# Star Date - Night Sky Events



## biodieselman (Jun 27, 2007)

Star Date is bi-monthly publication from the McDonald Observatory. Thought I would share the dates of major night sky events. The magazine is mostly geared for the night skies of North America & some events such as eclipses will not be visible in other parts of the world. 

When my kids were little, I planned many camping trips to the Glamis sand dunes around major meteor shower events. Lots of good memories sitting under a clear, dark desert sky away from light pollution, pondering the beauty of the Milky Way, watching shooting stars while sitting around a camp fire.:happy: 

I'll bump up the thread before events as a reminder. Enjoy. 

*July 29*--Full Moon., called the Grain Moon or Thunder Moon. 

*August 12*--Perseids Meteor Shower. Named for the constellation Perseus, the hero. This year there's no moonlight to interfere. Best time to watch is from 11pm Aug 12th until dawn the next morning. The best direction to watch is wherever your sky is darkest. If you have a dark sky, you may see a meteor once a minute on average. The shower is also active for several days before & after its peak. 

*August 27*--Full Moon tonight, called the Fruit Moon or Green Corn Moon. 

*August 28*--A total eclipse of the Moon is visible before or during dawn from the central and western U.S. and Canada. Easterners can watch the Moon sliding into eclipse while dawn is brightening & the Moon is dropping low in the west. Partial eclipse begins at 3:51am CDT, total eclipse begins at 4:52am CDT, totality ends at 6:23, & partial eclipse ends at 7:24.


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## SamanthaNY (Jun 27, 2007)

Oh neat! My husband and I have been enjoying the ISS flyovers this summer, so these will be a fun addition.


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## Risible (Jun 27, 2007)

SamanthaNY said:


> Oh neat! My husband and I have been enjoying the ISS flyovers this summer, so these will be a fun addition.



I saw the ISS fly over last summer for the first (and only) time. I thought maybe it was a UFO and asked Bio about it. He suggested I check online for ISS info, and sure enough, I was able to google a website with the ISS schedule in our area.

It's hard to see night events in the light-polluted sky of Los Angeles, but I love watching the nighttime skies for meteors whilst floating in the pool.


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## biodieselman (Aug 8, 2007)

August 12--Perseids Meteor Shower. Named for the constellation Perseus, the hero. This year there's no moonlight to interfere. Best time to watch is from 11pm Aug 12th until dawn the next morning. The best direction to watch is wherever your sky is darkest. If you have a dark sky, you may see a meteor once a minute on average. The shower is also active for several days before & after its peak.


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## Risible (Aug 8, 2007)

missaf said:


> Ooooh, thanks for the update on this one! I'll be driving through the middle of the Mojave Desert that night. We'll have to pull over for a few minutes and check that out!



Yeah, you're going to have a front-row seat! I'll be able to see a few, but here in Los Angeles the sky is too murky to enjoy these celestial events much.


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## Ho Ho Tai (Aug 8, 2007)

biodieselman said:


> Star Date is bi-monthly publication from the McDonald Observatory. Thought I would share the dates of major night sky events. The magazine is mostly geared for the night skies of North America & some events such as eclipses will not be visible in other parts of the world.
> 
> 
> *August 28*--A total eclipse of the Moon is visible before or during dawn from the central and western U.S. and Canada. Easterners can watch the Moon sliding into eclipse while dawn is brightening & the Moon is dropping low in the west. Partial eclipse begins at 3:51am CDT, total eclipse begins at 4:52am CDT, totality ends at 6:23, & partial eclipse ends at 7:24.



Thanks BDMan. Minnesota is a bit too far to the east to observe totality, otherwise I'd give you all the address of our Duluth webcam, with which we watch the sea and sky over the Lake Superior harbor.

Here is a chart of eclipse phases vs. location, and also a chart showing the moon's path through umbra and penumbra.
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/eclipse/L2007Aug28.pdf

The entire website, the Astronomical Applications Department of the U.S. Naval Observatory, has much useful and interactive information. 
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/

Click on Data Services section for such things as tables of the positions of sun and moon over the course of any given day. When the moon's position is right, we have tracked it progress over the lake, via the webcam, photographing it every ten minutes or so, and noting it's shimmering trail over the lake. I think I could attach a series of such pictures in a post, if anyone is interested.


