Astro-Nuts

2010 Perseid Meteor Shower

2011-09-29T09:34:00.000-07:00

Well, after a much-too long absence from blogging, it's time for me to catch up a bit. I'll be posting a number of articles over the next few little while to get caught up with the present.

The first post is regarding the Perseid Meteor Shower from August 2010. The Perseid's appear to originate from the constellation Perseus and are the remnants of the Swift-Tuttle comet. The peak rate of the meteor shower has seemed to diminish over the years. When I was a kid, I remember we would count over 100 per hour. This past August, we didn't even count 30 per hour. It could have been that it was somewhat cloudy, but the shower is nothing like what it used to be. The average peak rate currently is about 60 per hour.

Below are pictures from the shower, which I photographed with my astro-buddy Bob Johnson of Blackholes and Astrostuff. The first three images were taken with a Canon 40D and Tokina 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 fisheye lens. The last one was taken with a Nikon D90 and 50mm f/1.8 lens.

A Photo is Worth a Thousand Blessings?

2010-08-26T20:30:00.000-07:00

It's been a whirlwind month so far, and all because of one picture that I took, which is shown below. It was taken with a Canon 40D and my new Tokina 10-17mm fisheye lens.

I had also taken photos of the Perseid Meteor Shower a week after the Aurora, but more on that later. I had submitted my photos to Spaceweather.com and three of them got posted at the bottom of the following pages -

August 2010 Aurora Gallery page 3

August 2010 Aurora Gallery page 4

As a result of the Spaceweather.com postings, a reporter from SPACE.com got a hold of me and asked my permission to use one of the photos in a news story she was working on. Naturally, I said, "Yes." The story got posted on the SPACE.com and Yahoo.com websites.

SPACE.com Aurora story

Yahoo.com Aurora story

Then I got contacted by a guy who works for the Group for Earth Observation GEO and asked permission to use one of the photos in their magazine. Again, I said, "Yes." Once it is ready, I'll post some photos of it.

After that, I submitted one of the photos to the Astronomy Photo of the Day webstite APOD. While it didn't make the cut to get posted their, a woman asked permission to post the photo of the websites forum called Starship Asterisk - APOD and General Astronomy Discussion Forum

Then, the CTV News morning show Canada AM and I were in talks to do an on-camera interbiew to be broadcast during the show. Unfortunately, due to a major breaking news story, it had to be postponed. I had to submit a number of photos to them on the Aurora and the Perseid Meteor Shower, as well as a headshot in case they wanted to do a phone interview instead. Well, I'm still waiting to hear about that.

However, as a consolation prize, my Aurora photo appeared on a blog by a reporter at the local newspaper, the Saskatoon Star Phoenix. Her blog is called Mousing Around and the post she did on my photo can be found here.

As a result of her efforts, my Aurora photo was also printed in the Star Phoenix newspaper. Below is the picture of my Aurora photo in the newspaper along with a story about my good friend Bob of Blackholes and astrostuff.

One of my meteor shower pictures was chosen as one of the Yahoo Editorial Perseid Meteor Gallery.

And finally, to top it all off, one of my Aurora photos was chosen as the SkyNews Editor's Choice Photo of the Week.

I feel very blessed to have received all of this attention. It means a lot to me and has been a very special experience.

Auroras and Meteors

2010-08-14T20:44:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate enough to be able to capture the spectacular Aurora on August 3, 2010 and the Perseid Meteor shower on August 12, 2010. I was out with Bob of Blackholes and astrostuff for each event. We both snapped hundreds of photos and managed to pull off a few shots. The Aurora was an amazing event. The colors were something else, with lots of green and purple (which I have never seen in Aurora before).

The meteor shower was a bit lackluster. It was definitely not the same as previous years, where 100 meteors per hour was common. Not this year. We were lucky if we saw 20 the whole night. I had two cameras snapping photos and ended up taking about 450 pictures in total, but only caught about 15 meteors. It had also been raining all day so it was humid, which made it hard to keep the camera lens from fogging up. It also got cloudy, as you'll see in the pictures.

The pictures below are of the Aurora first, then meteors. Enjoy!

Rising Moon

2010-08-02T21:50:00.000-07:00

After years of looking at the Moon and photographing it for the past few, I still have to admit that it is one of my favorite night sky objects. Even though when it is up it washes out a good portion of the other objects, I never get tired of looking at it. I finally had the chance to catch a wonderful event - a full Moon rising from the horizon when it was large and orange.

I went out on July 24, 2010 with my good friend Bob of Blackholes and astrostuff fame. We were on time and set up and ready to go, but where the heck was the Moon? Our Moon phase info was accurate and we knew it was up, but what in the world was going on? It turns out that for one, there was a lot of forest-fire smoke in the sky above the horizon where we were looking for the Moon. The next problem is that we were out in our calculation of where it would be rising. So, by the time we noticed it, it had risen a couple of Moon widths from the horizon. No worries though, all turned out well and we were able to catch some decent shots.

The next night, July 25, 2010, we were both out at separate locations shooting the Moon again. It was cloudy in the area it was rising, but alas, the clouds dissipated and the Moon was out in full force. It was huge to say the least and looked amazing. I wish I had my telescope with me that night to take some Moon pictures through that, but I didn't. No problem. I managed to get some shots I was very happy with. Below are photos from both evenings. All were shot using a tripod-mounted Nikon D90 with a 70-300mm f/4-5.6 lens and a 1.5x teleconverter, with a remote shutter release. Enjoy.

Firm hopes method resonates with mining industry

2010-06-30T11:19:00.000-07:00

Below is a link to a Star Phoenix article about Leaf and Stone. The guys who own the company, Robert Fisher and Murray McArthur are two smart guys who I consider friends. We're working together on a project and I am excited to be a part of it. I've also included the text of the story, in case the link on the Star Phoenix site ever changes.

Firm hopes method resonates with mining industry

"Firm hopes method resonates with mining industry Satellite-based data analysis touted for exploration

By Cassandra Kyle, The StarPhoenix - June 30, 2010

As the old saying goes, if something is too good to be true it usually is.

It's an adage Saskatoon businessperson Robert Fisher, CEO of Leaf and Stone Resonance Services Ltd. (L&S) is fighting against as he tries to spread the word about a new type of mineral exploration technology that uses satellite-based data analysis to locate Mother Nature's hidden resources.

"Give us a sample and we'll find the match -- it doesn't really matter what you're looking for," Fisher said in a recent interview.

"What we're really doing is we're taking a physics and a mathematical solution to a geological problem."

Using resonance coupling technology, a method developed by his Austin, Texas-based friend and business partner David Carr, the company surveys a client's property via satellite looking for a match to the sample substance provided. So far the technology, which is licensed to Carr's company Natural Resource Testing LLC, has found oil, gas, gold, diamonds and several other natural substances using the unique method.

Clients have been satisfied with the resonance coupling results, but it has been difficult for L&S, which acts as the marketing agent for the technology, to convince long-serving mining industry executives to give the technology a try.

"No one believes us. It's been our biggest issue," said Fisher, a longtime Saskatoon resident who used to work in the heath-care software industry.

"We say we have great credibility, but I'm sure to geologists and geophysicists we have none. . . . But it's just a matter of time -- 30 clients are now 40 and it's growing."

In a nondescript office in downtown Saskatoon, Fisher presents evidence of the technology's accuracy: Maps showing the resonance coupling picking up the gold vein between Red Lake and Madsen, Ont.; notes of thanks, including one praising the company for informing a client the actual location of its gold deposit was really 30 metres in the opposite direction and a letter of reference from an oil and gas company praising the veracity of the exploration method.

