Celestial Cartography

Palomar · 2005-06-25 06:00:23

I am tired of Jupiter. This is Mars forum here right ? So I think I have posted the first picture of Mars of this year !
I said "Dude, GOTO Uranus !" and the telescope obeyed like G. Bush when asked to GOTO war by God.
Happy that my computerized mount did a so good job, I finished my bottle of wine and went back to bed. (the mosquitos were probably all drunk). That was fun believe me.

:laugh:

Lots of folks have been submitting pics of Jupiter to spaceweather.com. Of course it's lately nearest to Earth as it gets.

Can see those Uranian blues in your photo. :up:

I checked the remainder of your photo gallery as well. You should have included the lunar landscape shot in your post.

Mosquitos. Yes, I remember those little devils (from the Midwest). Since living in the desert Southwest, I've gotten bit by maybe 4 over the course of 13 summers. Low humidity, etc.

I've never tried my hand at astrophotography, even though my 'scope allows a piggyback mount. But there's no tracking on my 'scope, so alas...

Were I ever to attempt it, I'd love to go the solar route. Galactic objects (nebulae, star clusters) and galaxies would be my next choice.

--Cindy

dickbill · 2005-06-25 07:44:48

Can see those Uranian blues in your photo. :up:
I checked the remainder of your photo gallery as well. You should have included the lunar landscape shot in your post.

Thanks Cindy. I'm no big fan of the moon either. In fact, Mars and Uranus made my night.
There is a guy in the gallery that shot Uranus with a C14 and you can actually see the equatorial bands ! Almost everybody use the Philips ToUcam for its sensititivity and stack the resulting pictures by hundreds, showing details impossible to see visually. I just use a single shot with no staking, but I can say the colors are well rendered, if not the details.
I don't think I'm gonna invest in a TocAM, rather a low cost CCD camera.
If you have a digital camera Cindy, all you need is an adapter. You can go to Scopetronix.com to see if they have your particular adapter. You also don't have to buy the all DigitT max system with the scoptronix eyepiece. I got my adapter for about 60$ and I use my 25 mm Celestron Plossl for best result. Vignetting is very reduced.

BTW, if you have a Sony digital Camera, then you are lucky as Sony uses HAD CCD, more sensisitive than other brand CCD, you could possibly picture deep sky object in a couple of seconds with your 6 inches Newtonian.

Palomar · 2005-06-25 10:16:24

Can see those Uranian blues in your photo. :up:
I checked the remainder of your photo gallery as well. You should have included the lunar landscape shot in your post.
Thanks Cindy. I'm no big fan of the moon either. In fact, Mars and Uranus made my night.
There is a guy in the gallery that shot Uranus with a C14 and you can actually see the equatorial bands !

*Wow...I think I have yet to see an amateur astrophoto revealing that much detail of the Uranian atmosphere. As for Jupiter, of course there's been plenty of amateur photos showing its cloud bands. Sometimes amateurs with larger 'scopes have even managed to capture one of the Galilean moons (seen as an actual distinguishable globe) transiting Jupiter's face -- and the shadow of that moon on Jupiter. Sometimes they're turned into video clips. That's enviable. I'm sure you've seen those.

Regarding Luna...yeah; although I can and do enjoy some photos of it. Of course it'd be easy to get a darker filter and take plenty of photos, but I'm not interested in photographing Luna. Some amateurs really get into knowing the names of many craters, rilles, etc.; not me. :sleep: But to each their own.

I was interested in trying my hand at astrophotography as a kid. Maybe I'll take it up after all, but I'm not sure. I'm too impatient for it, probably. :-\ And I'd need a larger 'scope (I don't own a 6-inch Newtonian, but a 4.5-inch).

Please keep posting your astrophotos. I'm curious as to what you're doing with this.