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## Sugar Magnolia (Aug 8, 2007)

BioD - Thanks much for posting the info on the meteor shower. I love, love, love watching such events... I'll stay out all night! I was fortunate enough to watch the ISS on three separate nights, two of which it was accompanied by the space shuttle. Very cool stuff! The skies are much darker around our new house, so it should make for good viewing. Thanks again!


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## biodieselman (Aug 8, 2007)

missaf said:


> Ooooh, thanks for the update on this one! I'll be driving through the middle of the Mojave Desert that night. We'll have to pull over for a few minutes and check that out!


 
I've subscribed to 'Star Date' for years for that very reason. I planned our desert camping trips around such events. When the meteor showers were predicted to be especially heavy, I would load up the neighbor's kids & take them to my special spot off Sunrise Rise Hwy in east San Diego away from light pollution. I also made several 'solar eclipse viewers, using two dark welding lenses each & a large piece of cardboard for all the kids to safely watch solar eclipses. 

Missa, the dark, clear desert sky is best for watching shooting stars. Be sure to make some wishes.


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## Aliena (Aug 8, 2007)

SamanthaNY said:


> Oh neat! My husband and I have been enjoying the ISS flyovers this summer, so these will be a fun addition.



DH and I saw the space shuttle flyovers on our first camping trip this summer. Fun to watch since the view of the night sky was just amazing up in the N. forest. 


This last trip we didn't see so much, because of haze, but there was one incident of a light crossing the horizon we couldn't explain. Now that you mention it, I wonder if it was the ISS? I'll have to mention it to him and see what he thinks. 

Thanks BD...we have already made plans to catch the Meteor shower. I try and catch the one in November too, although I didn't make it last year. 

One of my classes this semester is an astronomy class, so I imagine it will be an assignment. I'm looking forward to it. 

Thanks for the heads up!


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## Blackjack (Aug 9, 2007)

I went tonight and scouted out a place to watch from on Sunday. 'nuff said, I think.


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## Risible (Aug 9, 2007)

Aliena said:


> DH and I saw the space shuttle flyovers on our first camping trip this summer. Fun to watch since the view of the night sky was just amazing up in the N. forest.
> 
> 
> This last trip we didn't see so much, because of haze, but there was one incident of a light crossing the horizon we couldn't explain. Now that you mention it, I wonder if it was the ISS? I'll have to mention it to him and see what he thinks.



I bet it was the ISS. I saw it one night, which isn't easy to do in the smoggy Los Angeles skies. It was weird- it was moving out of synch with the stars and it was too high up to be an airplane. I rushed in to tell Bio that I was seeing either a UFO or some experimental military craft. He said it was likely the ISS, and told me to check out the ISS schedule online. Sure enough, after checking the schedule I determined it was the ISS.




Aliena said:


> Thanks BD...we have already made plans to catch the Meteor shower. I try and catch the one in November too, although I didn't make it last year.
> 
> One of my classes this semester is an astronomy class, so I imagine it will be an assignment. I'm looking forward to it.
> 
> Thanks for the heads up!




I had a college astronomy class and lab. It was such fun. A little wicked in the math - we had to calculate sidereal times, the age of the Earth and the mass of the moon , but it was very, very cool for those who gaze at the skies and wonder . . .


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## Aliena (Aug 9, 2007)

Risible said:


> I bet it was the ISS. I saw it one night, which isn't easy to do in the smoggy Los Angeles skies. It was weird- it was moving out of synch with the stars and it was too high up to be an airplane. I rushed in to tell Bio that I was seeing either a UFO or some experimental military craft. He said it was likely the ISS, and told me to check out the ISS schedule online. Sure enough, after checking the schedule I determined it was the ISS.





Yeah, this is what I'm thinking as well. It was plain as day in the sky up there and freaked me out a little too, because I thought for sure I was seeing an UFO. :huh: 





Risible said:


> I had a college astronomy class and lab. It was such fun. A little wicked in the math - we had to calculate sidereal times, the age of the Earth and the mass of the moon , but it was very, very cool for those who gaze at the skies and wonder . . .






