Posted by: @mrs-smooshy

I used to ogle the telescopes in the SEARS catalog when I was kid though.  Yeesh.  haha  Last summer, I went out into the mosquitos every night for two weeks to try to see that one comet that went by.  They said on the news you could see it with the naked eye but I later learned that binoculars fell under "Naked eye" so I got all itchy for nothing.

I begged my parents for, and received, one of those Sears 3-inch reflectors for Christmas a few decades ago. 😉 It performed about as well as one might expect, but in the early 1970s I really didn't have a frame of reference, and its fuzzy views of the bands of Jupiter and Saturn's rings helped fire my interest in astronomy which is alive and well today.

Sorry you didn't get to see last summer's comet. We live far enough north that twilight was our biggest obstacle, even over city lights (I live in a suburb of a 3.5-million population metro area) or trees. We did see NEOWISE with the naked eye a few nights, though binoculars helped the view.

Posted by: @narnian78

Does anyone here ever use the Heavens Above website?

That site is my absolute favorite go-to for satellite predictions, and I often use its star chart, and sun and moon pages for their rising and setting. It's invaluable for ISS predictions, and we've used it for Iridium flares, Tiangong passes, and Starlink predictions as well. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Yes, I am in Canada so twilight lasted well past the prime viewing for Neowsie.  And our northern skyline by our house just has way too many trees.  And I'm about 1/2 hour south of a small city.  It's just large enough to provide some light pollution in that direction.

The other day I briefly looked into telescopes but even the "for beginners" article was filled with jargon that made me wonder if it was written in Latin rather than English.  I would be OK with the ones you would find at the big box stores as this is all for fun but even those are rather pricey.  For now, I use my star-finding app.  It has helped me find a few constellations I struggle with in the past.

In homeschool, we are studying outer space and I let the kids stay up a few nights to try to find a couple of the planets.  We now routinely see Venus, Jupiter and Saturn and even my youngest can pick them out in the star-filled sky.  Mercury is below the horizon before twilight as does Mars.  I have tried to look up when Mars will be visible in the night sky again but was frustrated at finding any clear answer. All the articles only went up to the end of 2021.

What star-finding apps do people use?  I use Stellararium for the Android.  My brother had recommended an app awhile back but when I looked it up it was only available for the iPhone.  I had tried looking up the best free apps.  This one is OK.  I don't have a telescope so it does what I need it too.  But the "visibility" report is behind the paywall. 

I am trying to figure out when the next solar eclipse for my area will be as I missed the partial one earlier this year and now I know how to make my own pinhole projector (we did that for science today).  But the next lunar eclipse is in 2 months.  It is listed as partial but it will cover nearly the entire moon other than a tiny sliver.  I might wake the kids up for that one if the sky is clear.

Edit: our next solar eclipse will be in 2023 and only a small partial one.   My old hometown is due a full one, it seems, in 2024.  I remember when one came through when I was a kid and they said how long it would be until the next one and I thought that was so crazy far away.  I guess my area doesn't get full eclipses as there isn't one on the dockets until AT LEAST 2100 (that's as far as the list I found goes).  So...I better make sure to visit my family in 2024 then...

Posted by: @mrs-smooshy

What star-finding apps do people use?

I don't have data on my phone (yeah, old-fashioned ), so I use websites (mainly SkyandTelescope and sometimes Heavens-Above) and my trusty Planisphere, "Guide to the Stars", which, to me, is so very helpful. Just last night I came home from my walk, took it down from our kitchen well to check up on a few things I saw in the night sky.

Posted by: @narnian78

Does anyone here ever use the Heavens Above website?

Stargazer was the person who introduced me to Heavens-Above. It is indeed useful, chocked full of handy information.

Now that the weather here is finally cooler, I have been able to get out for long, brisk walks again, both morning and evening, mostly under the night sky. And, after all the lovely rain we received the first part of October, the past few nights have finally been clear.

Yesterday morning, the nearly full Hunter's Moon was huge and orange as it skimmed the horizon before setting. What a truly awesome sight. That same walk, I caught a fast, very bright meteor streaking from SW to NE. I presume it was an Orionid, whose (minimal) shower peaks right about now. Orion and Sirius were, of course, magnificent in the south; Gemini to Orion's upper left.