--Cindy

dickbill · 2005-06-25 10:51:57

I was interested in trying my hand at astrophotography as a kid. Maybe I'll take it up after all, but I'm not sure. I'm too impatient for it, probably. :-\ And I'd need a larger 'scope (I don't own a 6-inch Newtonian, but a 4.5-inch).
Please keep posting your astrophotos. I'm curious as to what you're doing with this.
--Cindy

You don't have automatic track, but if your mount is an equatorial you can still manually track and since you can pggyback your camera. Short focal camera won't show much of the error tracking.
I've done that numerous time as a kid, manually tracking for half an hour, sometimes more, with a 50 mm objective on my slr camera. Quite easy actually if you are decently polar aligned.
Now, people have digital camera. If yours is advanced enough to pose several seconds, you might give a try. Don't even need tracking for a couple of seconds. Mine pose 15 seconds and it's enough to see magnitude 8 stars, as in :
http://www.buytelescopes.com/gallery/vi … ...c=29107
Not enough for M101 though.

Palomar · 2005-06-30 05:01:50

I was interested in trying my hand at astrophotography as a kid. Maybe I'll take it up after all, but I'm not sure. I'm too impatient for it, probably. :-\ And I'd need a larger 'scope (I don't own a 6-inch Newtonian, but a 4.5-inch).
Please keep posting your astrophotos. I'm curious as to what you're doing with this.
--Cindy
You don't have automatic track, but if your mount is an equatorial you can still manually track and since you can pggyback your camera. Short focal camera won't show much of the error tracking.
I've done that numerous time as a kid, manually tracking for half an hour, sometimes more, with a 50 mm objective on my slr camera. Quite easy actually if you are decently polar aligned.
Now, people have digital camera. If yours is advanced enough to pose several seconds, you might give a try. Don't even need tracking for a couple of seconds. Mine pose 15 seconds and it's enough to see magnitude 8 stars, as in :
http://www.buytelescopes.com/gallery/vi … ...c=29107
Not enough for M101 though.

*My telescope doesn't have an equatorial mount; a previous one did, though. So currently any attempts at manual tracking would result in warbly images (even if finely so). The 'scope does have camera adaptability, but more for terrestrial shots (bird watching, that sort of thing).

Actually I find most telescope models difficult to work with. My dream is to build a telescope within a framework wherein your entire body is involved with the machine, and you're looking down (practically lying down) to see the image which is obtained "over your shoulder." Wow, it's early in the morning, what the hell am I saying??

--Cindy

Palomar · 2005-07-11 07:19:44

http://www.space.com/spacewatch/050617_ … e.html]Who coined the "Summer Triangle" moniker?
*Good question. The source seems to be a book published in 1954 by a man named H. A. Rey (Find the Constellations). This article's author has searched for references (astronomy/cartography history) to the "Summer Triangle" (Vega, Altair and Deneb) predating 1954, and thus far hasn't turned up a reference.
The Summer Triangle is currently on the rise. Altair is my favorite.
Wish I could help settle the question. Did Mr. Rey coin the term, or did he repeat an already-used moniker? Maybe it was a regional reference, specific to where he grew up.
Interesting little mystery.
--Cindy

Navigators]http://www.space.com/spacewatch/050708_sky_triangle.html]Navigators' triangle?

*A follow-up and responses.

--Cindy

P.S.: I'm currently reading about the voyages/adventures of William Dampier (17th century). I'll be on the lookout to see if he makes reference to the Summer Triangle in those words.

Palomar · 2005-07-26 07:56:04

http://www.space.com/spacewatch/050722_ … l]Scorpius

*My favorite constellation. Ah, the glories of summer.

Interesting bit on one of its stars:

Dschubba (from the Arabic for "the Scorpion's Forehead")...is believed to be a rapidly rotating star, occasionally flinging mass out into space from its equator.

This mentioned in conjunction with unexpected and marked fluctuations in its brightness noted in July 2000.

Good info on Antares as well, etc.

--Cindy

Palomar · 2005-07-27 09:45:44

http://homepage.mac.com/kvmagruder/bcp/ … n.htm]Star chart

*Finally...an online southern skies map which shows where the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds are, their positions relative to one another, etc. Terrific.

And just beneath Canopus? In the winter, Canopus is visible for over a month from my locale -- though it is very low in the sky, perhaps a mere 10 degrees above the horizon (if that).

Really would love to see the SMC and LMC but that'd take some traveling.

--Cindy

P.S.: Tried to append the star chart as an Image but it wouldn't take. So have inserted hyperlink instead.

