Skywatch

[Locutus]

My aunt wants to try and take a picture of the Milky Way at some point.  I wouldn't mind doing that myself, but I lack the proper equipment to do it.  Several of my friends have done it successfully.   Here's one of them from his house:

[Purplelady1040]

My aunt wants to try and take a picture of the Milky Way at some point.  I wouldn't mind doing that myself, but I lack the proper equipment to do it.  Several of my friends have done it successfully.   Here's one of them from his house:

Wow!

[AbbyTC]

My aunt wants to try and take a picture of the Milky Way at some point.  I wouldn't mind doing that myself, but I lack the proper equipment to do it.  Several of my friends have done it successfully.   Here's one of them from his house:

That's an awesome picture.

[Henry Hawk]

Is your daughter an astronomer, HH?  Her photo made me think of something I did years ago in Bluefield. A friend who knew I was a stargazer gave me a camera and showed me how to use for  timed photos. I knew that if you pointed the camera at the North Star and left it there during the night you would get a picture of star trails -- they look like little dashes in a circular pattern with the North Star in the center. I waited for a clear moonless night and set the camera up and after a while went to bed. The next day I took the film to Grubb Photo to get it printed, and got a call that there was nothing on the film. I said "print it anyway," and sure enough there were the star trails encircling the North Star.  I still have that picture somewhere.

She LOVES photography and has become a fan of star gazing.  We have spent many long evenings out in our back yard star gazing together.........sitting, talking and enjoying Gods (not trying to start anything) creation....I'm not sure if she don't realizes just how wonderful the memories she is giving me.  I LOVE spending this kind of time with each of my kids.

Libby there is something mesmerizing about our solar system.

[libby]

She LOVES photography and has become a fan of star gazing.  We have spent many long evenings out in our back yard star gazing together.........sitting, talking and enjoying Gods (not trying to start anything) creation....I'm not sure if she don't realizes just how wonderful the memories she is giving me.  I LOVE spending this kind of time with each of my kids.

Libby there is something mesmerizing about our solar system.

HH, that's real quality time! I'm happy for you. 

[libby]

I hope it's clear tonight -- the peak time for the Orionid meteor shower. 

And on the 26th, next Monday morning, there will be a conjunction of Venus, Jupiter, and Mars. I can only hope the sky remains clear, as it has been here for several days now. The time to look up is early morning, before daylight (when the sky is still dark). I get up about 5:30 -- 6 a.m. and there they are. Look to the east and you can't miss Venus and then behind and slightly to the left, Jupiter. Mars is there also, but harder to find.

[Palehorse]

I hope it's clear tonight -- the peak time for the Orionid meteor shower. 

And on the 26th, next Monday morning, there will be a conjunction of Venus, Jupiter, and Mars. I can only hope the sky remains clear, as it has been here for several days now. The time to look up is early morning, before daylight (when the sky is still dark). I get up about 5:30 -- 6 a.m. and there they are. Look to the east and you can't miss Venus and then behind and slightly to the left, Jupiter. Mars is there also, but harder to find.

Been looking at it of weeks now. I typically get up at 0400 and am on the road, headed directly east by 0430. . . This sits directly in my windscreen the lions share of the way in every morning! 

[libby]

  

[libby]

I think I need some time off -- in fact, I know it. I seem to have lost a day.  All I remember about yesterday is having to deal with a person who makes me want to 

[Palehorse]

I think I need some time off -- in fact, I know it. I seem to have lost a day.  All I remember about yesterday is having to deal with a person who makes me want to 

It must be contagious then. . . Today for me so I hear yah! 

[libby]

 Hello friend ...  Here's something to make you feel better: 

As for me, I like the sound of rain on the roof and trees, so am going to go to my imaginary treehouse. I created it when I was a girl and wanted to get away -- back then it was just like a porch way up high in the treetops that I'd step onto after dark to get away from too many people in our small house. 

[Bo D]

This is cool!

Daily Views of Earth Available on New NASA Site

http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2015/10/daily-views-earth-available-new-nasa-site?et_cid=4904341&et_rid=54725525&location=top

[Locutus]

That's very cool.  It would have been nice to know about that last week while Hurricane Patricia was swirling around. 

[libby]

I kinda lost track of everything but absolute necessities for a while and then we had days of rain, but, yesterday and today, when I opened the front door at or before 6 a.m., there were Venus and a toenail* moon shining brightly in the dark sky.  They were closer together yesterday (what a sight!).

*toenail moon: when my son was a little boy, he had the cutest way of expressing himself. Sometimes followed me when I went outside after dark and looked up at the sky.  One time he said, "Look, mommy, the moon looks like a toenail!" Took me a minute or two to figure out what he meant ( toenail clipping).  Another time he showed me one of his socks, and said, "I need a new sock. This one is dead." 

[Locutus]

The moon passed between NASA's Deep Space Climate Observatory and the Earth, allowing the satellite to capture this rare image of the moon's far side in full sunlight. We don't see this side of the moon.