Resonance coupling, Fisher explained, isn't supposed to replace traditional mineral exploration methods. Based on the physics principle that every substance on earth has a unique resonance signal, the technology can focus in on where deposits are located, increasing accuracy and reducing needless drilling.

"Is saves you money, which is the big name in exploration," he said.

With the industry naturally skeptical of new technology -- especially one such as resonance coupling -- Fisher understands any acceptance of the unique exploration system will take time.

Still, with a sales office recently opening in Australia and the company recording its first repeat customer just last week, Fisher remains positive about the applications of the technology he believes is worth billions of dollars.

"I truly believe that is the battle; we need to just convert people," he said.

ckyle@sp.canwest.com

© Copyright (c) The StarPhoenix"

RASC - Saskatoon Centre New Members Night

2010-06-20T22:43:00.000-07:00

After a far-too long absence, mainly due to such horrible weather for most of the past few months, I finally have a new post. At a local meeting of our astronomy club (RASC - Saskatoon Centre), I had suggested we have a new members night as a way to get new people out and have some experienced astronomers share their knowledge. As a new(er) member myself, I thought this would be a good idea since there is much I need to learn about astronomy in general.

We met at the University of Saskatchewan Observatory on June 17th. It was organized mainly by Patricia G (thanks for that). Local members Richard Huziak and Mike Clancy spoke to us. Rick talked about choosing telescopes, eyepieces and binoculars, etc. while Mike spoke about the Explore the Universe certificate program offered by the RASC. There were about 10 people who were out to listen to the talks, which were both enjoyable, informative and entertaining. Thanks to Rick and Mike for speaking.

Below are some images of the talk itself and of the observatory. The observatory has been a fixture on the U of S campus for many years. It houses a 6-inch telescope. For more info on the observatory, visit this link.

Rick Huziak talking telescopes

Mike Clancy showing a star chart

U of S Observatory

6-inch telescope

Meteorite collection

Copies of the first star charts and such

Copy of Galileo's notes

Old telescope

Northern Lights In the North (Sort Of)

2010-04-13T22:10:00.000-07:00

I had the chance to finally capture some Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) on April 5, 2010. I was out with my good friend Bob of Blackholes and Astrostuff and went just outside the city limits to catch them. They didn't last too long, so we had to work fast. For my first time photographing them, I was pleasantly surprised with the results. At first, I was skeptical about how the shots would turn out, because I was using my Nikon D90, which is notoriously bad for the level of noise it introduces into night shots. But, with a little tweaking using my software, I was able to get the shots looking half-decent.

Aurora's are basically the emission of photons in Earth's upper atmosphere. For a more detailed description, please click here. I can try to explain it but I'm not a science-type guy and therefore wouldn't do it justice. Also, in the title, I have sort of in brackets. The reason for that is because while we may be fairly north of some places that can see the Northern Lights, we are not far enough to see the amazing ones that are seen in the Arctic. They still look pretty awesome.

And a special thanks to Planetaryman (my Dad) for being my newest follower.

Enjoy the photos. And hopefully, Blogger won't butcher them too much this time.

Earth Hour In Saskatoon

2010-03-24T22:28:00.000-07:00

The theme this year at the Centre Mall in Saskatoon for Earth Hour is "Go Celestial". Saturday, March 27, 8:30-9:30pm at the entrance by Tony Tomas is the place to be during Earth Hour. Here is a link to the Earth Hour Canada site.

Earth Hour was started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when over 2 million homes turned off their lights for one hour to bring awareness to climate change. In 2008, over 50 million people in 35 countries participated and in 2009, more than 88 countries took part. 2010 is sure to be even bigger.

Last year in Saskatoon, there was a large line-up of people at the Centre Mall, so this year only promises to be bigger (weather providing of course). I plan on being there for this event, as does Bob of Blackholes and Astrostuff. The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Saskatoon Centre will be setup as well with telescopes set up. But Bob cautions everyone to maybe be there about 30 mins ahead of time to setup your scopes before viewing starts.

The first link below is to the page on the mall site about the event. It's the second from the bottom. The last link is the flyer the mall has put together for this event.

Centre Mall events

Centre Mall flyer

Hope to see you out

Zodiacal Lights (and Casino Lights)

2010-03-23T21:20:00.000-07:00

On March 6, 2010, I went out with Bob of Blackholes and Astrostuff to photograph the Zodiacal Lights. Zodiacal light is caused by sunlight reflecting off of dust particles in the solar system known as cosmic dust, known as the interplanetary dust cloud. It usually appears as a triangle-shaped column of light in the western sky in the spring just after the evening twilight has disappeared, or in autumn just before morning twilight appears.

The following picture is one that was taken the same night as the ones above. It is of our local Dakota Dunes Casino lights shining into the sky causing light pollution. Unfortunately, the casino operators have no respect for astronomy nor care that the light pollution is a problem. Thus, the lights persist night after night. Orion constellation is in the center, The Hyades are up and to the right of that and the Pleiades are in the top right corner.

And Now For Something Completely Different

2010-02-26T15:20:00.001-08:00

I was in Lethbridge, AB this past week and noticed that the Moon was up during the day. There is a neat looking bridge there called the High Level Bridge. It is used by trains to cross a large valley. It is the largest of it's kind in the world. I've been wanting to photograph it for some time now and finally had the chance. I went out on a day when there was little cloud cover and the Moon was visible during the day.

It also gave me a good chance to finally use my Canon 40D. I will be posting pictures taken with the Canon soon, but for now, here are the photos taken with my Nikon D90.

Sundog Days of Winter

2010-02-08T21:00:00.001-08:00

"Dazzle mine eyes, or do I see three suns?"

Shakespeare - Henry VI, Part 3

The word sun dog (or sundog) originates from the Greek word parēlion, meaning "beside the sun". The scientific name is parhelion, plural parhelia. It's essentially a phenomenon in the atmosphere formed by plate shaped hexagonal ice crystals (in high and cold cirrus clouds) that create bright spots of light, often a luminous ring (or halo), on either side of the Sun. The ice crystals are called diamond dust and drift in the air at a low level. Sundogs orrur when the Sun is at a 45 degree angle and is at its lowest point. Sundogs may appear as a colored patch of light, typically displaying the colors of the rainbow (red closest to the Sun, with orange then blue farthest out) to the left or right of the sun at the same distance above the horizon as the sun. They can be seen anywhere in the world during any season, but they are not always obvious or bright. Here in Canada, they are most prevalent during the winter months when the air is coldest and more ice crystals are in the sky.

Below is the first-ever photo of a sundog taken be myself in January 2010.

Perigee Moon and Mars

2010-01-29T13:04:00.000-08:00

Finally, I've been able to put up a new post after a two month hiatus. By hiatus I mean cloudy, snowy and cold weather interfering with my picture taking and observing with the telescope. However, I am happy to report that I was able to snap the perigee Moon last night and Mars. It was the first time I've ever seen Mars through the lens of my camera. I'm hoping it will warm up a little so I can observe it through my scope.

Cool November Nights

2009-11-07T23:45:00.000-08:00

Even though October was a complete waste as far as the night sky went where I live, I was finally able to get out with my telescope tonight. Even though it's only 4.5" in diameter, I was able to see some things I never have before. It was quite exciting. And this was in-the-city viewing, with all of the light pollution we have too. So, I was able to see the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), the Orion Nebula (M42 and 43), Hyades (in Taurus) which was really awesome, the double cluster in Perseus consisting of NGC 869 and NGC 844 (which was awesome), and a few others. I did try to photograph them, but to no avail. So, now for some info on what I was able to see.