A few more highlights: the past two nights were full of stars on my walk: Sagittarius tipping into the south; the Big Dipper pointing the way to Arcturus in the north and NW, respectively. Am I correct in thinking that we will be coming up to the time of year in our areas, @stargazer, where we will see Arcturus both evening and early morning soon? From where the Big Dipper is, it sure looks so.

Graceful Cygnus the Swan was flying high above me; the Summer Triangle stunning in its beauty, Deneb being the connecting star there.

Always lovely Jupiter and Saturn are in line in the SE; beaming Venus is as a burning eye in the south. ♥ I love this time of year for getting out walking and looking up. The dawn is so much later now and night falls early. Great for a good deal of stargazing!

@Jo, your descriptions are always such a pleasure to read.

Like you, I love this time of year. I can go out around 6.30 am and look at the sky with barely a hint of twilight (at this latitude, the sun doesn't rise till almost 8 am thanks to daylight time). Winter may have longer nights with more spectacular things to look at, but relaxing in a chair under the stars for hours in January is a lot more difficult than it is now.

We're having a thunderstorm right now with nice, cool rain, but this month has been spectacular for stargazing - lots of warm, crisp days followed by cool, clear nights.  Monday I drove about an hour south of the cities to a state park known for its fall colors (though they were muted by the drought this year). Sometimes, I drive out of the city in search of dark skies, but with the Moon nearly full that wasn't my plan this day.

By 6.15 pm, I watched the beautiful Hunter's Moon rising behind the trees. I spent the next few hours watching the Moon rise and light up the grounds, while Venus and Arcturus sank in the west. Jupiter and Saturn dominated the south. Relatively few stars were visible due to the Moon, but it was such a pleasant evening just to be outside away from the noise of the city.

Posted by: @jo

@stargazer, where we will see Arcturus both evening and early morning soon? From where the Big Dipper is, it sure looks so.

It won't be long if you have good horizons to the east and west. By mid-November Arcturus will be easy to spot in the morning.

Each year around this time, Sky and Telescope points out Arcturus' role as the "ghost of summer suns." Around Halloween it appears in the same place in the sky as the sun did (at the same clock time) back in the height of summer. It's a very visual reminder of how much daylight we've lost the past few months.

Posted by: @mrs-smooshy

What star-finding apps do people use?

Call me old-fashioned, but I don't use one. The heavens-above map is adequate for helping me identify something I may not immediately recognize. I also recommend a planisphere of the type Jo mentioned; I had one growing up and it's how I learned the stars.

Posted by: @mrs-smooshy

Edit: our next solar eclipse will be in 2023 and only a small partial one.   My old hometown is due a full one, it seems, in 2024.  I remember when one came through when I was a kid and they said how long it would be until the next one and I thought that was so crazy far away.  I guess my area doesn't get full eclipses as there isn't one on the dockets until AT LEAST 2100 (that's as far as the list I found goes).  So...I better make sure to visit my family in 2024 then...

That 2023 eclipse will be an annular ("ring of fire") eclipse through the western US. I'm giving serious thought to traveling to see it since it may be my last chance to see one of that type.

A friend and I traveled to Manitoba to watch the total solar eclipse in February 1979; perhaps that's the one you remember. We knew then that the next one for us would be in 2017 and to a couple of college kids that seemed like forever! And now, here we are counting down the days to the next one in 2024.

As I recall the typical spot on earth gets a total solar eclipse every 360 years on average. Of course, a lot of places in North America are defying those odds given two eclipses so close together (Carbondale, Illinois, is in the path of totality for 2017 and 2024 and is billing itself as the eclipse crossroads of America). Locally, there was a total solar eclipse over Minneapolis in the early 1950s (before I was born); the local paper printed an awesome picture of the sun and corona over the skyline (which in those days was very different than it is now!). Apparently the next one here will be in September, 2099.

