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Late at Night
Last weekend I went to my first movie in a year and a half,
and afterward, as I sometimes do, went to a hilltop to check out the
stars. I know you have an interest in
space stuff, and was wondering: do you ever get a chance to look at the stars,
and is there a favorite constellation?<o:p></o:p> -
11 Replies
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Hi Dale!
Your post reminded us that it is supposedly “meteor season” here in the UK and we should really make time to do some stargazing these next few days while the skies are clear during this current heatwave we are in. We do that way too rarely but everytime I look up on a clear night I am so fascinated.
The only constellation I was ever able to remember and point out to people was Ursa Major so I’ll go with that as my favourite 😉 I really should learn more!
We hope you enjoyed the movie, and if you saw Janitor Joe in the sky we hope you gave him a little wave 🙂
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Orion’s pretty easy to recognize too, although you can’t see it this time of year:
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I love looking out into the vast night sky, all those stars and mysteries it holds. Had some of the most exhilarating and spiritual moments looking out at the stars and seeing shooting stars.
The Big Dipper is always one of my favourites to look for, and I find the North Star intriguing that it will guide you north and give you a point of reference where ever you are on the planet, that’s pretty special. I look out for Janitor Joe these days.
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I understand where you’re coming from, Jung. I live for those moments when the enormity of the night sky causes me to lose my perspective and my sense of which way is up, and I feel like I’m just out there drifting through the cosmos.
The Australian members of this club might disagree with you regarding the utility of the North Star, though!
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David, yeah it’s quite amazing what you see in the night sky, and what is actually there hidden. Saw Jupiter last night from my camera zoom lens, and I saw the 4 moons trailing behind it for the first time with my own eyes! It always makes me wonder what is out there beyond the furthest reach of our greatest telescopes and cosmic sensors! I am sure it will blow our minds, just like seeing the 4 little dots following Jupiter was for me.
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Spotted Jupiter tonight with it’s four largest moons Callisto, Ganymede, Europa, Io.
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I’ve been fascinated with all things in the night sky since I was very young. I don’t possess a large astronomical knowledge, but enjoy it on a casual level. Ursa major and minor are usually easily identifiable, but my favorite is definitely Caseopiea. Easy for me to find that big ‘ol ‘W’ up there! I invariably greet her with a “hiya, Cassie” when I first spot her! Also enjoy looking at the moon thru binocs, too.
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I’ve been a big astronomy fan since I was a little kid. Mona you have to learn to see the Orion constellation. It’s pretty easy to spot and is prominent in winter. There’s a famous nebula under the first belt star on the left that’s visible in binoculars and spectacular in even a small telescope. I recommend the book “Turn left at Orion” if you’re new to astronomy.
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Jung, Jupiter’s moons are a great observing target, even with just a pair of binoculars. A different show every night as they move around in their orbits! Historically (i.e., before the internet) observers have used charts like this one to figure out which moon was which, when each one will cross in front of or behind Jupiter, etc.:
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David that is a cool chart, thanks for posting it. Explains now why the moons look like they are trailing Jupiter, though on occasion now I see they can appear on both sides in a linear fashion. I recall I read somewhere that on one of the moons of Jupiter are another place that could be suitable for life or settling on like Mars in the solar system if there was an atmosphere.
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You’re probably talking about Europa, Jung. It’s an icy object which is thought to be frictionally heated enough by Jupiter’s gravity to become liquid water just a few kilometers down. NASA plans in a little over three years to launch a spacecraft into orbit around Jupiter that will explore Europa via multiple flybys.
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