Palomar · 2005-08-12 07:42:53

Ophiuchus & Serpens

*Rides above Scorpius. It's also, IIRC (am sure of it), the largest constellation in terms of area (degrees) of sky involved. I always take note of Ophiuchus while stargazing in the summer. It seems a too-often neglected constellation in articles and magazines, etc., IMO.

Article mentions an asterism within O called "Poniatowski's Bull." It's a V-shaped asterism which resembles the Hyades in winter's Taurus. Unfortunately there's too much light pollution for me to see it while in town.

Also of interest is that it takes the Sun 19 days to move "through" Ophiuchus, as it travels along the ecliptic.

Check out the brief anecdote regarding "Barnard's Runaway Star" in this constellation as well.

--Cindy

srmeaney · 2005-08-12 08:56:06

The script on the 'The Mysterious Voynich Manuscript' was once needlepoint. There is a sewing technique embeded in it. So its three dimensional and we are only seeing one side. Other components are scythian, Ural mountain tatoos.

Thats all i can tell from the limited text sample shown.

Palomar · 2005-08-31 05:34:40

*A superb photo of Albireo:

Bright & Beautiful Double: Summer Stellar Dream

This is a favorite stellar double for amateurs. The colors in the photo are true; I've seen this double many times in my own 'scope; indeed, the color contrast is striking and separation is easily achieved in small 'scopes.

The Albireo double is approximately 380 light years distant, "in" the summer constellation of Cygnus; in fact, Albireo is the "nose" of the Swan.

It takes 75,000 years for these stars to orbit one another. And also:

The brighter yellow star is itself a binary star system, but too close together to be resolved even with a telescope.

Star chart of Cygnus

Anyone living on a planet which may orbit one of these stars would be treated to two suns of different colours in their skies and may never know the true meaning of darkness.

I can only imagine how lovely that'd be.

--Cindy

Palomar · 2005-09-02 06:39:27

Summer Delights in Sagittarius

*Sagittarius itself is a summer delight; there's nothing like watching its progression along the southern horizon as it trails immediately behind Scorpius. Its "Teapot" shape is a classic. Of course it "hosts" the richest portions of the Milky Way as visible to us.

The Sagittarius Star Cloud, about 30,000 light years distant, seems to be the nucleus, with the Sun and all the outer stars of the outer stars of the galaxy turning at the rate of 155 miles per second. It requires about 200 million of our Earthly years to make one complete revolution, or one "cosmic year." Its outer edge is about 20,000 light years in the opposite direction.

This is the prime time to view the Milky Way. Also, Sagittarius is visible well into October. It is, IMO, the final fading of what was once summer, to see it seemingly pitching down into the horizon on mid-autumn nights.

--Cindy

dickbill · 2005-09-08 18:39:38

Hi all,
I am a kind of a new guy in Mars Forum, so long time, I forgot about the netiquette.
I hope there is no guys here that want to go to the moon to dig for helium3. They would better go to Mars and drink a good in situ producted beer than stay on the moon and drink their own reverse osmosed pipi and eat shushi (the chineses have actually announced they want to dig the Moon for He3, good luck to them).

That said ( I needed to say something about Mars) , here is my first picture, made with the Meade DSI-pro, of the globular cluster M2 :
http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/me … %26.view=t

problem, is, I am not sure this is a public yahoo group. If not, sorry. I should remake my web site to include astro pictures ...
Anyway, comments are welcome.

dickbill · 2005-09-08 18:49:37

Well the picture area was actually not public. Sorry about that.
Here 's another link where I have posted my M2

http://www.buytelescopes.com/gallery/vi … p?pid=6794

with no registration, only the icons will appear.
Bye all,

Palomar · 2005-09-09 06:56:02

Well the picture area was actually not public. Sorry about that.
Here 's another link where I have posted my M2
http://www.buytelescopes.com/gallery/vi … p?pid=6794
with no registration, only the icons will appear.
Bye all,

*Hi dickbill: Nice. Can see bluish color within M2.