The Andromeda Galaxy
This particular galaxy is probably the most famous in the night sky. It is bright enough, at magnitude 4.4, to be seen with the naked eye. It is also known as M31 (or Messier 31) and NGC 224. This galaxy is like our own Milky Way in that it is a spiral galaxy believed to be similar in mass. It is located approximately 2,500,000 light years away and is found at Right ascension 00h 42m 44.3s, Declination +41° 16′ 9″[1].

Photo courtesy of NASA

The Orion Nebula
This nebula is also known as M42 or NGC 1976. It is referred to as a diffuse nebula (and contains mostly ionized hydrogen) and is located just below Orion's Belt at Right ascension 05h 35m 17.3s, Declination -05° 23′ 28″. At an apparent magnitude of +3.0, it is visible to the naked eye and is approximately 1,344 light years away. The Nebula is part of a much larger nebula known as the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex. This Complex extends throughout the constellation of Orion and includes Barnard's Loop, the Horsehead Nebula, M43, M78 and the Flame Nebula. Stars are forming throughout the Orion Nebula, and due to this heat-intensive process the region is particularly prominent in the infrared.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org

The Hyades
I have never seen this before tonight. I thought it was really neat. I found it by accident. I had been looking for Orion and the Pleiades. Almost in between them, I could see a fuzzy patch, so I pointed my scope at it and saw this open cluster. It is classed as an open cluster because the stars are not as tightly bound by gravity as they are in a globular cluster. It consists of a roughly spherical group of 300 to 400 stars that share the same age, place of origin, chemical content, and motion through space. Hyades is approximately 151 light years away and can be found at Right ascension 04h 27m, Declination +15° 52′. The Hyades Cluster, at apparent magnitude 0.5, lies in the constellation Taurus, where its brightest stars form a rough "V" shape along with the still brighter red giant Aldebaran. Contrary to how it appears, Aldebaran is completely unrelated to the Hyades, as it is located much closer to Earth and merely happens to lie along the same line of sight.

Photo courtesy of SEDS

Perseus Double Cluster
These two open clusters are known as NGC 884 and NGC 869 (or more commonly known as the Double Cluster). They are visible to the naked eye and lie in the constellation Perseus, below Cassiopeia. NGC 884 is approximately 7600 light years away with NGC 869 being about 6800 light years away. They can be found at Right ascension 2h 20m, Declination 57° 08′. In the photo below, NGC 884 is the on the left and NGC 869 on the right. It is said they have blueshifted as well, which is a method of determining their distance using light wavelengths, etc. They are traveling toward Earth at approximately 22km/s.

Photo courtesy www.astrophoto.net

October Night Sky Events

2009-10-06T10:11:00.000-07:00

October is a good month for observing. The sky is darker earlier, it's still not terribly cold outside (we hope), and there are different objects to see. For example, the Orion constellation is up and with it, the Orionid meteor shower.

On Oct. 8 at about 6 a.m., Venus should be shining brightly near the eastern horizon. Below that, depending where you are, you might spot Mercury and Saturn. By Oct. 13, at about 6:30 a.m., Saturn will have moved to the upper left of Venus. On Oct. 16, in the eastern sky, just before dawn, there should be a conjunction with the crescent Moon and Venus and Saturn. Then on Oct. 26 or 27, the Moon and Jupiter should be in conjunction at just three degrees apart.

A major event this month is the lunar landing of the LCROSS lunar rover. I believe it should be visible if you have a 10" or larger telescope. There is a countdown clock on the right side of this page.

Another important event this month is the RASC Saskatoon Centre open house at the Sleaford dark site. It is located about 65 kms east of Saskatoon and offers great celestial viewing. This event will be held on Friday, Oct. 23 and Saturday, Oct. 24. There will be a convoy of cars leaving from the east end of the Saskatoon Field House parking lot at 7 p.m. on both nights. The Sleaford site is operated jointly by the RASC Saskatoon Centre and the U of S Department of Physics and Engineering Physics. RASC club members will set up their own telescopes, in addition to the U of S telescopes that are setup there. For more information call 966-6429. Make sure to take warm, weather appropriate clothing.

Additional viewing events for October:

Oct. 7 - Moon 0.1 deg N of Pleiades (M45)
Oct. 8 - Draconid meteors peak; Mercury 0.3 deg S of Saturn
Oct. 10 - Moon 1.2 deg N of M35 (open star cluster in Gemini)
Oct. 12 - Occultation of the Moon and Mars
Oct. 13 - Moon at perigee (369067 kms)
Oct. 15 - Zodiacal light visible in eastern sky before morning twilight for the next two weeks
Oct. 21 - Orionid meteors peak
Oct. 25 - Moon at apogee (404166 kms)

And The Fight Is On...

2009-10-03T21:47:00.000-07:00

Well, I've done it. I've bought a Canon camera. After much deliberating, I have taken the plunge back to Canon. I sold my Nikon D80 and bought a Canon 40D. I have kept my Nikon D90 however. I have an 18-55mm image stabilization lens for the D90 and I've ordered the same size lens for the 40D. Both will have batter grips, and remote shutter release cables.

I've heard nothing but great things about the 40D. My friend Bob, of Blackholes and Astrostuff has a 40D. I've always loved how his photos turn out so much more full of color than mine. The major difference is in the sensors on the camera. The Nikon is not an ideal camera for night photography, in my opinion. It introduces too much noise and red color into the photos. The Canons is rated far superior for night photography than the Nikons.

One thing I noticed at the Cypress Hills Star Party (SSSP 2009) in August, is that everyone had a Canon DSLR for night shooting. I had the chance to meet Alan Dyer while there and bought his book (that was co-written by Terrence Dickinson), The Backyard Astronomer's Guide. Even in that book they recommend strongly that Canon is the only way to go for night photography. So, how could I pass up the chance to improve my night shooting of the stars by not getting this camera? Truth is that I couldn't.

I haven't had a chance to use the 40D yet, due to the weather, but hopefully soon. I'll also be ordering the necessary adapters to attach the Canon to a telescope, similar to the set up for my Nikon. As soon as I have some results, I'll post them. For now, I have a picture of the Nikon D80, Canon 40D and Nikon D90, respectively, so you can see how they all look.

Daytime Crescent Moon

2009-09-12T18:32:00.000-07:00

After seeing my friend Bob of Blackholes and Astrostuff post photos of a daytime crescent Moon, I got thinking, I don't think I've really photographed a daytime Moon through my telescope. So, I thought I'd give it a try. I've got to tell you, it's not as easy as it would seem. It is harder to find the Moon when it's not shining at 3 million candle power in a telescope eyepiece. Also, it's much harder to focus on the Moon during the day, especially when it's kind of faint. Below are my first photos taken through my Orion 4.5" telescope. They are all taken with a Nikon D90, some with a 2x barlow and the last two with 3x barlow.

The Moon with Jupiter

2009-09-01T22:41:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure if it was an official conjunction tonight, but in my world it was. The Moon and Jupiter were close enough to get in the same frame when taking pictures tonight. For some reason, my camera was not behaving, so I was only able to get a couple of decent shots.

These next two photos were taken by using the multiple exposure function on my Nikon D90. I took two exposures; one of the Moon, then adjusted the settings, and snapped Jupiter.

Aurora, Galaxies, and Jupiter, Oh My

2009-08-23T22:26:00.000-07:00

I went out to the RASC Saskatoon Centre's dark site a few nights ago to capture some images. The sky was amazingly clear, until the dew started to fall. However, I still managed to snap some neat stuff that I've never photographed before. The night was full of wonderful sights, including Aurora, Jupiter, Milky Way, Andromeda Galaxy, Pleiades, meteors, and a jet airplane.