Looking at the gibbous and full moon the last few nights I am astounded at how beautiful it is. It is true that unfortunately it is so bright that its light bocks out all except the brightest stars and the evening planets.  But the object is still incredibly beautiful. And you can gaze at it without worrying about damaging your eyes. So I can’t be completely disappointed.  I always felt more comfortable observing the moon than the sun since you don’t have to worry about your own safety. 🙂

Posted by: @mrs-smooshy

• I don't have a telescope or binoculars so it's all naked-eye viewing for me.  I used to ogle the telescopes in the SEARS catalog when I was kid though.  Yeesh.  haha  Last summer, I went out into the mosquitos every night for two weeks to try to see that one comet that went by.  They said on the news you could see it with the naked eye but I later learned that binoculars fell under "Naked eye" so I got all itchy for nothing.

I used to have a Sears reflector telescope and I didn’t think it was that bad. I replaced the eyepieces with better quality ones from Orion years after I bought the telescope. The telescope worked quite well for several years with the new eyepieces. It was actually made pretty well with a solid mount unlike the poor quality department store telescopes of today. But in the early 1970’s a lot of things were made better.

I will respond more later to your posts, @stargazer ; @narnian78, but for now I had to pop on to exclaim that I, to my great happiness, finally saw Arcturus this morning on my walk. I have seen it at night for awhile now, but lately in the morning in the lower east, the clouds have been present, so while I can figure out where it should be, there it actually was before dawn in all its beauty. Last night we had our first significant frost under a clear sky (-1C) and when I first spied my unobstructed eastern view in the a.m. hours, I was thrilled to spot Arcturus. This was about an hour before sunrise. Dawn was so dim at that time. But even as I continued my walk and stood on my favourite rise by an old silo to view the red dawn, I could still glimpse Arcturus. Also, earlier, I saw another orb in the east around the same level about 25° apart ... Mercury! Hurrah! And the gibbous Moon was so bright that it cast distinct Moon shadows all around. How I LOVE this time of year.  

That's awesome, Jo!

I was up yesterday morning (Saturday) for a 7 am pass of the ISS, and realized I'd have a shot at Arcturus and Mercury. Alas, there are too many trees here in that direction, so I failed in that regard. But the Moon was lovely, and the ISS passed nearly overhead, so no complaints here. I'll try again for Arcturus and Mercury once these clouds break.

And I hope to make one last trip out of town, perhaps tomorrow, before it's too cool to just sit and enjoy the sky for any length of time.

Edit for those fans of Arcturus:

Here's this year's S&T description of it as the "Ghost"

The Ghost of Summer Suns. Halloween is approaching, and this means that Arcturus, the star sparkling low in the west-northwest in twilight, is taking on its role as "the Ghost of Summer Suns." For several evenings centered on October 25th every year, Arcturus occupies a special place above your local landscape. It closely marks the spot where the Sun stood at the same time, by the clock, during hot June and July — in broad daylight, of course!

So, as Halloween approaches every year, you can see Arcturus as the chilly ghost of the departed summer Sun.

Do you often look for the Summer Triangle in the early autumn sky?  The three stars are Deneb, Vega, and Altair. I have used it as a guide to locate Cygnus, the Swan, one of my favorite constellations. Now it is further west in the evening sky, but it is still very helpful in finding other constellations. And the three stars are bright enough to be seen in moderate light pollution so it is quite easy to find them.

Here is some more information about how the Summer Triangle has helped people to find their way in the night sky:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_Triangle

One of the things I've always wanted to do is see Alpha Centauri and Canopus, but every time I go down to a lower latitude, I miss it, either because it's the wrong time of year, or I don't have a good view, or whatever, For example, when we went to Hawaii two years ago we went to a dark area with a good view, only to be there at the wrong time (November) and nothing notable was going to be visible for hours.

Posted by: @stargazer

By 6.15 pm, I watched the beautiful Hunter's Moon rising behind the trees. I spent the next few hours watching the Moon rise and light up the grounds, while Venus and Arcturus sank in the west. Jupiter and Saturn dominated the south. Relatively few stars were visible due to the Moon, but it was such a pleasant evening just to be outside away from the noise of the city.

Beautiful! Your descriptions make me want to read Starlight Nights again. And nice re the ISS pass! Also, interesting to read about Arcturus as "The Ghost of the Summer Suns". I had not heard that before.

I agree about the Moon, @Narnian78. There is nothing quite like watching it either rise or set, particularly in the winter behind the naked branches of trees. What a sight!

Yes, I love looking at the Summer Triangle, but hardly ever see it in the summer months, as I am not usually awake after dark falls. But now, on my evening walks now, it is so magnificent above, with, yes, Cygnus flying through it. Really  beautiful!