--Cindy

Palomar · 2005-09-10 14:35:31

The Two Crowns

*Corona Borealis and Corona Australis. CA is visible from my latitude and yes, it is noticeably dimmer than its Northern counterpart. CB is a pretty little constellation. Some interesting factoids, including one I wasn't aware of until now. Of course everything's moving, but:

Alphecca and Nusakan, a star immediately adjacent to it, have opposing motions and in the past 75,000 years have just about changed places.

Cool.

Another rather amazing feature about the Northern Crown is that within its boundaries there is a very rich cluster of distant galaxies, referred to as a supergalaxy. It is one of the most remarkable of all such aggregations, with more than 400 galaxies. The cluster is extremely remote; estimates place it at 1.3 billion light-years and receding from us at 13,000 miles per second or about one-fourteenth the velocity of light.

--Cindy

Palomar · 2005-10-11 15:15:47

http://tinyurl.com/8wpm7

*Just purchased this sumptuous deck today. I've never seen cartography for sale in this fashion. They are gorgeous illustrations. Click on "Larger View" to see closeup of 1st illustration.

I enjoy star charts (the simple, utilitarian and unadorned) and old-fashioned cartography illustrations nearly as much as looking at the stars themselves.

Will affix/mount these to a backing and display on the wall facing me, here in the office.

Barnes & Noble have signified this as "Sold Out." Want it, better hurry and get it (my store had 8 remaining).

--Cindy

Palomar · 2005-10-12 07:28:16

http://tinyurl.com/8wpm7
*Just purchased this sumptuous deck today. I've never seen cartography for sale in this fashion. They are gorgeous illustrations. Click on "Larger View" to see closeup of 1st illustration.
I enjoy star charts (the simple, utilitarian and unadorned) and old-fashioned cartography illustrations nearly as much as looking at the stars themselves.
Will affix/mount these to a backing and display on the wall facing me, here in the office.
Barnes & Noble have signified this as "Sold Out." Want it, better hurry and get it (my store had 8 remaining).

*This is even cooler than I thought. Of course the cards and booklet
were originally printed in 1832, so some of the cartography is "out
of date." There are asterisms in this collection which I don't
recall seeing before in all the modern star catalogs/astronomy books
and magazines I've read.

One is "Custos Messium." It's near Camelopardalis. Unless I read
about some of these obscure and no longer recognized asterisms and
minor constellations as a kid and have since forgotten, that one is
truly "new" to me. It was named in honor of Charles Messier, who of
course established a vast celestial objects catalog. "Custos" would
refer to "Custodian"...and the asterism's description is that
of "Gatherer of the Harvest," which makes sense considering Messier's
extensive observations and his famous catalog.

Another is "Gloria Frederici." It's an asterism named in honor of
Frederick II of Prussia...who was a friend of Voltaire's.

I've gotten to Card #10, so 22 to go. Am very pleased with these
unexpected "bonuses" and little surprises in the deck and
accompanying booklet.

--Cindy

Palomar · 2005-11-18 13:37:00

A flowing royal gown woven out of stardust

*Ah...romantic.

Concerns Cassiopeia and Cepheus. Good info about Cepheid variables, and also Herschel's Garnet Star.

At the southernmost point of the spire is Delta Cephei, the most celebrated of the class of variable stars known as the Cepheids. Sky catalogues contain literally hundreds of such pulsating stars that appear to regularly brighten and fade as they expand and contract. Their steady and rhythmical cycles are known with great precision, running from about two to 50 days while their brightness change (in most cases) amounts to about one magnitude...
But more importantly, these Cepheid stars are powerful tools in gauging distances to other galaxies.

--Cindy

Palomar · 2005-12-16 09:19:48

The Forgotten Winter Constellations

*Haven't forgotten Lepus nor Eridanus, though the others mentioned aren't easily seen even on the outskirts of a small city. Canopus I've seen [most recently in mid-October, pre-dawn; very beautiful]; not sure about Archernar.

As usual, history and mythology in the mix.

Among these is Epsilon Eridani, one of our closest stellar neighbors at a mere 10.7 light years away. Back in 1960 it was selected to be monitored by Project Ozma, a radio telescope that was directed toward it on the infinitesimal chance that it might possess a planet with a civilization advanced enough to transmit radio signals.

--Cindy

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