I was just walking from the other end of the street (milf birthday party) and I was wowed by the (blurred) light of a whopping planet. I wasn't wearing my ocular apparatus and too tired to start searching the net.
Any ideas?
Ooops - non motoring.
Last edited by: BiggerBadderDave on Sun 23 Nov 14 at 01:23
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Does this help?
www.astronomy.co.uk/skytonight
Look down the page for planet details. If you can identify the elliptic, that is at least a good start with planetary observations.
Venus is the one that gets folk going, not for nothing is dubbed both the morning and evening star as apart from the moon, probably the brightest object most have seen. However that was not what you sure, as it won't be observed until the end of the month.
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>> I was just walking from the other end of the street (milf birthday party)
>>too tired to start searching the net.
How is the male stripper business going in Poland?
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You need an app thing on your phone. Point it at the said heavenly body and bingo. We found Uranus on the way home from the pub once.
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>> We found Uranus on the way home from the pub once.
Only IN Wales I guess....
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Just as well iPads don't have conventional keyboards. I was drinking coffee when I read that...
;-)
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I always casually mention Uranus when I'm chatting up a milf.
But back to planets...
Seems only Jupiter fits the bill, 2.30am eastern. No stars visible at all last night and it was low enough to only see it between the houses. I'll see if it's around tonight, it's a bit foggy at the moment. In my house, stars are best seen standing on the toilet, leaning out of the attic window.
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>> In my house, stars are
>> best seen standing on the toilet, leaning out of the attic window.
>>
....as is the lady next door in the shower?
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Across the gardens, next street. Mid-50s. Very tasty.
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>> best seen standing on the toilet,
Definitely Uranus.
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An actual drunken conversation in deep south of Engerland last year. I was drunk
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I have an app called Night Sky that shows heavenly bodies - sounds as if that is of interest to you - in their current positions when you hold it up in front of you.
I find it helps to hold it as steady as possible. Use both hands and you should be able to find Uranus.
(Uranus is currently shown as being to the north of here, below the horizon.)
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Use both hands and you should be able to find Uranus
:-)
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>> Use both hands and you should be able to find Uranus
>>
>> :-)
I've met folks for whom even that would be a struggle!!
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I'll download that Manatee, cheers. There was just no visible stars to take my bearings.
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That's the app we had that caused so much hilarity - it will work in daylight of course.
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BBD: it would have to be Venus or Jupiter. Venus is brighter, because it's nearer and because it's white in colour... Jupiter is slightly yellowish although not as pink as Mars. Venus having a solar orbit inside earth's is often seen in half or quarter image, like the moon. Only through a lens of course.
There's hardly been any visible night sky here for weeks, comprehensive murk and cloud cover.
I really must get the telescope mirrors recoated while I'm still physically capable of assembling and adjusting the thing and carrying it outside. Pity to waste it, when clear winter skies are a possibility. Jupiter, which seems to be what you saw, is a fabulous object which whirls round in 9 hours despite its huge size. You can see its whole 'surface' in four and a half hours, and the Galilean moons also hurtle round the planet at incredible speed. It's the most violent object in the solar system apart from the sun.
PS: why don't you invest in a small telescope? They aren't free but if you choose carefully it needn't cost a fortune. I would avoid anything with computerised tracking etc. Much better to spend the money on the optics. It isn't difficult to find out where everything is, line up on the Pole Star and Bob's your uncle.
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Sun 23 Nov 14 at 12:41
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You're right of course AC...but Uranus has more comedy value.
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>> PS: why don't you invest in a small telescope? They aren't free but if you
>> choose carefully it needn't cost a fortune. I would avoid anything with computerised tracking etc.
>> Much better to spend the money on the optics. It isn't difficult to find out
>> where everything is, line up on the Pole Star and Bob's your uncle.
Is this any good?
www.costco.co.uk/view/product/uk_catalog/cos_5,cos_5.7,cos_5.7.1/147301
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Cor blimey (again), that's a lot of glass and metal for £140. I've paid that kind of money for a pair of glasses.
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130EQ on Amazon for same money (or less):
www.amazon.co.uk/Celestron-31045-Astromaster-130EQ/dp/B000MLL6RS
Mrs F has been getting into astronomy recently and was thinking about getting a 'goto' model, with advice from the local astronomical society (she joined just over a year ago and has been going to talks). Presumably the danger is you end up paying for the motor at the expense of the optics, at least at the cheaper end of the market?
EDIT: I do remember her saying that the mount is pretty important too
Last edited by: Focusless on Sun 23 Nov 14 at 16:12
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An orbital mounting is crucial for any prolonged observation at any sort of magnification. But unless you're very rich don't get anything computerised or motorised. Spend the money on lenses, mirrors and the biggest aperture you can afford.
Apart from anything else those motors use a fair amount of juice. You need to keep charging the battery pack, which is something else to lug around.
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The word is Equatorial mounting, not orbital. A bit time consuming to set up at first but you do learn various tricks to speed things up.
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Is it equatorial? Anyway it's at the right angle to follow the sky round for some time, although there's usually some drift. Ours has a small worm and a big brass pinion, the worm operated through a flexible drive by hand. The flexible drive stops the scope from shaking too much.
Once you've done it a time or two it's a doddle to set up though.
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>> 130EQ on Amazon for same money (or less):
>> www.amazon.co.uk/Celestron-31045-Astromaster-130EQ/dp/B000MLL6RS
The Costco one does have some extra lenses for different magnifications, and a filter or two - I think the included accessory kit is about £40 to buy separately.
I am already looking at one of these as a result of this thread
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000GUFOC8
but I think I should really seek out the local stargazers and find out a bit more before spending any proper money!
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>> The Costco one does have some extra lenses for different magnifications, and a filter or
>> two - I think the included accessory kit is about £40 to buy separately.
Thanks - I'll be showing it to Mrs F.
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Some 10 years ago whilst on a week's holiday in Sorrento, we were privileged to share a dining table with a quiet, unassuming Lancastrian who, IIRC, worked 'at County Hall'. But his alter-ego was as an astronomer of note - an expert in astral photography and the author of books on the subject, his work also included ghost-writing for the late Sir Patrick.
Whilst he never tried to force his considerable knowledge on us, he would readily answer our astral questions as we gazed into the night sky over the Bay of Naples. The gentleman's name is David Ratledge, and this is his website:
www.deep-sky.co.uk
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Cor blimey that's a whopper - Slidingpillar
