morning for a hockey game. It was on Saturday, September 26th, at about 7:30 am, the sun was at an azimuth of around 90 degree and an altitude of about 10 degrees. It was so pretty the way the sun was coming up through the buildings. It's hard to see in the picture, but the clouds had a funny valley that really looked kind of eerie when the sun reflected on them.

Great Photo of the Moon

Saturday October 24th, 2009
My friends and I went to the Michigan / Penn State football game and on our way home I had the opportunity to get this photo of the moon. It was located at about 200 degrees azimuth and about 30 degree altitude, and looked to be almost at the complete 3rd quarter phase (zoom in on the photo to get a better look!) It was so pretty!

On November 13th I took another photo of the moon and when I came home to post it to my blog site, I realized it was the same phase as the first moon I had sighted! I had wrote down in my notes almost the same information according to it's locations as the first one also. Sorry I don't have anything more intersting to write about.

On November 30th I was able to see a nice full moon right outside my front door. It was about 6:30pm an was at an altitude of about 45 degrees and around northeast at about 300 degrees azimuth. It was a perfect night for viewing it as there was not a cloud in the sky. I found myself going outside quite a few times just to star at it again and again.

For my last posting of the phases of the moon, I tried to take a picture of a phase I haven't seen, but the weather was not cooprerating with me and I was not able to get a good view of one.

Another Iridium Flare

Tuesday October 13, 2009

My daughter and I decided to try and see another Iridium Flare, just to make sure the one I saw last week was in fact what it was supposed to be. As we were sitting in the school parking lot observing what I later found out to be Jupiter (see blog on Jupiter :), a pefect flare revealed itself directly in front of us. It was seen at 19:37, 50 degrees Altitude and 181 degrees Azimuth. It just appeared in the sky, got really bright, and then faded away. It kind of looked like the left over spark from a firework. I tried to take a picture but it happened to fast. My son wants to see one, so I think we will go again tomorrow night and I will have my camera at the ready.