I tried to upload the images I shot and Blogger completely messed them up, so I've linked the photos below to my Flickr account, so if you click on a photo, it will go to my Flickr site.

Anyway, I managed to catch some good shots of the Milky Way, including some with meteors streaking through them. I also snapped Jupiter with the Milky Way; the Milky Way with Cassiopeia, the Andromeda Galaxy and a meteor streaking by; Jupiter and the Milky Way, Andromeda and the Pleiades; and the Pleiades with aurora. I also got a jet flying through a Milky Way picture. That was kind of neat.

I should also mention that all of these photos were taken using only a Nikon D90 with an 18-55mm lens on a tripod.

The photo below is of the Milky Way and a meteor streaking by just to the right of center.

Here is the same shot with a little different editing. It hopefully appears lighter.

Here is another attempt at the same photo to edit it so it's brighter.

This photo is photo of the Milky Way with a jet flying through the photo. I thought it was kind of neat.

This photo is of a brief appearance of the aurora.

This is more of a close-up of the Pleiades.

This is a wide angle shot with the Pleiades toward the bottom just to the right of center.

This photo has the Milky Way going down the middle of it, with Cassiopeia in the middle of the picture. The Andromeda Galaxy is to the right of center and about one third of the way from the right side of the photo. It looks like an orangey, fuzzy ball.

This photo has a meteor in it toward the bottom just right of center.

This photo has Cassiopeia in the middle toward the top, with Andromeda to the right of that and a meteor toward the lower left.

This is a wide angle shot with the Pleiades in the lower right.

This photo has Jupiter shining bright on the lower left and the Milky Way on the right side.

Here is the same photo with different editing.

This one has the Milky Way running down the middle with two meteors forming a V about one third from the right side, just above the middle.

This photo is of Jupiter and four of its moons.

Cypress Hills Summer Star Party (SSSP 09)

2009-08-17T20:05:00.000-07:00

This year's edition of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) Saskatchewan Summer Star Party (SSSP 2009). We left Saskatoon and it looked to be a promising weekend for star gazing. Apparently the weather had other ideas. We arrived on Thursday night in the rain. It rained and was foggy/hazy most of the day on Friday and that night. It was cold and windy on Saturday until it started raining just after lunch. It poured buckets the rest of the day and all night. It continued to rain all day Sunday until we arrived home. 300-400 people with telescopes and not one got used. It was the first time in 15 years that the entire weekend was rained out.

The picture below is a shot of the weather on Sunday just before we left.

And wouldn't you know it, back to work Monday, was clear, hot and sunny. Now tonight, it's cloudy and going to rain. We just can't win this summer. I don't know who is being punished, but man they must have done something bad to deserve this.

On the bright side, there were some great speakers, good food, fantastic door prizes and good times getting to know other astronomy enthusiasts. For example, Alan Dyer was there. He is a wonderful film maker, astronomer and photographer. I bought a copy of The Backyard Astronomer's Guide, co-written by Alan Dyer. He had a book signing, so I got mine by him. The other bonus was staying in a condo with my family. Always good times when you hang out with family. We played mini golf as well.

One cool thing I got to do was be involved with the door prizes. My Dad was able to get a huge amount of door prizes. I was able to donate two of them - a Galileoscope and one of the meteorites that I found from the Buzzard Coulee fall from November 20, 2008. Below is a picture similar to the one I donated.

The people were the highlight of the weekend. There were lots of great people who are very smart and fun to hang around and have a good time with. So, all in all, even though the skies didn't agree, the weekend turned out to be fun.

Waning Moon and Jupiter

2009-08-11T23:20:00.000-07:00

Not much to say about this. It's pretty obvious what it is. Just happened to catch the Moon and Jupiter the other night before the clouds rolled in. I wanted to try out my new Celestron 2x barlow again and was extremely happy with the results.

These were taken with my 3x barlow.

These ones of Jupiter and three of it's moons were taken with the 3x barlow as well.

Almost Perfect Moon

2009-08-04T23:20:00.000-07:00

Tonight the Moon was about 99% full. It was clear out, there was no wind and I was able to capture some great shots. They were all taken through my Orion 4.5" telescope using a Nikon D90.

This first shot was with just the camera and no barlow lens.

These next shots were taken using a Celestron Ultima 1.25" - 2x barlow (part # 93506). I was able to order it from our local store Neural Net Interactive. It was the first time I had used it, so I was anxious to try it. I think the results speak for themselves.

These next two shots were taken using a Antares 3x barlow that I bought from Khan Scope in Toronto, ON. I'm not terribly happy with the overall quality of this barlow. I think if I could, I would have gotten a Celestron one. Oh well, live and learn.

Orange Moon

2009-08-03T12:56:00.000-07:00

"I'm an orange Moon

I'm an orange Moon

Reflecting the light of the Sun"

Orange Moon - Erykah Badu

I was driving home last night and the Moon was beautiful. It was orange. Most of the rest of the sky was cloudy, but there was the orange Moon, just floating there. I was able to capture it before it clouded over. The current Moon is referred to as an apogee Moon due to the distance from the Earth it is. The Moons average distance is about 380,000 km. An apogee Moon is at it's furthest point from the Earth. It is about 406,000 km away right now. A perigee Moon can get as close as about 360,000 km. Enjoy.

Sun Photos

2009-08-01T23:32:00.000-07:00

"Have you ever seen

anything

in your life

more wonderful

than the way the sun,

every evening,

relaxed and easy,

floats toward the horizon"

The Sun - Mary Oliver

Almost as fascinating as the Moon is the Sun. The Sun has been worshipped for thousands of years and has a rich history in human culture, including the ancient Egyptians associating it with their deity Ra, the Greeks associated it with their gods Helios and Apollo. In literature, Icarus is said to have attempted to fly to the Sun, but his wings melted. It goes on and on. Without the Sun, life as we know it would not exist. It is as essential as water.

I've always wanted to capture the splendor of the Sun. Well, now I got the chance. It seemed to be somewhat hazy tonight and created a wonderful effect with the Sun. Below are some of the photos I took of the Sun before it set tonight. They are taken with a Nikon D90, 70-300mm lens and 1.5x tele-converter. All of the photos are the originals and have not been edited in any way.

My First Ever Jupiter Photos

2009-07-21T17:03:00.001-07:00

Well, after about a month of waiting for the right conditions, I was finally able to photograph Jupiter last night. It looked spectacular. Unfortunately, the photos don't really reproduce how splendid it looked. Although, it is still really neat looking. I was able to capture four of the Moons as well in some of the shots. The shots were taken through my Dad's Celestron C8 (8" Refractor) telescope. I then mounted a Nikon D90 with t-ring adapter. For the photos where the image is larger, I used a 3x barlow and for the smaller first image, a 2x barlow. Enjoy.

Milky Way

2009-07-19T22:25:00.000-07:00

I remember when I was a kid looking up at the sky and the Milky Way was easy to spot from where I lived in the city. Nowadays, with all the extra light pollution, it is not that easy to pick out. So, I decided I'd snap some pics from a different city with less light pollution. I travelled to Lethbridge, AB, Canada to snap the photos below. The Milky Way was fairly clear to see and the sky was almost dark, which I miss where I live. The first pic is, I believe, of the International Space Station passing through the photo. It was only visible for a few seconds, then disappeared out of sight. It was still really neat to see. There are a couple of other photos that have a line in them. Those are meteors streaking through the photo.

The two below have Jupiter in them toward the bottom left. It is the bright object.

