Overall, it was very interesting and cool to see.
Monday, November 16, 2009
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.
Overall, it was very interesting and cool to see.
Friday, November 13, 2009
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
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
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
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!
Monday, November 9, 2009
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
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
Sunday, November 1, 2009
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.
Monday, October 26, 2009
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.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
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.
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.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Jupiter Outside My Door!
I went to pick my daughter up from a friends house tonight around 19:30 and saw this beautiful bright star in the sky at about 45 degree altitude and 180 degree azimuth. The more I thought about it and looked at it, the more I realized this wasn't an ordinary star. Luckily for me I had my camera in my car so I took a couple of pictures(which unfortunately didn't turn out great) and when I got home I used my star and planet locator to figure out it was Jupiter! I went out again at 20:10 when it was darker and took another picture (still not a good picture). If you click on the pictures you should be able to see a faint star (about in the middle). It was much brighter in person, so the pictures don't do it justice at all. Still it was very cool to not only see but know what we were looking at.
Iridium Flare
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Over the past couple of weeks, I have been trying to observe an Iridium Flare in the sky and have been unsuccessful until today! I decided last night that I would try getting up early (6am) and see if that would be a better time to observe since going out at night has brought me nothing but clouds and dissappointment. The flare was supposed to be viewable at 6:23am, 7* N and at 30* altitude. I had the perfect spot to view it, which was at the end of my subdivision where no trees would be in my way. As I was looking at the Big Dipper this morning, I noticed a small "star" moving in between the line of view from the pointer stars to the North Star. As I watched this star move, it got really bright for only a few seconds and then faded until it disappeared. The whole even took less than one minute. I must say, I was slightly dissappointed. I was expecting to see some sort of flash or large object/star in the sky. This flare looked like an ordinary satelite that I probably wouldn't have been noticed if I wasn't looking at exactly the right spot at the right time.
Over the past couple of weeks, I have been trying to observe an Iridium Flare in the sky and have been unsuccessful until today! I decided last night that I would try getting up early (6am) and see if that would be a better time to observe since going out at night has brought me nothing but clouds and dissappointment. The flare was supposed to be viewable at 6:23am, 7* N and at 30* altitude. I had the perfect spot to view it, which was at the end of my subdivision where no trees would be in my way. As I was looking at the Big Dipper this morning, I noticed a small "star" moving in between the line of view from the pointer stars to the North Star. As I watched this star move, it got really bright for only a few seconds and then faded until it disappeared. The whole even took less than one minute. I must say, I was slightly dissappointed. I was expecting to see some sort of flash or large object/star in the sky. This flare looked like an ordinary satelite that I probably wouldn't have been noticed if I wasn't looking at exactly the right spot at the right time.
Viewing An ISS!
September 8, 2009
For three nights now I have tried to go outside and view an ISS in the evening sky. For various reasons I have been unsuccessful, mostly due to a lack of timing or fogetfulness. I am happy to say that I was finally able to get myself organized and view not one but two ISS's last evening. At 9:15pm Tuesday Sept 8, 2009 I, along with my husband, daughter, mom and dad, stood in my parents hay field and eagerly looked towards the SW portion of the sky. I was really worried I wouldn't be able to see or know what I was looking for, but when they appeared, exactly on time, we were all truly amazed. It was like seeing two stars perfectly spaced apart from each other that were moving very swiftly in an arch across the sky. They started in the SW and ended in the ENE, which took a total time of about 3 minutes, and at one point were almost directly over our heads. During their movement, they became very bright, brighter than anything I've ever seen in the night sky before. We were awestruck! As they continued to move on, their brigtness flickered off and on, I'm guessing mostly due to the cloud cover in the sky rather than the reflection from the sun. Whatever the reason, we were all dissappointed to see them go away and we are eagerly awaiting the next time we can see some again.
Photo reference:
http://esamultimedia.esa.int/images/ISS/ISS_S5flight.jpg
For three nights now I have tried to go outside and view an ISS in the evening sky. For various reasons I have been unsuccessful, mostly due to a lack of timing or fogetfulness. I am happy to say that I was finally able to get myself organized and view not one but two ISS's last evening. At 9:15pm Tuesday Sept 8, 2009 I, along with my husband, daughter, mom and dad, stood in my parents hay field and eagerly looked towards the SW portion of the sky. I was really worried I wouldn't be able to see or know what I was looking for, but when they appeared, exactly on time, we were all truly amazed. It was like seeing two stars perfectly spaced apart from each other that were moving very swiftly in an arch across the sky. They started in the SW and ended in the ENE, which took a total time of about 3 minutes, and at one point were almost directly over our heads. During their movement, they became very bright, brighter than anything I've ever seen in the night sky before. We were awestruck! As they continued to move on, their brigtness flickered off and on, I'm guessing mostly due to the cloud cover in the sky rather than the reflection from the sun. Whatever the reason, we were all dissappointed to see them go away and we are eagerly awaiting the next time we can see some again.
Photo reference:
http://esamultimedia.esa.int/images/ISS/ISS_S5flight.jpg
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