Hi, there @cobalt-jade, I hope you can see Alpha Centauri and Canopus at some point.

This morning I had another view of Arcturus and Mercury, along with many other pre-dawn sites on high. I love that I can now start walking in the early morning under the night sky and arrive home an hour later with dawn barely having begun. Orion and Sirius were still quite bright when I walked again up our driveway.

Jo, I'm reminded it might be time for me to reread Starlight Nights as well.

It's great that you've seen Mercury and the early morning sky. We've received some much-needed rain the past few days (even with it, we're still 6 inches/140mm short for the year), so I've had no early-morning viewing opportunities.

@Narnian78, I think of the Moon and the Summer Triangle as old friends. At my latitude, Deneb is almost circumpolar so we can see it well into December. I think I first learned about it from observing columns in Sky and Telescope (possibly written by long-time writer George Lovi), along with its cousins the Winter Triangle (Procyon, Sirius, and Betelgeuse) and the fainter Spring Triangle (Arcturus, Spica, and Denebola). Autumn, alas, doesn't have a large bright triangle figure but it does have the Square of Pegasus.

Welcome to the discussion, @cobalt-jade. I've long wanted to see Canopus and Alpha Cen (not to mention Crux and the Magellanic Clouds), but at latitude 45 north they never come close to rising.

However, about 15 years ago, my parents would spend winters in the Rio Grande Valley in the far south of Texas (latitude 26N), and it happens that Canopus culminates (is highest in the south) in the evenings of March and April, so I was lucky enough to see it a handful of times while visiting them. It was about 10 degrees high.

I hope you have the chance to see it soon!

@stargazer 

The Summer Triangle is best seen in early September from where I live here in Michigan. But it is interesting and enjoyable to stay up late months before that time to look at it.  I did this decades ago when we had better skies here and less light pollution.  You can also see Taurus and The Pleiades during the summer if you want to stay up late to see them.  They rise in the east and look quite impressive around midnight.  Aldebaran and The Hyades are very beautiful for late night viewing. This is like peering into the nights of the future. 🙂

A chance of auroras was predicted overnight, but apparently most of the solar storm missed the earth and the results were minimal.

I kept an eye out for them last night, after our clouds cleared (around 2am).  I didn't see anything, but this morning I finally succeeded in seeing Mercury in the twilight (recent attempts have been deterred by clouds, rain, or trees obscuring the view). It was rather pretty, scintillating just above the trees to the ESE.

I just wondered how people learn their constellations with light pollution blocking the faint stars. I used to draw the constellations in a small notebook and list the stars and other interesting features about them.  There are small star atlases which have magnitude six and brighter stars, which simplifies the process of learning the heavens. It’s kind of sad that many people today do not know the heavens because light pollution has tainted their view. I have a couple of old astronomy programs which unfortunately do not work with my computer (they are kind of expensive to replace with newer versions).  So I recommend books such as 365 Starry Nights by Chet Raymo and other beginning books like The Stars by H. A. Rey.

Set your alarm clock (or other notification devices) for the evening of November 19 (Friday) if you live Down Under, and for the morning of the 19th if you live in the Americas (in places like Hawaii the eclipse begins the evening of the 18th and continues past midnight). There's a very deep partial lunar eclipse that night.

The Moon will be about 97% covered, with just a sliver of the south (bottom) part not eclipsed. It's likely that it will be very much like a total event in terms of the moon being colored, and the stars coming out at mid-eclipse.

The Americas and the Pacific Basin are favored. Parts of Europe will see the beginning, before sunrise, and Australia and New Zealand will see the end of the eclipse (when it rises at sunset).

Contact times in GMT for Nov. 19 are: partial phase begins, 0719; maximum eclipse, 0903; partial phase ends, 1047.

For my time zone (Central US, GMT-6), they are: partial phase begins, 0119; mid-eclipse, 0303; partial phase ends, 0447.

The Moon will be about 6 degrees southwest of the Pleiades ("Seven Sisters") cluster in Taurus.

This page has a world visibility map, animations showing its appearance, and an interactive map that shows times and visibility for your location.

This eclipse's partner is a total solar one two weeks later in Antarctica.