Moon Again

2009-06-30T22:49:00.000-07:00

I tell you, I really must love the Moon or I'm obsessed. Something like that. Anyway, I was out again tonight shooting the Moon. They are probably the best shots I've ever taken of the Moon. They were shot through my Orion telescope with my Nikon D90. The first ones with the entire Moon in the frame are with the 2x barlow. I don't have a 2x barlow of my own yet, so I borrowed one from Bob of Blackholes and Astrostuff. Thank you Bob for that. I think they turned out well. Must have been something in the air. Oh, I know, there were no clouds, so it's what was not in the air tonight! The first four shots look to be the same picture, but they are not. Slightly different settings for each one. Anyway, enjoy.

The following pictures were taken using a 3x barlow. Definitely not quite as clear, but that's partly due to the telescope as well. If the scope was bigger with a longer focal length, the pictures should be really clear. However, even these 3x barlow shots turned out good tonight.

More Moon Pictures

2009-06-29T22:12:00.000-07:00

The pictures below were all taken on Saturday night. I went out with my Dad and Bob of Blackholes and Astrostuff. They were taken with my Orion telescope, Nikon D90, 2x barlow, t-ring and 1 1/4" adapter. They appear slightly dark and slightly out of focus because there was lots of dew that night as well as cloud cover.

The two pictures below had a jet stream going through the middle and it looked like I broke the Moon.

First Ever Milky Way Pictures

2009-06-27T21:25:00.000-07:00

It seems like I've posted a lot of "firsts" lately. There are good reasons for that. Namely, because I didn't have a telescope before, didn't have the Nikon D90 and all the accessories that go with it, didn't have a Celestron FirstScope, etc. So, this post is about another first for me - photographing the Milky Way. Below are a few of the pics I snapped of the night sky last weekend.

The pictures below are of Jupiter, which is the big bright "star" looking object towards the bottom of the pictures. It was huge that night.

Finding Planets Easier

2009-06-17T13:28:00.000-07:00

Below is a chart that a guy made from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. His name is Brian Battersby. It is a helpful resouce for locating planets. It was all to do with the Sidewalk Astronomer's Program which is a program of the International Year of Astronomy 2009.

The image below is showing a conjunction in the Eastern sky involving the Moon, Venus and Mercury about 45 minutes before sunrise on June 19th.

Moon and Jupiter

2009-06-13T12:43:00.000-07:00

I was trying to capture some good Moon pictures, but managed to see Jupiter come up after the Moon had risen. They weren't close enough to get them both together in the telescope in good detail, so I got as close as I could and have them both in the picture. All of these were taken with a Nikon D90. The first set below was taken through my Orion 4.5" scope. Enjoy.

The pictures below were taken through a Celestron FirstScope.

Sky Charts for June 2009

2009-06-11T19:34:00.000-07:00

Below is a B & W and a color sky chart for our area, which is above 40〫latitude.

The above chart is available from skymaps.com

The above color chart is available from Orion Telescopes

My First "Real" Telescope

2009-06-05T18:47:00.000-07:00

I picked up a new telescope today from a local guy. It is an Orion StarBlast 4.5" Equatorial Reflector. It's a decently built scope that apparently has good optics. It's a short tube scope, so easily manageable. The tripod and mount are fairly sturdy so they should stand up fine. Once I take some photos through it, I'll put them on this post.

The pictures below were taken last night through my new telescope. Enjoy.

First Pictures With Celestron Firstscope

2009-05-31T23:29:00.000-07:00

Well, my camera/telescope parts finally arrived the other day and I had a chance to try them out tonight for the first time and figure out how they work. As I posted earlier, I bought a Celestron FirstScope from a local store called Neural Net Interactive. I also ordered a t-ring adapter, 1 1/4 adapter and 3x barlow from Khan Scope. I mounted the adapters onto my Nikon D80 just to test them out. I was pleasantly surprised by the results. Of course, I shot the Moon. I did try Saturn, but it clouded over. So, below is my first ever attempt at taking photos through a telescope. I am, however, looking at getting a more powerful scope, namely one similar to the Celestron AstroMaster 130EQ-MD. Hopefully that will help my photo-taking skills through the telescope. Anyway, enjoy.

Day and Night Moon and Clouds

2009-05-30T19:39:00.000-07:00

I know it seems like all I post is pictures of the Moon. Well, that is true, but there are reasons for that. The first is that I love taking pictures of the Moon. Absolutely love it. The second reason is because I'm not sure how to use my camera with the telescope yet, so until I do, I'll keep photographing what I can see through my camera. Anyway, below are pictures taking this afternoon and tonight of the Moon and some cloud cover. Not stunning photos, but better than just the Moon by itself. The bottom photo seems out of focus because of the thin layer of cloud creating a haze over the Moon. It was actually in focus though.

First Pictures With Nikon D90

2009-05-28T19:28:00.001-07:00

Well, it's finally arrived. My Nikon D90 that is. I've waited for this for a long time now. I got my D80 last summer, and although it is a good camera, the D90 just does a few things better. And it has live view, which I like. Anyway, below are the first pictures I have taken with it. Naturally, they are of the Moon, probably my favorite thing to photograph. I should also mention that these photos were taken through a 70-300mm lens with a 1.5x converter attached. The bottom look similar, but they are slightly different. Different camera settings and slightly different Moon position.

Moon Descent

2009-05-25T21:45:00.001-07:00

I managed to capture a really neat looking crescent Moon tonight off my front steps. It was dusk out and the Moon had barely risen and was rapidly descending. There were all taken with my Nikon D80 and 70-300mm lens with 1.5x converter.

Selling Meteorites

2009-05-21T21:34:00.000-07:00

Since there seems to be an interest in meteorites, I have decided to sell some of the ones I found this month. I found about 19 altogether of different shapes and sizes from the Buzzard Coulee fall on Nov. 20, 2008. I will post some photos soon. In the meantime, below is a list of all the sizes I have to sell. The weights are all in grams and the price is $15 per gram. Here is the list - 3.4, 4.3, 6.9, 7.0, 7.8, 7.9, 8.5, 9.4, 10.4, 13.3, 15.8, 16.1, 25.7. If you're interested, you can post a comment here.

Meteorites Through the Microscope

2009-05-18T12:42:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my friend Bob of Blackholes and Astrostuff who photographed the meteorites below through his Celestron LCD digital microscope. They look really astounding. These meteorites belong to the Buzzard Coulee fall of Nov. 20, 2008 (see earlier posts for info on this meteorite). I'm not sure what all the features are called, other than the chondrules (?), but they look fantastic anyway. The meteorites were collected by myself on May 2, 2009, near Marsden, SK. The bottom photo is of Angrite. The picture was sent to me by Bob. It looks amazing. Enjoy.

Another New Mini Telescope

2009-05-17T21:36:00.000-07:00

While researching the Celestron FirstScope, I stumbled upon the Galileoscope. The telescope is called a Cornerstone Project of the International Year of Astronomy. The idea behind this telescope is to help educate people on what Galileo Galilei first observed with his telescopes, namely Jupiter's moons as well as discoveries involving the Sun, Moon and Venus. The telescope itself looks really neat.

Another important aspect of this international telescope project is to assist those who wouldn't normally be able to afford a telescope with being able to do so. This project is endorsed by the United Nations and UNESCO and the aim is to help stimulate worldwide interest in science.

This refractor telescope comes as a 30-piece kit with simple instructions for no-tools assembly. Apparently, it can be assembled in 5 minutes or less. It is constructed from ABS tubes that snap together. Its achromatic optics include a 50 mm objective lens of focal length 500 mm, an eyepiece of focal length 20 mm (magnification 25x), and a 2x Barlow lens, effectively increasing the magnification to 50x. It accepts almost any optical accessory that has a standard 1¼-inch barrel, which means that a camera should be able to be mounted to it with a 1¼- inch T-ring adapter. The only part needed is a tripod.

