Oh, it's good to have the Moon back. I'd kind of missed him (her?). It's been pouring here these past few days, so no stargazing, though I did take some fun post-rain shots of spiderwebs and droplets on leaves (see them posted on my new photraphy site at http://www.trherlinger.artdealers.com/). Then tonight the crescent hovered above the trees, and I ran out with my 135mm lens to find a spot away from the telephone lines (took a while!) with some nice trees in the foreground. I'm finally learning that the only way to get good Moon shots with my 35mm is to use the long lens; otherwise, the Moon is teeny-tiny! We'll see how these turn out--likely not as good as the real thing : ) The Moon got all misty as it set, so that probably means we're back to rain tomorrow. Sigh. Hey, check out the Moon pic I just posted, from last month. Makes me want to take a rocket there...
Until next time, happy stargazing!
Monday, October 11, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Still no Comet Hartley, but Double Cluster came out to play!
Greetings, beginning astronomers and other assorted stargazers!
Got my scope set up early tonight, as it looks like the dreaded cloud cover will descend tomorrow and then it's just downhill from there--rain through the weekend. Sigh. So I read that the ever-elusive Comet Hartley was supposed to be in the vicinity of Ruchba (Isn't that a great name?), the star that is the lower point of Cassiopeia's "W." I scanned the skies in that area with my binocs, but there was nada that I'd call a comet.
Finally gave up and went looking for the "Double Cluster"--two star clusters in the constellation Perseus. I wanted to locate them 1) because I thought they'd be pretty to look at, and 2) so I could use them to find that darned comet, which is supposed to be only half a degree from them in a night or two. So I got out my wonderful book, Left Turn at Orion, and followed the directions for finding the double cluster. First I found the middle star of the "W," called Gamma Cassiopeia. Then I assessed the distance from that star to Ruchba and called it one "step." Then I followed those two stars in a line, straight down, the length of two "steps." So now I was looking at the sky two steps below Ruchba. I pointed my scope generally at that spot.
Wasn't sure what star clusters would look like in my small scope, but I'm pretty sure I found them (NGC 869 and NGC 884). They are tight groupings of stars that have a vague fuzziness about them, probably because there are so many more in that grouping that we can't see. As the book notes, it's a "patch of grainy light, the light from stars too faint and close together to be resolved [separated] individually." Yeah, that's what I meant to say.
Then I left my little double cluster and headed back over to M31, Andromeda Galaxy, that I spotted the other night (see my previous post). There she was, in all her blobby splendor! I tried using my 6mm eyepiece this time, for a closer view, and though it was much dimmer, I could see it a bit better. I just read that the light we see from M31 left that galaxy over 2 million years ago. That blows my little mind!!
I am so hungry for a bigger scope now... like an 8-inch. Don't think I could manage a 10-inch Dobsonian. Even the 8-inch is 41 pounds, and I'm a weakling. But I'm gonna save up for one. At the time I got interested in astronomy, I mainly wanted a lightweight scope I could carry easily, see the planets with, and do some basic photography, especially of the moon. But now I find I just want better views of nebulae and galaxies. When Orion becomes visible in the next few weeks, I'm so gonna want to view the Orion nebula... I hope it puts on a good show, even in my little scope. Funny how we're never content with what we have. But it was still a pretty cool night, getting to see that double cluster. Now if I could just find Hartley... Sigh.
Got my scope set up early tonight, as it looks like the dreaded cloud cover will descend tomorrow and then it's just downhill from there--rain through the weekend. Sigh. So I read that the ever-elusive Comet Hartley was supposed to be in the vicinity of Ruchba (Isn't that a great name?), the star that is the lower point of Cassiopeia's "W." I scanned the skies in that area with my binocs, but there was nada that I'd call a comet.
Finally gave up and went looking for the "Double Cluster"--two star clusters in the constellation Perseus. I wanted to locate them 1) because I thought they'd be pretty to look at, and 2) so I could use them to find that darned comet, which is supposed to be only half a degree from them in a night or two. So I got out my wonderful book, Left Turn at Orion, and followed the directions for finding the double cluster. First I found the middle star of the "W," called Gamma Cassiopeia. Then I assessed the distance from that star to Ruchba and called it one "step." Then I followed those two stars in a line, straight down, the length of two "steps." So now I was looking at the sky two steps below Ruchba. I pointed my scope generally at that spot.
