Astronomy

[Peter Mugridge]

Yes, although it was only a partial eclipse anyway.

 

[Class172]

Odd you say that the lunar eclipse shouldn't be visible, because when I looked out the window at 22:30 last night, the moon had not long risen in the SE and appeared large with a yellow tinge, typical of a partial eclipse.

I really want to see the transit of Venus tomorrow, however I think the weather is going to ruin my view.

 

[Eagle]

Odd you say that the lunar eclipse shouldn't be visible, because when I looked out the window at 22:30 last night, the moon had not long risen in the SE and appeared large with a yellow tinge, typical of a partial eclipse.

That's not the eclipse (about 10 hours too late), that's just atmospheric extinction effects—basically the same reason the sun sometimes appears red when on the horizon.

 

[Class172]

I think I'm going to get my telescope back out during half term, as I haven't had the opportunity to use it in a while and many of the planets are visible at the moment, including Uranus and Neptune.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

We appear to have two bright comets to look forwards to in 2013.

First up, around Easter, is Comet Pan-STARRS which is expected to reach magnitude -1, although it will be too close to the Sun at its best once it reaches darker skies it will still be a naked eye object.

Later in the year, peaking around November, is Comet ISON ( C/2012S1 ) which... wait for it... is tentatively* predicted to briefly reach magnitude -16 at perihelion ( Nov 28th ) and will be easily visible for months around that. It will be worth checking for updated predictions on this one... Again, this will be in the dusk but at -16 I doubt that will matter....


*Usual disclaimers apply; comets are very unpredictable objects and it could just as easily turn out to be a spectacular flop.

 

[YorkshireBear]

*Usual disclaimers apply; comets are very unpredictable objects and it could just as easily turn out to be a spectacular flop.

Or crash into New york

 

[Darandio]

How does that compare to Hale-Bopp Peter?

I'm sure that even anyone not remotely interested in astronomy, but was alive and well can surely remember Hale-Bopp?

 

[Ivo]

I'm sure that even anyone not remotely interested in astronomy, but was alive and well can surely remember Hale-Bopp?

I was 7 at the time I became aware of it - an amazing sight. It reached perihelion just hours after my birthday that year, but obviously at that age I didn't know what that meant!

Having not (definitely) seen one since, and having missed the transit of Venus among other things, it would be nice to see this.

 

[Darandio]

I was 7 at the time I became aware of it - an amazing sight. It reached perihelion just hours after my birthday that year, but obviously at that age I didn't know what that meant!

Having not (definitely) seen one since, and having missed the transit of Venus among other things, it would be nice to see this.

It was wonderful wasn't it. However, I found that it ended up being there so long, you just got used to it being there and never bothered to look any more. Only after it is gone do you realise how rare and spectacular it is.

 

[Ivo]

Very true. I just have to hope I live to see Halley's Comet now.

(I was born three years too late for its last appearance, and I will be in my 70s next time it comes around.)

 

[Peter Mugridge]

How does that compare to Hale-Bopp Peter?

Put it this way.... Hale-Bopp "only" reached magnitude 0 at perihelion.

The official ephemeris for ISON currently has it as predicted to reach magnitude -11.8 ( the -16 is an unofficial forecast ). This is more or less the same brightness as the full Moon...

http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/~jds/12s1.ukl




Before anyone asks, here is the PANSTARRS data as well:

http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/~jds/11l4.ukl

There may be a sightseeing charter flight at Easter to view PANSTARRS; I will let you know in due course if it is confirmed.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I remember reading about something called Eris being talked about in the broadsheets about seven years ago and wondered what type of telescope would be needed to study this celestial object. Exactly where is this situated ?

 

[Eagle]

I remember reading about something called Eris being talked about in the broadsheets about seven years ago and wondered what type of telescope would be needed to study this celestial object.

A very, very powerful one.

Eris is a dwarf planet, like Pluto and about the same size, but quite a lot further out.

 

[Class172]

Currently it is in the constellation of Cetus, however I doubt somewhat that you'll have any look finding it, considering Hubble managed this image:

Here is a screenshot from Stellarium showing it's current location and details.

 

[mrscherry]

I love all things space related and everything about the universe. Sometimes I just sit and think but it becomes too much for me to even comprehend! Whilst we are on the subject of this I watched a programme on the telly the other day which was part of a series and it was the age old argument of evolution vs creation.. this guy had about 5 people all from different places but with relatively same beliefs surrounding creationism. They believed the earth was only 7,000 years old, dinosaurs and humans co existed and the great flood carved out the grand canyon. It baffles me how anyone can find these things even remotely true!!

 

[Ivo]

I watched a programme on the telly the other day which was part of a series and it was the age old argument of evolution vs creation.. this guy had about 5 people all from different places but with relatively same beliefs surrounding creationism. They believed the earth was only 7,000 years old, dinosaurs and humans co existed and the great flood carved out the grand canyon.

I have two words for people who still believe this malarkey. The first is "carbon", and the second is "dating". Alternatively, we could try to revive a Neanderthal and ask them to describe the beginning of the world 7,000 years ago - oh wait, the Neanderthals died out more than 7,000 years ago :roll: Ultimately, the theory of evolution may only be 200-ish years old, but it's infinitely stronger than pretty much any theory that a devout Christian could come up with in relation to his or her own beliefs (ironic given Darwin himself was a devout Christian).

I suppose a pedant - mrscherry, note that you will get rather used to pedantry on here! - could argue that dinosaurs and humans really did coexist, and technically still do, because many species of birds are direct descendants and in some cases could even be argued to be dinosaur species themselves. But alas, we all know that they are referring to the likes of the tyrannosaurus rex and the triceratops, not the sparrow.

It baffles me how anyone can find these things even remotely true!!

Or at least anyone aged about 5 or older...

 

[Class172]

Funny you mention Neanderthals, I'm watching the prehistoric anatomy programme on them now.

If they believe we coexisted with dinosaurs, then what about non-dinosaurian and pre-triassic animals such as Dimetrodon and Arthropleura eh?