Below is an image of the Moon taken through the Galileoscope. Looks really good. I'm excited to receive mine. They are supposed to be shipped in early June, so hopefully that doesn't change.

Mini Telescope

2009-05-08T21:58:00.000-07:00

After spending some time with my friend Bob of Blackholes and Astrostuff, I got to check out his new telescope. It is a Celestron FirstScope. The FirstScope pays tribute to Galileo Galilei and many of history's most notable astronomers and scientists by displaying their names around the optical tube.

It is a small Dobsonian type reflector telescope that has been named Official Product of International Year of Astronomy 2009. It features a 76 mm aperture and 300 mm focal length, yet only weighs about two pounds and stand about 18" high. I will be the first, actually the second after Bob, to admit that this little scope surprised me a lot. It is surprisingly clear, easy to use, yet sturdy and well made with smooth actions all around. It comes with a 4 mm eyepiece. All of this for only $62.49 CAD, if bought from Celestron. The only downside of ordering from Celestron is the shipping tends to be high. The FirstScope is also carried by Khan Telescope for $69.00 and cheaper shipping than Celestron.

The other neat thing about this is there is a FirstScope accessory kit for only $24.94 CAD. It features a 12.5 mm and a 6 mm eyepiece, a Moon filter, a 5x24" spotting scope, a CD-ROM explaining the basics of astronomy, and a tote bag to carry the telescope and accessories in.

I have ordered the above scope and accessory kit and am anxious to get my camera mounted to it and take some photos, but that's a topic for a future post.

Saskatchewan Meteorite Hunt

2009-05-03T09:55:00.000-07:00

Well, it happened yesterday - I got to hunt for meteorites. The meteor fell on November 20, 2008. We left at 6:00 a.m. and drove for three hours to a place called Buzzard Coulee, near Marsden, Saskatchewan. There was a group of nine of us walking the farmer's field. We walked in a straight line, about an arms length apart. We each had long dowels with strong magnets on the ends to pick up the pieces. The pieces contain a lot of magnetic iron. The "leader" of the group has a GPS unit plotting our course. Each time one of us would find a meteorite, he would put the coordinates in the GPS to keep track of the "hot spot". I believe the meteorites are called H4 iron chondrites.

I must say that it was completely exciting finding the first one. This is a "rock" that has travelled millions of miles to get here. It has not been touched by any other human in history. I was the first one to touch the first piece I found, as well as subsequent pieces. In total, I was fortunate to find 11 pieces. They are all numbered and will be weighed. Half of the pieces will go to the farmer as "payment" for access to his land. This is a strange concept because no one actually owns mineral rights like that. It's not technically the farmer's, but such is life I guess. Anyway, below are some pictures from the hunt.

This is a picture of the moose that ran by us in the field.

Meteorite Find

2009-04-29T21:25:00.000-07:00

Well, the search teams were full last weekend unfortunately, so I was not able to get out searching for meteorites. However, my Dad was able to go. He found a number of good pieces. They are visibly burned from entering the atmosphere. The pieces he kept were about 74 grams and 215 grams. I'm still hoping to get out this coming weekend and find some pieces of my own. I'll post something if I'm able to do so. Anyway, below is a picture of my Dad's meteorite.

Hunting for Meteorites

2009-04-21T20:49:00.000-07:00

On November 20, 2008, a large meteor fell just south of Lloydminster, SK at around 5:30 p.m. It broke up into thousands of pieces and spread over many kilometers. My Dad was fortunate enough to go out last weekend and was able to find a couple of pieces from the meteorite. They are quite obvious as they are definitely burned/charred. They are very interesting indeed. So, because I was unable to go with him, I checked about going out this weekend. So, I'm just waiting for the stamp of approval from the guy heading up the search. I'll post some photos of my Dad's pieces. In the meantime, below are some photos of the meteor that fell, captured by a CTV News camera. The bottom photo is from a police dashboard camera.

2009-04-21T19:57:00.000-07:00

Well, as much as I don't consider myself an environmentalist, I figured with the looming Earth Day tomorrow, I would put up a post regarding that. There is not much for me to say about it. I will say that, yes, it is important to protect the Earth and it's ecosystems. I do notice light pollution, especially when trying to snap some night photos. I have also noticed that our city is using bright lights in new areas, opposed to the less brilliant amber lighting in other areas. This makes it hard to take half decent photos in the city. It's a shame really.

Anyway, for more information about Earth Day, please visit the official website.

(Photo from the Earth Day website)

Canada Post Year of Astronomy Stamps

2009-04-16T22:42:00.000-07:00

When I was over at my Dad's today, he showed me some stamps he had bought from Canada Post. They are to commemorate the International Year of Astronomy, which of course is this year, 2009. They are really neat looking stamp sets. They feature a shot of a cool space object and a Canadian observatory, one of which was instrumental in co-discovering the first black hole.

Here is a link to info on the Canada Post website.

2009 Star Party

2009-04-06T20:44:00.001-07:00

The annual star party put on by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (Saskatoon and Regina Centre's) will be held from August 13-16, 2009 in Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park. It is a growing event held each year in early to mid August in the southwest corner of Saskatchewan. This year's theme is Discover Saskatchewan's Living Skies.

Here is a link to the site that provides a wealth of info about the Star Party.

100 Hours of Astronomy

2009-04-06T20:32:00.000-07:00

I'm not quite sure why I've been so far behind the eight ball lately, but I missed the 100 hours of astronomy this past weekend. There were many events all around the world for this event that ran from April 2-5. Locally, there were numerous events scheduled. One in particular was held at Beaver Creek Conservation Area, just south of the city. There was a number of telescopes set up. Some friends of mine from work had gone and were able to look through a telescope for the first time ever. They were thrilled to see astronomical sites such as Saturn.

Here is a link to the official site of 100 Hours of Astronomy.

Earth Hour

2009-03-29T20:21:00.000-07:00

Well, it appears that Earth Hour has come and gone, and low and behold, I missed posting about it. So, better late than never, I will do that now. The whole idea behind the second annual Earth Hour is to attempt to have people around the world turn off non-essential lights and other such power sources for an hour to conserve electricity. It appears that there were some places noticed a difference.

Ontario, for example, noticed a 6% decrease in power consumption during the hour on Saturday night. Here in Saskatchewan, there was no noticeable difference. Please read the Earth Hour news article on the News Talk 650 website.

Here is a link to the official Earth Hour website.

Space Station's new solar panels operational

2009-03-20T12:29:00.000-07:00

NASA has reported that the International Space Station's (ISS) new solar panels are functioning properly. They are the last set on solar panels to be installed on the ISS in an effort to boost the amount of scientific research that can be done. The ISS is now about 81 percent complete and weighs about 670,000 pounds. It is expected to be completed next year in correlation with the reitrement of the space shuttle's.

Space Station Solar Panel's

(Photo courtesy of NASA)

Saskatchewan-Born Resident Canadian Astronaut Hopeful

2009-03-17T23:16:00.000-07:00

Saskatchewan native Desmond Brophy (pictured below), who is currently a CF-18 pilot, has been chosen by the Canadian Space Agency as an astronaut candidate. He is one of the 16 final candidates in the National Astronaut Recruitment Campaign announced Monday in Toronto by the Canadian Space agency. He is one of 5341 applicants to be chosen. The two candidates will be chosen in May and will then travel to the Johnson Space Center in Houston for several years of training. Please see the link below for the full story.