Wasn't sure what star clusters would look like in my small scope, but I'm pretty sure I found them (NGC 869 and NGC 884). They are tight groupings of stars that have a vague fuzziness about them, probably because there are so many more in that grouping that we can't see. As the book notes, it's a "patch of grainy light, the light from stars too faint and close together to be resolved [separated] individually." Yeah, that's what I meant to say.
Then I left my little double cluster and headed back over to M31, Andromeda Galaxy, that I spotted the other night (see my previous post). There she was, in all her blobby splendor! I tried using my 6mm eyepiece this time, for a closer view, and though it was much dimmer, I could see it a bit better. I just read that the light we see from M31 left that galaxy over 2 million years ago. That blows my little mind!!
I am so hungry for a bigger scope now... like an 8-inch. Don't think I could manage a 10-inch Dobsonian. Even the 8-inch is 41 pounds, and I'm a weakling. But I'm gonna save up for one. At the time I got interested in astronomy, I mainly wanted a lightweight scope I could carry easily, see the planets with, and do some basic photography, especially of the moon. But now I find I just want better views of nebulae and galaxies. When Orion becomes visible in the next few weeks, I'm so gonna want to view the Orion nebula... I hope it puts on a good show, even in my little scope. Funny how we're never content with what we have. But it was still a pretty cool night, getting to see that double cluster. Now if I could just find Hartley... Sigh.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Newsflash: Moon swallowed by giant cloud!
Took this video with my point-and-shoot Olympus, through my telescope. The audible gasp at the end is me. : )
Friday, October 1, 2010
Comet Hartley stood me up; Andromeda Galaxy saved the night
Hello, friends and fellow star nuts! Lovely night for viewing last night. I was oh-so-determined to finally spot Comet Hartley 2, now that it's tripping on by the "Big W" of Casseopeia. I focused in on Schedar, the bottom point of the W, furthest north, and searched below it with 7x50 binocs and my scope on low power, but no sign of it. It's supposed to appear as a blue-green fuzzy star, though I'm hoping a tail will spring forth as it grows brighter.
Tonight it's passing within a DEGREE of Schedar, so I'm planning on nailing it with my scope. You can't escape me this time, Mr. Hartley II, I'm onto your tricks! : )
The good news from last night's session, however, is I FINALLY spotted the Andromeda Galaxy with my scope--but only after hanging a sheet to block a floodlight on one side of my balcony and piling up boxes to block the streetlight on the other side! Sheesh, the lengths we city-dwellers have to go to see a few blinkin' stars! Anyway, I'd been able to locate it with my binocs but never with my scope--because the finderscope is so pathetic... I can't pinpoint anything but the brightest stars with it. So this time I decided to try "star-hopping," and it worked! I focused in on Mirach, a bright star in Andromeda, and then I headed for "Mu," north of that. I peeked in the eyepiece to look at Mu, and there was the telltale smudge of the Andromeda Galaxy! Wow!! I had to laugh, because anyone not interested in stars would've certainly said, "That's just a silly old smudge. Are you sure it's not just fog on the lens?" But I was freakin' thrilled. I tried higher-powered eyepieces, but just like all the books say, the wider field, lower-power lens is best for viewing nebulae and galaxies. Now, of course, I'm beginning to lust after a larger-aperture scope. Sigh. Better fight that urge until I have a few hundred smackers to spare.
Tonight it's passing within a DEGREE of Schedar, so I'm planning on nailing it with my scope. You can't escape me this time, Mr. Hartley II, I'm onto your tricks! : )
The good news from last night's session, however, is I FINALLY spotted the Andromeda Galaxy with my scope--but only after hanging a sheet to block a floodlight on one side of my balcony and piling up boxes to block the streetlight on the other side! Sheesh, the lengths we city-dwellers have to go to see a few blinkin' stars! Anyway, I'd been able to locate it with my binocs but never with my scope--because the finderscope is so pathetic... I can't pinpoint anything but the brightest stars with it. So this time I decided to try "star-hopping," and it worked! I focused in on Mirach, a bright star in Andromeda, and then I headed for "Mu," north of that. I peeked in the eyepiece to look at Mu, and there was the telltale smudge of the Andromeda Galaxy! Wow!! I had to laugh, because anyone not interested in stars would've certainly said, "That's just a silly old smudge. Are you sure it's not just fog on the lens?" But I was freakin' thrilled. I tried higher-powered eyepieces, but just like all the books say, the wider field, lower-power lens is best for viewing nebulae and galaxies. Now, of course, I'm beginning to lust after a larger-aperture scope. Sigh. Better fight that urge until I have a few hundred smackers to spare.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
I'm in it for the poetry of it
Hello, fellow novice astronomers, night photographers, and friends!
On one of my first nights out with my new (and first!) telescope a few short months ago, an Orion StarBlast 4.5, a neighbor walked by as I was gazing lovingly at the Moon. I looked up and quipped, "Some people get a midlife crisis; me, I get a hobby." She thought about that a moment and answered, "Sewing is a hobby. The COSMOS... is...something bigger."
Bigger is right! My new "hobby" encompasses the entire universe! How did I ever miss it? Why did I never really look up before? I guess the point is, I'm looking up now. I spent months researching what scope to buy, and opted for one I could actually carry in and out of the apartment without breaking something, on myself or the scope. The Starblast is just about right, though when my partner, Gina, first looked through it at tiny Saturn, she remarked, "You're gonna need a bigger scope." That will come, in time, but for now, I'm positively giddy watching every phase of the Moon up close and personal, and WOW, seeing 4 of Jupiter's Moons, tiny points of light poised like a mobile in perfect symmetry around bright Jupiter. I gasped aloud the first time I saw that.
The other half of this glorious new pastime of mine is night photography. I hesitate to call it "astrophotgraphy," because that implies fancy equipment and deep-space nebulae and such. My version is just sticking my Olympus point-and-shoot digital camera up to the eyepiece of my telescope and shooting some pretty amazing still shots and video--I mean, they look like NASA pics of my youth! I'm also beginning to shoot "star trails" with my old 35mm Pentax K1000, when I'm lucky enough to be in a very dark location. And I've been using my 135mm telephoto and very slow film to experiment with shots of the Moon, as well as landscape lit by moonlight.
If any or all of these topics interest you, please stay tuned! I've got lots of recent photos to share, and videos, and would love to exchange info on anything from how to find that gosh-darned Comet Hartley 2 to what length of telephoto lens gets the best Moon shots.
I'm no scientist and will likely never hold forth about ascension and declination. No, I'm in it for the poetry of it, the sheer beauty and magnificence of the night sky. I hope you'll join me!
On one of my first nights out with my new (and first!) telescope a few short months ago, an Orion StarBlast 4.5, a neighbor walked by as I was gazing lovingly at the Moon. I looked up and quipped, "Some people get a midlife crisis; me, I get a hobby." She thought about that a moment and answered, "Sewing is a hobby. The COSMOS... is...something bigger."
Bigger is right! My new "hobby" encompasses the entire universe! How did I ever miss it? Why did I never really look up before? I guess the point is, I'm looking up now. I spent months researching what scope to buy, and opted for one I could actually carry in and out of the apartment without breaking something, on myself or the scope. The Starblast is just about right, though when my partner, Gina, first looked through it at tiny Saturn, she remarked, "You're gonna need a bigger scope." That will come, in time, but for now, I'm positively giddy watching every phase of the Moon up close and personal, and WOW, seeing 4 of Jupiter's Moons, tiny points of light poised like a mobile in perfect symmetry around bright Jupiter. I gasped aloud the first time I saw that.
The other half of this glorious new pastime of mine is night photography. I hesitate to call it "astrophotgraphy," because that implies fancy equipment and deep-space nebulae and such. My version is just sticking my Olympus point-and-shoot digital camera up to the eyepiece of my telescope and shooting some pretty amazing still shots and video--I mean, they look like NASA pics of my youth! I'm also beginning to shoot "star trails" with my old 35mm Pentax K1000, when I'm lucky enough to be in a very dark location. And I've been using my 135mm telephoto and very slow film to experiment with shots of the Moon, as well as landscape lit by moonlight.
If any or all of these topics interest you, please stay tuned! I've got lots of recent photos to share, and videos, and would love to exchange info on anything from how to find that gosh-darned Comet Hartley 2 to what length of telephoto lens gets the best Moon shots.
I'm no scientist and will likely never hold forth about ascension and declination. No, I'm in it for the poetry of it, the sheer beauty and magnificence of the night sky. I hope you'll join me!
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