Oh gosh, if I have to weigh the moon or do any math that requires a knowledge greater than say, kindergarten, I'm in serious trouble! :doh: 

I'm actually looking forward to this class. I've already hit DH up to buy me a telescope. :happy:


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## jamie (Aug 9, 2007)

Aliena said:


> Oh gosh, if I have to weigh the moon or do any math that requires a knowledge greater than say, kindergarten, I'm in serious trouble! :doh:
> 
> I'm actually looking forward to this class. I've already hit DH up to buy me a telescope. :happy:



The math gets a little tricky, but honestly it is doable. I still remember things from my astronomy class. I loved that I took it spring semester....the cold nights of February are lovely and brisk. We had to name 88 stars as part of a test during that semester and I can tell you I got really quick at calling them out as I froze my butt off out on the soccer field.


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## Risible (Aug 9, 2007)

jamie said:


> The math gets a little tricky, but honestly it is doable. I still remember things from my astronomy class. I loved that I took it spring semester....the cold nights of February are lovely and brisk. We had to name 88 stars as part of a test during that semester and I can tell you I got really quick at calling them out as I froze my butt off out on the soccer field.



I couldn't name 88 stars, but I remember a few names - Beutelguese (sp?), Arcturus, Canis Major, Sirius, Vega - which I think is the North Star. I really thought it fascinating that we actually perceive the stars as being blue and red, even through the murk of smog, according to their age. You would think the blue stars are cooler, therefore older, instead of the other way around.

Did you explore the color spectrumwavelengths as a means to determine chemical composition?


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## JoyJoy (Aug 9, 2007)

I have always loved listening to the short StarDate presentations on NPR - I'm not sure how long they've done it on air, but something about it makes me think of my Dad, who has always enjoyed such things. 

Thanks for sharing this, Bio - great thread!


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## Risible (Aug 9, 2007)

JoyJoy said:


> I have always loved listening to the short StarDate presentations on NPR - I'm not sure how long they've done it on air, but something about it makes me think of my Dad, who has always enjoyed such things.
> 
> Thanks for sharing this, Bio - great thread!



Is that the short little extra at the end of another show, and the host is a college professor (I think)? He hops on the moon or perches on a planet (through blue screen sfx) and talks about upcoming events? I've seen that a couple of times and thought it was great. You gotta love his enthusiasm. Reminds me of my own astronomy professor. He was clearly in love with astronomy, but was a little eccentric to talk to.


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## JoyJoy (Aug 9, 2007)

Risible said:


> Is that the short little extra at the end of another show, and the host is a college professor (I think)? He hops on the moon or perches on a planet (through blue screen sfx) and talks about upcoming events? I've seen that a couple of times and thought it was great. You gotta love his enthusiasm. Reminds me of my own astronomy professor. He was clearly in love with astronomy, but was a little eccentric to talk to.


 Wow...yeah...that was on PBS, too - I'd forgotten about that little guy. He always made me smile, but I haven't seen him in years. Sometimes I switch to NPR during my commute and hear a guy on the radio, but I don't think it's the same one. He's great, too, though.

Edit: Here's a link to the radio portion: http://stardate.org/radio/ It says the host is a woman, but I sure didn't remember her. Perhaps I'm confusing the guy on tv and her on the radio.


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## Aliena (Aug 11, 2007)

Just a reminder it's coming up! (or down as the case may be!  )


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## Blackjack (Aug 12, 2007)

So I was outside taking pictures today- it's such a beautiful day out there, I couldn't _not_ take some. I hope they came out...

Anyways, I'm thinking that I might take my camera tonight, and set it for an extended exposure to see if I can get anything. If it works, it should be pretty damned cool.


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## Risible (Aug 12, 2007)

Blackjack said:


> So I was outside taking pictures today- it's such a beautiful day out there, I couldn't _not_ take some. I hope they came out...
> 
> Anyways, I'm thinking that I might take my camera tonight, and set it for an extended exposure to see if I can get anything. If it works, it should be pretty damned cool.



I sat out for a while last night gazing at the smoggy night sky, and was disappointed. Nary a meteor to be seen. Turns out, it was the wrong night. 

I'll try again tonight.

I'd love to see any images you capture, BJ.