Canadian Astronaut Hopefuls

(Photo Courtesy of Canadian Space Agency)

Moon and Jupiter

2009-02-28T16:27:00.000-08:00

Well, for some silly reason, my camera was not cooperating with me for last night when the Moon and Jupiter were in really close proximity to each other (otherwise known as a conjunction). I managed to get a half- decent shot, but only one unfortunately.

U OF S Named In NASA's Strategic Plan

2009-02-18T08:56:00.000-08:00

When I was reading the NASA 2006-2016 Strategic Plan (I'm still not sure why, because it's 48 pages long), I came across a photo that I found interesting and thought fellow residents from Saskatchewan might like it too. In the Plan, NASA makes mention about a team from the University of Saskatchewan. So, congratulations to the U of S team for this accomplishment. Here is the quote from the Strategic Plan document with the photo below -

"A team demonstrates their concept for a robotic climber that could scale a 200-foot cable powered only by the beam from an industrial searchlight during the 2005 Beam Power Challenge. The challenge was part of NASA’s Centennial Challenges. Although none of the 11 teams won the challenge, the University of Saskatchewan Space Design Team had the farthest beam-powered climb, approximately 40 feet."

(Photo: NASA/K. Davidian)

Light Pollution

2009-02-17T12:46:00.001-08:00

So, I've noticed lately, that there seems to be an ever-increasing amount of light pollution over Saskatoon. This is especially evident in the Stonegate area where all the new businesses are. They seem to be using a lot of white lights instead of amber ones, thus making for a really bright glow above that area. I think the city should be making a committment to decrease the amount of light pollution by changing to more energy efficient lights, ensuring they are pointing down better than the current ones, and so on.

I'm not sure the exact source for the following photo. I believe that NASA has done these types of satellite images and National Geographic has done stories on this topic as well. The planet is under seige from an increasing amount of light pollution. It definitely makes observing the stars more difficult.

More ISS Sightings Possible

2009-02-10T10:49:00.000-08:00

Below is another chart outlining when the International Space Station may be visible in our area of Saskatchewan. I have a link on the right side of the page that enables you to check for a sighting in your area.

Newfound Comet Lulin to Grace Night Skies

2009-02-08T18:34:00.000-08:00

By Joe Rao
SPACE.com Skywatching Columnist
posted: 06 February 2009
09:34 am ET

During the next few weeks, a comet bright enough for observation in binoculars and possibly even with the naked eye will provide a fine skywatching target when weather permits.

Comet Lulin will be closest to Earth on Feb. 24 and prime viewing will occur than and on surrounding nights. For sharp-eye viewers with dark, rural, skies, the comet is expected to be visible as a dim, fuzzy star.

People living in cities and suburbs are not expected to see the comet with the naked eye, but binoculars and telescopes will reveal its cloudy head and perhaps a striking tail, too. Comets are unpredictable, however, so it's impossible to say how bright this one might become.

Already Lulin is an enjoyable target for small telescopes, producing several striking photographs in the predawn sky. The object is best found using a sky map tailored to your location.

The Discovery

The comet was photographed by Chi Sheng Lin using a 16-inch telescope at the Lulin Observatory at Nantou, Taiwan on July 11, 2007. But it was a 19-year old student, Quanzhi Ye at Sun Yat-sen University in Mainland China who first recognized the new object on three images that were taken by Lin.

Initially it was thought to be an asteroid, new images taken a week later revealed the telltale presence of a faint coma.

The discovery was part of the Lulin Sky Survey project to explore the various populations of small bodies in the solar system, especially objects that possibly could pose a hazard to the Earth. As such, the comet has been christened Comet Lulin, more formally known to astronomers as Comet C/2007 N3.

This comet is the brightest since the surprising outburst of Comet Holmes more than 15 months ago and in the coming weeks will become favorably placed in the evening sky. During mid-to-late February it will probably be about magnitude 5 or 6, making it perhaps visible to the naked eye in dark, rural locations and easily observable in binoculars or small telescopes.

Unusual Orbit

Brian Marsden of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory has calculated that Comet Lulin passed through the perihelion point of its orbit (its closest approach to the sun) on Jan. 10, 113 million miles (182 million kilometers) from the sun. However, while the comet is now receding from the sun, its distance from the Earth is decreasing, with a minimum of 38 million miles (61 million kilometers) on Feb. 24.

For this reason, the comet should be at its brightest during the last week of February; then it will fade fast by mid-March.

The orbit of Comet Lulin is very nearly a parabola, according to Marsden. It is also rather unusual since it is moving through space in a direction opposite to that of the planets at a very low inclination of just 1.6-degrees from the ecliptic. As such, because it is moving opposite to the motion of our Earth, the comet will appear to track rather quickly against the background stars as one observes the object from one night to the next.

In addition, over the next three weeks, the comet will appear to rise an average of about 20-minutes earlier each night. Right now, it is best seen in the predawn sky.

Rapid Track

On the night of Feb. 7, for instance, Lulin will rise above the east-southeast horizon around midnight and will appear at its highest in the sky toward the south at the break of dawn. But on the night of the 24th, when it will be passing nearest to Earth, Lulin will be visible all night, rising in the east at dusk, peaking high in the south shortly after midnight and setting in the west around sunrise.

Currently located in the constellation Libra, Comet Lulin will appear to move on a northwest trajectory, crossing over into Virgo on Feb. 11 and passing 3-degrees north of the 1st-magnitude star Spica in Virgo on Feb. 16 (for comparison, your clenched fist held at arm's length measures about 10-degrees in width).

On the night of Feb. 23, now virtually at its peak brightness, the comet will be sitting just 2-degrees south-southwest of the planet Saturn, which you can use as a benchmark to locate the comet. Moreover, around this time, Comet Lulin will be racing at more than 5-degrees per day -- that's roughly the equivalent of the distance between the stars Dubhe and Merak, the "Pointer Stars" of the Big Dipper; so even a few minutes of watching with a telescope should reveal the comet's slow shift relative to background field stars.

On Feb. 27, the fading comet will slip just 1-degree south of the 1st-magnitude star, Regulus in Leo. And come the night of March 5, Lulin -- by then probably between magnitudes 6 and 7 and no longer visible without binoculars or a telescope -- will pass to within 2-degrees of the famous Beehive Star Cluster in Cancer.

Look for an Antitail

Comets are visible because radiation from the sun releases gas and dust from the comet. That material then shines with reflected sunlight, creating a cloudy head, or coma, and sometimes one or two tails.

Even when it's at its very brightest, naked-eye observers probably see Comet Lulin as resembling only a dim, fuzzy star. In binoculars, or a small telescope the comet may resemble an apple on a stick; that is, the comet's diffuse head or coma should appear round and somewhat condensed toward its center, with perhaps a tinge of blue or green, while a narrow tail of gas extends out to the northwest.

In addition, telescopic observers should also look for a "spike" of light, pointing in a direction opposite to the tail. This strange effect, called an "antitail," is caused by a thin sheet of dust that is expelled by the comet but normally is visible for a brief interval when the Earth passes through the comet's orbital plane.

But because Earth will remain in the comet's orbital plane through February and on into March, there will be an ongoing chance of catching a glimpse of the antitail as well.

Modest Lunar Eclipse Monday Morning

2009-02-08T18:33:00.000-08:00

By SPACE.com Staff
posted: 08 February 2009
10:45 am ET

A modest eclipse of the moon will occur early Monday morning, Feb 9. The outer portion of Earth's shadow will cover part of the moon, causing a slight darkening of the moon.

Sky watchers will not see a dramatic "bite" taken out of the moon as occurs with a partial eclipse. Nor will the moon get very dark, as in a total eclipse. In fact most people will not even notice this eclipse unless they're aware of its timing and watch the event unfold.

The eclipse will be visible just before dawn from western North America, as well as earlier in the morning in Hawaii and Australia. The moon will be near the western horizon, about to set. Only those with dark skies during the timing of the event will have a chance to see much, weather permitting.

The moon shines because it reflects sunlight. Lunar eclipses occur only at the time of full moon, and only when the sun, Earth and moon are all in a line, causing Earth to block sunlight and throw a shadow on the moon. A total eclipse occurs when this alignment is perfect, so that the Earth's full main shadow, called the umbra, makes the moon go dark.

But because the moon orbits Earth in a slightly different plane compared to our planet's orbit around the sun, the setup is rarely perfect. Most full moons come and go without generating an eclipse.

Earth's outer shadow, called the penumbra, is not as dark. Monday's event is called a penumbral eclipse, because only this outer, partial shadow will fall on the moon.

The moon begins to slide into the penumbra at 4:36 a.m. PST as viewed from along the coast of California, according to the U.S. Naval Observatory's eclipse calculator. The middle of the eclipse comes at about 6:38 a.m. PST. The moon sets before the eclipse is done.

In Alaska, the eclipse begins at 3:36 a.m. local time. In Hawaii, it's 2:36 a.m. local time. East Asia will have good viewing opportunities even earlier.

In Phoenix, Arizona, only the beginning of the event will be visible, starting at 5:36 a.m. local time. The farther east you are, the less the eclipse will be visible. In fact for most of the country the even won't be seen.

Daytime Moon Shots

2009-02-06T15:50:00.001-08:00

I took the following pictures while trying to capture some neat sun dogs. Unfortunately, I didn't get the sun dogs. They actually looked like a complete ring around the sun. So, I got some daytime Moon shots instead.

Canadians in Space

2009-02-04T23:03:00.000-08:00

Canada is relatively new at the astronaut game. The search for Canada's first person in space didn’t begin until 1983, when the United States invited its neighbour to join the crew of the space shuttle. The National Research Council of Canada asked interested people to apply: 4,000 responded.

The Canadian Astronaut Program was born when the NRC whittled down the list to six bona fide astronauts-in-training. They were Roberta Bondar, Marc Garneau, Steve MacLean, Ken Money, Robert Thirsk and Bjarni Tryggvason.

As of July 2005, 10 Canadians have trained to be astronauts. Eight have tested their skills in space, but two – Ken Money and Mike McKay – haven't flown a space mission.

Astronauts (first row, left to right) Roberta Bondar, Chris Hadfield, Robert Thirsk, Bjarni Tryggvason, and (second row, left to right) Marc Garneau, Steve Maclean, Julie Payette and Dave Williams pose for a photo at the John H. Chapman Space Centre in St. Hubert, Que., on Friday, Sept. 26, 2003. All eight Canadians who have spent time in space attended a ceremony where Canada Post unveiled an eight-stamp set. (Andre Pichette/Canadian Press)

Fuel valve concerns push back space shuttle launch

2009-02-03T22:14:00.000-08:00

Updated Tue. Feb. 3 2009 8:39 PM ET

The Associated Press

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA on Tuesday delayed next week's launch of space shuttle Discovery while it runs tests to determine whether newly installed valves would cause damage if they broke during liftoff.

The launch will take place no sooner than Feb. 19, seven days after the shuttle was originally scheduled to take off on a space station construction mission. The delay is needed to make certain that Discovery can fly safely with the valves that control the flow of gaseous hydrogen into the external fuel tank, said NASA's space operations chief, Bill Gerstenmaier.

"We want to make sure we've got this right. This has important consequences to us," Gerstenmaier said. "So we think standing down for a little bit of time and letting the folks do a little more work is a good thing."

Three new gas pressure valves were installed in Discovery's engine compartment after a small part of one broke off during shuttle Endeavour's launch in November. Endeavour's fuel tank maintained good pressure and, in the end, no harm was done.

Engineers believe fatigue caused by acoustic vibrations caused the valve in Endeavour to break. Over the next week, experts will use lab tests to try to ascertain whether a broken chunk of valve could damage any of the downstream plumbing.

Top NASA managers decided on the delay Tuesday night after an entire day of closed-door meetings at the Kennedy Space Center to discuss launch preparations.

Discovery and its seven-man crew are set to deliver the last set of solar wings to the International Space Station.

Moon Halo

2009-02-03T21:12:00.000-08:00

These were also taken tonight. The Moon is not really outstanding and clear in them, but I like the effect of the shot. These are untouched as well. A lunar halo is formed in the troposphere through the refraction of moonlight (which is reflected sunlight) by ice crystals in upper thermosphere.

New Moon Pictures

2009-02-03T20:58:00.000-08:00

These were taken over a span of about 3 hours tonight. There was a haze over the Moon. I took these while waiting to try and capture the Moon and Pleiades conjunction. These are untouched photos. They do appear slightly out of focus, but I would attribute that to the haze. Photos were taken with Nikon D80 with 1.5x tele-converter and 70-300mm lens.

Google's Lunar X Prize race to the Moon

2009-02-01T15:54:00.000-08:00

Below is the video that details Google's Lunar X Prize. It has a total value of $30 million. Prizes will be awarded to the first privately funded team to land a vehicle on the Moon, drive that vehicle 500 meters, and send photos/videos back to Earth.

Here is a link to the Google Lunar X site -

Google Lunar X

International Space Station Visible over the next four days

2009-02-01T08:51:00.000-08:00

The International Space Station will be visible tonight, tomorrow and Wednesday night. Below is the information provided by NASA as to when and where to look for it.

Click the link below to be taken to the NASA ISS site where you can get viewing data -

International Space Station fly-overs

Comet passing by Earth

2009-01-31T21:04:00.000-08:00

So, I stumbled upon this story on the National Geographic website in the Daily News section and thought I'd post it. It is really neat. There is a comet called Lulin that is visible moving westward from the constellation Libra to Virgo.

Amateur astronomer Gregg Ruppel captured the image below of Comet Lulin on January 15, 2009, which shows the comet's faint tail and rare anti-tail—a slim "second tail" that seems to point toward the sun but is actually an optical effect.

Comet Lulin will make its closest approach to Earth on February 24, and while it will probably be hard to see with the naked eye, astronomers think the "fresh" new comet has the potential to brighten rapidly.

Here is a link to the story on National Geographic -

Comet Lulin on National Geographic

Moon, Jupiter, Venus Conjuction

2009-01-31T20:37:00.001-08:00

The photos below were taken at about 8:00 at night on December 1, 2008. They were taken with a Nikon D80, 28-80mm lens. Not the greatest photos, but it was neat to be able to capture this interesting event.

I lightened the picture below a bit to see the Moon better.

Daytime Moon

2009-01-31T20:21:00.000-08:00

Below are some photos I took of the Moon during the early morning at about 7:00 a.m. They were taken with a Nikon D80 and 70-300mm lens. They have not been edited, other than the contrast and brightness.

Some photos of the Moon at night

2009-01-31T19:59:00.000-08:00

Below are some of the photos I have taken. Some photos are taken with a Nikon F80 and some with a Nikon D80. The lenses I have used are the 28-80mm and 70-300mm, plus a 1.5x tele-converter, tripod and wireless remote. I am in the learning process of taking photos through a telescope. I hope to have new photos up regularly. I'm not sure why, but I love taking photos of the Moon. I find it fascinating.