A reason to get up early

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DRT
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Re: A reason to get up early

Post by DRT »

I saw a few little ones tonight but then saw a huge fireball heading west that left a glowing trail about 5 degrees across (the Moon being 0.5 degrees in diameter) that lasted 3 or 4 seconds before slowly fading away.

My work is done. Time for bed.
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Re: A reason to get up early

Post by djewesbury »

Belfast clouded over in the end, but should be clear tonight. Will keep a lookout.
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Re: A reason to get up early

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

I've seen six tiddlers in 30 minutes. I'm not impressed.
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
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DRT
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Re: A reason to get up early

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AHB wrote:I've seen six tiddlers in 30 minutes. I'm not impressed.
It is too early. The maximum rate happens in a couple of hours from now. You are effectively watching expectantly for Ian Bell to be bowled out at 9 a.m. - wait two hours and one minute and you will be certain to see what you seek.
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Alex Bridgeman
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Re: A reason to get up early

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

You were absolutely right. 2 hours and 1 minute later it was cloudy over Wokingham.
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
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Re: A reason to get up early

Post by jdaw1 »

The New Horizons spacecraft is far away, so pictures download slowly. But there haven’t been any new images for weeks (image gallery): why?

The Dawn spacecraft is not so far away, but also hasn’t had any new images for weeks (image gallery): why?
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DRT
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Re: A reason to get up early

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jdaw1 wrote:The New Horizons spacecraft is far away, so pictures download slowly. But there haven’t been any new images for weeks (image gallery): why?

The Dawn spacecraft is not so far away, but also hasn’t had any new images for weeks (image gallery): why?
New Horizons is not scheduled to send new images until mid September. It is currently sending detailed data from the closest pass (not all pictures) and from mid September onward there will be weekly releases of data and/or pictures.

I know nothing of Dawn.
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Re: A reason to get up early

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"The first duty of Port is to be red"
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Re: A reason to get up early

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DRT
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Re: A reason to get up early

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Once you pass the 9th Planet there isn't much of any size out there :wink:
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Re: A reason to get up early

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PhilW
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Re: A reason to get up early

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Latest detailed colour image of Pluto from New Horizons (70MB PNG).

Derek - are you able to create a similarly (or more) detailed one of the moon using your equipment?
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Re: A reason to get up early

Post by Andy Velebil »

Last weekend I spent up in the mountains (a tad above 6,000 feet). While I sat on the deck on a very clear dark evening, with a glass of Port in hand, watching the stars, and looking for satellites streaking by, I though "If only DRT was here with his telescope I may actually see something really cool."
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Re: A reason to get up early

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PhilW wrote:Latest detailed colour image of Pluto from New Horizons (70MB PNG).
With the moons added into the corners, that would make a very difficult 1600-piece jigsaw.
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Re: A reason to get up early

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PhilW wrote:Latest detailed colour image of Pluto from New Horizons (70MB PNG).

Derek - are you able to create a similarly (or more) detailed one of the moon using your equipment?
Not unless I buy an Apollo rocket on Ebay and get myself to within a few km of the surface :lol:

I have been looking at that image on another site. If you zoom right in and pan around it is fascinating to see how the terrain changes so abruptly from one region to the next. Very impressive and very geologically confusing.
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DRT
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Re: A reason to get up early

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Andy Velebil wrote:Last weekend I spent up in the mountains (a tad above 6,000 feet). While I sat on the deck on a very clear dark evening, with a glass of Port in hand, watching the stars, and looking for satellites streaking by, I though "If only DRT was here with his telescope I may actually see something really cool."
I must try to get there one day and we can try out your theory :wink:
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Re: A reason to get up early

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For those with an interest in such things this is notice of a Lunar Eclipse that will occur in the early hours of Monday morning. Unusually, this will coincide with a Super-Moon event so the Moon will appear larger than normal.

The Moon will be relatively high and due south when this event occurs so should be visible from most locations provided the clear skies continue until then.

I will try to get some pictures.
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Re: A reason to get up early

Post by PhilW »

DRT wrote:For those with an interest in such things this is notice of a Lunar Eclipse that will occur in the early hours of Monday morning. Unusually, this will coincide with a Super-Moon event so the Moon will appear larger than normal.
That would be a "blood moon", yes? In which case co-incidence with super-moon would make it all the more unusual. Good luck with the skies, and hope you get some excellent pictures.
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Re: A reason to get up early

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PhilW wrote:That would be a "blood moon", yes?
Yes, that is what it has become known as relatively recently.
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Re: A reason to get up early

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Only recently? I thought the "moon turning to blood" was Old Testament (maybe New, I forget - it does sound more like something that would come from Revelations).

From the image at the top of the linked page, it looks like the "peak" of the eclipse will be at 02:47, but that we will have totality (if that term is acceptable for this eclipse given that only refracted light reaches the moon, direct paths are full blocked) from around 02:15 to 03:15. I think I'll set my alarm and keep the binoculars out; thanks for the heads-up, btw.
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Re: A reason to get up early

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PhilW wrote:Only recently? I thought the "moon turning to blood" was Old Testament (maybe New, I forget - it does sound more like something that would come from Revelations).
[url=http://earthsky.org/space/what-is-a-blood-moon-lunar-eclipses-2014-2015#why]Here[/url] EarthSky.com wrote:Why is the term Blood Moon being used to mean a full moon of a lunar tetrad?

We can’t really tell you why more and more people are using the term Blood Moon to describe the four full moons of a lunar tetrad. We don’t know why, exactly.

Here’s the definition of a lunar tetrad, again: four successive total lunar eclipses, with no partial eclipses in between, each of which is separated from the other by six lunar months (six full moons). There’s no obvious reason why Blood Moon should be associated with this term.

To the best of our knowledge, however, the use of the term Blood Moon to describe a lunar tetrad is of recent origin. It might have originated with John Hagee’s 2013 book.

We’re still not sure whether Blood Moon pertains to the full moon of any tetrad, or specifically to a tetrad that coincides with the feasts of Passover and Tabernacles.

Either way, the nouveau definition of Blood Moon has definitely gained traction during the interval of the ongoing tetrad, the four total lunar eclipses of 2014 and 2015
The book referred to, written by a nutter, seems to predict that this current tetrad signals the end of the world.

I will stay up to photograph it, but none of you will see it because we will all be gone by morning.
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Re: A reason to get up early

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DRT wrote:
PhilW wrote:Only recently? I thought the "moon turning to blood" was Old Testament (maybe New, I forget - it does sound more like something that would come from Revelations).
[url=http://earthsky.org/space/what-is-a-blood-moon-lunar-eclipses-2014-2015#why]Here[/url] EarthSky.com wrote:Why is the term Blood Moon being used to mean a full moon of a lunar tetrad?
A slightly different definition than I expected; I thought the "moon turning to blood" or "blood moon" simply referred to any lunar eclipse, where the moon appears to turn red, as opposed to anything to do with lunar tetrads; though it sounds like the latter is a new/nouveau/recent redefinition of the term.

I'm tempted to have a go at photographing this myself, though only with standard camera and tripod, rather than scope.
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Re: A reason to get up early

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Go for it!

It seems that the east of the country will have clearer skies than in the west so you might be lucky. The forecast here has now changed to a blanket of cloud :sad:
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Re: A reason to get up early

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"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
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Re: A reason to get up early

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DRT wrote:
Andy Velebil wrote:Last weekend I spent up in the mountains (a tad above 6,000 feet). While I sat on the deck on a very clear dark evening, with a glass of Port in hand, watching the stars, and looking for satellites streaking by, I though "If only DRT was here with his telescope I may actually see something really cool."
I must try to get there one day and we can try out your theory :wink:
Bring sunscreen its slightly warmer and with a tad more sun here. But the port will be kept cool so it's ok.


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