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## biodieselman (Aug 12, 2007)

Blackjack said:


> ...Anyways, I'm thinking that I might take my camera tonight, and set it for an extended exposure to see if I can get anything. If it works, it should be pretty damned cool.


 
The showers seem to be hit or miss. They try to predict the shower intensity by determining if earth's orbit intersects with a dense section of debris but over the years it's my experience these predictions aren't accurate. 

Once I loaded up a bunch of the neighbor's kids into my camper when they predicted an unusually heavy event & drove to the mountains to get away from light pollution. I had purchased some fast 35mm film for time exposures. I had my camera set up on a tripod & was bent over, fiddling with my shutter lock for the next exposure. The whole mountain side light up for an instant like a giant flash had gone off & all the kids went 'ooooh' at once. I missed it.


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## Sugar Magnolia (Aug 12, 2007)

It's been beautiful here and I've been thinking about this meteor shower all day, but now the clouds are rolling in and looks like more thunderstorms are looming (we had 3 tornadoes this past week). I'm hoping that they'll move on out in time for a couple ooohs and ahhhs, though! Hope you all get a good view of these tonight!


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## Blackjack (Aug 13, 2007)

Tripod's MIA, so it looks like the camera's a no-go. 

And I couldn't get anyone to go with me out to the park, so I'm not doing that, either. Fear of the dark would kill me out there if I was alone.

But I have been watching from the backyard, and the front- and I've seen a handful of 'em. Dim and fleeting, but _there_. Now that the peak is nigh, I'm gonna sit out there for a little while longer before heading to bed.


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## Friday (Aug 13, 2007)

It's cloudy here too dammit.


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## Blackjack (Aug 13, 2007)

Friday said:


> It's cloudy here too dammit.



Yeah, clouds just rolled in anyways. Had some perfect music that I just started for it, too. 

But hell, I'm about ready to pass out anyways.


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## Risible (Aug 13, 2007)

I'm disappointed here, too. 

Some light clouds, kind of like cotton batting, rolled in. I woke up at about 2:30 am, sat outside for about 15 minutes, and while I was able to see the more prominent stars, the clouds along with the resident smog and light pollution, pretty much took care of any viewing pleasure I might have had. I did see a couple of peripheral meteors, but even those may have been my tired eyes playin' tricks on me.


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## jamie (Aug 13, 2007)

Ris... I do remember doing something with the spectrum..but honestly, I don't remember exactly what we were doing. Now, I can probably name 20 or so stars and my constellations are down to a dozen. I wish I had a better viewing opportunity, I would recommit myself to watching the skies.

We had a great viewing spot last night although it took a while to get there. We dfound a little off-shoot dead end road out off a country road. We turned the car around and pointed it towards the right part of the sky and saw several pretty shooters. One that I missed but the boy saw was supposedly pretty big and one that I saw that the boy missed part of had a double tail...I really loved that one.

Sorry for all the cloudiness out there for some of y'all!


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## Friday (Aug 13, 2007)

It's clear as a bell out right now and hopefully will stay that way until at least 2 am. D's packing a picnic summer and we're heading down towards Nisqually after I get off at 10:30 if it does.


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## Risible (Aug 13, 2007)

Friday said:


> It's clear as a bell out right now and hopefully will stay that way until at least 2 am. D's packing a picnic summer and we're heading down towards Nisqually after I get off at 10:30 if it does.



Ooooooo, romantic. :wubu:

Well, love, if you come up for air and see shootin' stars, let me know, since it seems I have to experience the Perseids vicariously this year.


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## biodieselman (Aug 13, 2007)

missaf said:


> We stopped at about 6700 feet in the mountains of the Mojave Desert last night around 2:30am and had the most beautiful unobstructed view of the stars. My God, I'd forgotten just how many there are that you can't see with light pollution surrounding you ...



You don't realize how much light pollution there is until you get away from it. It only takes a little pollution to wash out most meteors.

I can't even see the Milky Way in L.A. during a new moon. We were always amazed at how many stars are in the Milky way when we camped in the desert.

Like I said, meteor shower predictions are hit or miss. The darker the sky, the better.

The Palomar telescope in San Diego was at one time the biggest telescope in the world. It's still an impressive instrument, but they have lost in their efforts to reduce light pollution.

It takes getting way out in the outback to fully appreciate the extent of light & noise pollution created by our industrialized life style.


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## stan_der_man (Aug 14, 2007)

I watched the sky last night and tonight for a while. Nada... We still get a good dark sky up here, but the trees limit where you can see for the most part. Bio and Ris, one of these days, next camping trip up here, we should go to the observatory on the Rim.

http://www.mountain-skies.org/

fa_man_stan


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## Risible (Aug 14, 2007)

fa_man_stan said:


> I watched the sky last night and tonight for a while. Nada... We still get a good dark sky up here, but the trees limit where you can see for the most part. Bio and Ris, one of these days, next camping trip up here, we should go to the observatory on the Rim.
> 
> http://www.mountain-skies.org/
> 
> fa_man_stan



That sounds like fun; I love observatories. And I thought this would be fun, too - each of us (those who want to) pick out a constellation at night around the campfire (or go to a dark lookout spot), and tell the story of the myth behind it to the kids. I used to love that kind of thing as a kid.


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## biodieselman (Aug 25, 2007)

August 27--Full Moon tonight, called the Fruit Moon or Green Corn Moon.

August 28--A total eclipse of the Moon is visible before or during dawn from the central and western U.S. and Canada. Easterners can watch the Moon sliding into eclipse while dawn is brightening & the Moon is dropping low in the west. Partial eclipse begins at 3:51am CDT, total eclipse begins at 4:52am CDT, totality ends at 6:23, & partial eclipse ends at 7:24.

Happy stargazing!


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## Aliena (Aug 25, 2007)

Well it looks like I'm going to miss the lunar eclipse. I had to drop out of my astronomy, (switched it to elementary Spanish) because I felt the math was a little too advance for me. (I'm taking a refresher in algebra also) The Professor was moving a little too fast for my comfort in the math, so I ended up dropping. 

Soooo, unless I'm willing to get up at 4am to check it out, (not with a 9am class) I'll be missing it. 

I hope y'all will get some good pictures and post them. I'm under the impression the viewing is supposed to be good on the western sea board.


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## biodieselman (Aug 27, 2007)

August 28--A total eclipse of the Moon is visible before or during dawn from the central and western U.S. and Canada. Easterners can watch the Moon sliding into eclipse while dawn is brightening & the Moon is dropping low in the west. Partial eclipse begins at 3:51am CDT, total eclipse begins at 4:52am CDT, totality ends at 6:23, & partial eclipse ends at 7:24.

Remember to set your clocks to wake up early tomorrow.


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## biodieselman (Sep 21, 2007)

September 

23rd The autumnal equinox occurs at 4:51 a.m. CDT when the Sun crosses the equator heading south for the year. This event marks the start of fall in the northern hemisphere. 

26th The full Moon hangs below the Great Square of Pegasus during evening. As the full Moon closest to the autumnal equinox, it is known as the Harvest Moon. 

October  

1st After 11 or midnight tonight, the waning Moon will be high enough in the east for you to spot fiery orange Mars below it (by about a fist width at arm's length). Mars is getting bigger and brighter as Earth swings toward it this fall. Mars will be closest to us on December 18. 

15th Look low in the southwest in the fading glow of sunset for the waxing crescent Moon with Jupiter above it. Fainter orange Antares sparkles to the right of the Moon. 

20th The Orionid meteor shower is active this morning and for the next few mornings. The hour before dawn's first light is the best time to watch. You may see up to 20 faint, swift meteors per hour on average if you have a good, dark sky. 

25th Full Moon tonight, called the Hunter's Moon. 

29th By about 11 p.m., low in the east, you can spot Mars shinning beneath the Moon by about a fist-width at arm's length. Mars is brighter now than it was in this same configuration at the beginning of the month.


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## Tina (Sep 21, 2007)

I simply adore the harvest moon, Bio. Thanks for that; I'll have to make sure I'm out to see it.


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## Ho Ho Tai (Sep 21, 2007)

biodieselman said:


> September
> 
> 23rd The autumnal equinox occurs at 4:51 a.m. CDT when the Sun crosses the equator heading south for the year. This event marks the start of fall in the northern hemisphere.
> 
> ...



*Are there fairies in your garden, Sir?
Do they dance by the light of the moon?
Do you ever join them?
May we join you?​*


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## Risible (Sep 21, 2007)

Ho Ho Tai said:


> *Are there fairies in your garden, Sir?
> Do they dance by the light of the moon?
> Do you ever join them?
> May we join you?​*



Haha! What are you trying to say, Hoho!? 

I love the Harvest Moon too, T.


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## Ho Ho Tai (Sep 21, 2007)

Risible said:


> Haha! What are you trying to say, Hoho!?
> 
> I love the Harvest Moon too, T.



Well, Risible, I think we all agree that there is magic in gardens, magic in the full moon, and magic (perhaps most of all) in Love. But sometimes when both the heart and the moon are full, and you look into the garden (or the wetlands behind our house) in a certain way, you would swear that all the tales from the Norse countries, from Ireland, from all parts of the world, have at least a grain of truth to them.

I hold dear the invitation you issued, some time ago, to visit if we are in the area - to plant our legs under your table and hold discourse on all the interesting topics we have in common. If there happened to be a full moon, and if we sensed a bit of commotion out amongst the corn stalks, well . . . who knows what we might find there.

Mrs. Ho Ho and I seem to have a hint of pagan in our outlook. We have a VERY private area at the back of our house, near the wetlands, and have been known to do a bit of 'moon bathing' at the midnight hour, when the full moon is high in the sky.

Actually, I'll make a suggestion here. Wouldn't it be lovely if every Dimensions person who reads this were to step outside at midnight on the night of the full moon (either local, CDT, UT - whatever) and make a bow to the magic of the night (weather permitting, of course.) We still have a few full moons here in Minnesota under which to dance, before the north wind and the snow take over for the rest of the season.


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## Risible (Sep 21, 2007)

Ho Ho Tai said:


> Well, Risible, I think we all agree that there is magic in gardens, magic in the full moon, and magic (perhaps most of all) in Love. But sometimes when both the heart and the moon are full, and you look into the garden (or the wetlands behind our house) in a certain way, you would swear that all the tales from the Norse countries, from Ireland, from all parts of the world, have at least a grain of truth to them.



I like to think that too. I love the romance of the old myths and legends, of Thor and Cornish Pixies.



Ho Ho Tai said:


> I hold dear the invitation you issued, some time ago, to visit if we are in the area - to plant our legs under your table and hold discourse on all the interesting topics we have in common. If there happened to be a full moon, and if we sensed a bit of commotion out amongst the corn stalks, well . . . who knows what we might find there.



That invitation stands still, friend.



Ho Ho Tai said:


> Mrs. Ho Ho and I seem to have a hint of pagan in our outlook. We have a VERY private area at the back of our house, near the wetlands, and have been known to do a bit of 'moon bathing' at the midnight hour, when the full moon is high in the sky.
> 
> Actually, I'll make a suggestion here. Wouldn't it be lovely if every Dimensions person who reads this were to step outside at midnight on the night of the full moon (either local, CDT, UT - whatever) and make a bow to the magic of the night (weather permitting, of course.) We still have a few full moons here in Minnesota under which to dance, before the north wind and the snow take over for the rest of the season.




Well, I don't wait for a full moon to indulge in the proverbial moon bathing. I enjoy it at full noon as well.  We, too, have a private backyard.


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## biodieselman (Sep 22, 2007)

Ho Ho Tai said:


> ... I think we all agree that there is magic in gardens, magic in the full moon, and magic (perhaps most of all) in Love. But sometimes when both the heart and the moon are full, and you look into the garden (or the wetlands behind our house) in a certain way, you would swear that all the tales from the Norse countries, from Ireland, from all parts of the world, have at least a grain of truth to them....


 
I have personally experienced magic in the full Moon. Once when camping early spring in Yosemite, I read in a brochure about Yosemite Falls Moonbows. I almost always schedule camping trips around full Moons or meteor showers or other night sky gazing events. There had been numerous recent bear sightings & the ex was too afraid to walk in the dark of night to the bottom of Yosemite Falls. It had been an unusually wet winter, the snow pack was very deep & combined with the first spring thaws, the valley floor shook from the immense volume of water flowing over the falls. The noise was so deafening, one would not know there was a bear right next to you in the pitch dark. I'm not one to be fearful, but I admit I was frightened because I had seen bears on this trail earlier in the day. 

Not long after reaching the bottom of the falls, the full Moon rose over the granite peaks, enlightening the thick mist from 19th tallest water fall in the world. There is was, not one, but three Moonbows, under the full Moon, in the dark of night. By sheer luck, I chanced upon the perfect conditions for a relatively rare event. 

Recently, Don Olson from the Department of Physics Texas State University wondered about the lack of ability to predict the right conditions & dates to see this wondrous sight. Using his ability to calculate planetary positions, he wrote a computer program & shares his predictions. I plan to take Ris & my kids one day to witness magic also. I'm also hoping to share this with Dims members soon on a Dims Yosemite Camping Trip. I know Stan-Man & Missa are up for another camping trip, how about the rest of you guys? May name the trip "Magical Mystery Moonbow Tour".


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## biodieselman (Oct 14, 2007)

*October 20th* - The Orionid meteor shower is active this morning and for the next few mornings. The hour before dawn's first light is the best time to watch. You may see up to 20 faint, swift meteors per hour on average if you have a good, dark sky. 

Look for meteors a few days before & after this coming Saturday. Saturday morning is predicted to be the heaviest time.


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## biodieselman (Oct 19, 2007)

October 20th - The Orionid meteor shower is active this morning and for the next few mornings. The hour before dawn's first light is the best time to watch. You may see up to 20 faint, swift meteors per hour on average if you have a good, dark sky.


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## Friday (Oct 21, 2007)

Unfortunately, if you stand around looking at the sky in my area this weekend you're going to drown.


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## biodieselman (Oct 21, 2007)

I didn't see any myself either. There is so much light pollution in L.A. only the brightest of meteors would have been seen. Over the years I've observed that meteor shower predictions are very unreliable. Sometimes predictions of heavy showers fizzled & sometimes light shower predictions resulted in spectacular shows. It's hit or miss but you won't know it's a hit unless you look. 

*Nov.*

*4*th - Daylight Savings Time ends at 2am. Starting this year, daylight time in the U.S. begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.

*5*th - Look southeast before and during dawn for Venus paired with the waning crescent Moon.

*7*th - Look far below Venus during dawn for the thin Moon. Mercury to the Moon's lower left.

*13*th - Look low in the southwest in twilight for the waxing crescent Moon. Jupiter is to its right.

*24*th - Full Moon, called the Frost Moon.

*26*th - The Moon and bright yellow-orange Mars rise together in mid-evening.


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## Tina (Oct 21, 2007)

If we get a bit away from the city we can see the night sky pretty well. My favorite place to do so is at the beach, and I believe I actually saw a UFO WAY up there one time.

I hate daylight savings time. I like for dusk not to happen until 8:30 pm or so, so that it's pretty much light out until 9pm. July is the only whole month that's like that and I adore it.


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## Ho Ho Tai (Nov 1, 2007)

biodieselman said:


> Star Date is bi-monthly publication from the McDonald Observatory. Thought I would share the dates of major night sky events. The magazine is mostly geared for the night skies of North America & some events such as eclipses will not be visible in other parts of the world.



BDMan - I've been hanging loose on Comet Holmes because I though that you, or one of the other regulars, would post it in glorious technicolor. Since I do not yet see a reference to it (though there may be something elsewhere on the board) I post my own observations. What follows is taken from e-mail that I sent out this morning.

This may be the Big One, folks - but that's what I've thought about every comet.

***************************************************

I saw Comet Holmes! I saw it! I saw it!

Mrs Ho Ho and I went out on our deck last night (Hallowe'en) to see if we could spot 
Holmes. The night was crisp and clear at 11 pm, once we shoo'ed away all those 
troublesome ghosts and witches, and the moon hadn't yet risen. We have a clear 
view to the north and west, a partial view to the east (through trees, now bare) 
and to the zenith, but not to the south. I did not set up my little 3" 
telescope, but took only the 7x50 binoculars.

Sky & Telescope has some good commentary on the comet (first link, below) and an 
adequate star chart (second link.) There is a pretty good description there of 
finding the comet, using 'land' marks familiar to most people - Polaris, The 
Pleiades ('Seven Sisters') and nearby bright stars Capella (1st magnitude) and 
Mirfak (2nd magnitude). 

(Note: No one ever sees seven stars, visually, in the Pleiades Cluster. Six 
stars are apparent to the naked eye. In a 7x50 binocular, careful observation 
will reveal perhaps two dozen, but no other star to match the first six in brightness. Rumor has it 
that there were seven stars visible to the Ancients, but that one of the sisters 
ran off with the milkman and now lives in Padukah.)

I had to scan a bit to find it but, once I did, it was obvious. To get Mrs Ho Ho's eyes focussed in the right place, I described it as follows.

1. Find Polaris, the North Star. It's elevation will be the same as your local 
latitude - about 45 deg. here, about 33 deg. in places like Dallas and Tucson.

2. Look to your right about 45 degrees (half a right angle) from Polaris, and at 
about the same elevation to find The Pleiades.)

3. Draw an imaginary line between the two.

4. About half-way along this line, and almost right on it, is Mirfak, brightest 
star in the constellation of Perseus. Below it, about half-way to the horizon, 
is Capella. Think of these two stars as marking the tip and tail, respectively, 
of an arrow. The arrow as a rather broad arrowhead, with Mirfak at the tip, a 
somewhat dimmer star (still part of Perseus) marking the right base of the arrowhead, and 
Comet Holmes marking the left base of the arrowhead. 

To the naked eye, Holmes is about as bright as it's right-hand counterpart in 
the arrowhead, but slightly blurry-looking. In a 7x50 binocular (or similar) it 
is clearly a disk, larger than any of the planets. Since it is not a solid body, 
estimates of the apparent diameter vary, but range from 1/10 to 1/4 the diameter 
of the full moon.

No significant tail is showing yet. This may be because Holmes is riding the 
incoming side of a very long elliptical orbit (it is a periodic comet) and is 
heading almost directly at the earth (and sun). As it sweeps around the sun, 
there may be a significant tail - or none. No one seems very sure of it's 
composition, which affects the appearance of the tail.

A number of observers have reported seeing two nucleii (visible in many of the 
photos in the 2nd link) and there is speculation that the comet is breaking up. 
If that's true, then it's "Kitty, bar the door" as far as the actual orbits and 
appearance of any fragments.

You may want to get yourself a steel helmet!

Robert


Duluth AAS - Thanks for your photos and observing tips.
Joel - You may have the best view, especially if you get just north of Bisbee, 
past the tunnel.
Ella - You should do pretty well too.
Dee and BDMan - You are probably way ahead of me on this one, though I haven't 
seen you post on it yet.
Kim - you may be able to spot it from that park we walked to, or from somewhere 
along the Sound.
George - It should be visible long enough for you to get over the flu. Then, all 
you have to worry about is rain.
Duluth folks - You should be able to see it from anywhere that you can see the North Star. Bagley should be OK.
Robin - hate to tease you. Not sure if it is visible from Australia or not. 
Maybe after it swings around the sun.

Let me know what you see.


http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/10775326.html
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/10862521.html


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## Friday (Nov 2, 2007)

Anything interesting coming up 11/5 - 11/10 Bio? We'll be in Reno where there is a lot less cloud cover and it's a short drive to pure dark.


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## biodieselman (Nov 2, 2007)

Friday said:


> Anything interesting coming up 11/5 - 11/10 Bio? We'll be in Reno where there is a lot less cloud cover and it's a short drive to pure dark.



I started this thread with the intention to list sky events from the 'Sky Highlights' section of the University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory's "StarDate' magazine. I don't list all of the highlights to save space but I list all events for those dates.

*NOV*

*5th* Look southeast before and during dawn for Venus paired with the waning crescent Moon. Saturn and, higher up, Regulus, are above them. Mercury and Spic are very far below them and perhaps a bit to the left.

*6th* Regulus, Saturn, brilliant Venus, the Moon, and the Mercury-Spica pair form a long, jagged line in the east-southeast at daw, in that order from top to bottom.

*7th* Look far below Venus during dawn for the thin Moon, Mercury to the Moon's lower left, and Spica more or less between them.

*8th* Mercury is at greatest elongation, 19 degrees west of the Sun in the dawn sky. