[Aracelis]

Science ping!

[martin_fierro]

Cool, FREE astronomy-related software:

Celestia: Celestia is a free real-time space simulation that lets you experience our universe in three dimensions. Unlike most planetarium software, Celestia doesn't confine you to the surface of the Earth. You can travel throughout the solar system, to any of over 100,000 stars, or even beyond the galaxy. All travel in Celestia is seamless; the exponential zoom feature lets you explore space across a huge range of scales, from galaxy clusters down to spacecraft only a few meters across. A 'point-and-goto' interface makes it simple to navigate through the universe to the object you want to visit.

Sky Screen Saver: The Sky Screen Saver shows the sky above any location on Earth, including stars (from the Yale Bright Star Catalogue of more than 9000 stars to the 7th magnitude), the Moon in its correct phase and position in the sky, and the position of the Sun and all the planets in the sky. Outlines, boundaries, and names of constellations can be displayed, as well as names and Bayer/Flamsteed designations of stars brighter than a given threshold. A database of more than 500 deep-sky objects, including all the Messier objects and bright NGC objects can be plotted to a given magnitude. The ecliptic and celestial equator can be plotted, complete with co-ordinates.

[TrappedInLiberalHell]

I was lucky enough to catch the last solar eclipse out in the San Jacinto mountains of Southern California back in May. Unfortunately (we were hiking), we camped at a spot where the eastern sky was blocked by a mountain, so I didn't catch the moon rise until it was starting to come OUT of eclipse. But no matter. It was sublime to see it with no light pollution with a perfectly clear sky. I didn't bother trying to photograph it -- I was hiking light and had no zoom lens. Besides, for things like that, someone ALWAYS gets a better shot of it than you ever could.

Reminds me, on the day before I started my thru-hike, in late April, I was camped at Lake Morena campground near Campo, no tent, just laying in my sleeping bag looking up at the sky, and I saw the biggest fireball I've ever seen. I imagine things like that are no big deal for wilderness folks, but for me it was stunning. Everyone else at the campground was already asleep, so it felt like a private show. Too bad my wife and I had to drop out with injuries near Wrightwood. Did log 200 miles, though. And I've never seen so many kinds of cacti before, in full bloom no less!

[stevio]

This is going to be a tough, going to a block shoot or seeing the lunar eclipse. I'll try to do both.

[CobaltBlue]

I love Leonid watching! Unfortunately around here it is frequently heartbreaking - not due to light pollution, but clouds. We usually go to Sky Meadows State Park, and if you park and walk eventually you get to where you can't see headlights coming and going. Last time, though, there was a confrontation with the Park Police, who somehow were not in the loop. At least we had already been watching for hours before we had to leave.

This year, if the weather is promising, we may go further away from "The Sprawl" into the mountains in West Virginia. Some pretty dark skies around there. And get written permission to be there.

Perseid watching is usually far more of a disappointment.

[CobaltBlue]

"Confrontation" due to my mama, who has an attitude problem with authority figures throwing around their weight for no good reason. I usually go for the "catch more flies with honey" attitude, but if mama gets to them first, forget it.

[berkeleybeej]

Leonids Ping - Tonite - best viewing ~ 2:30 am Eastern.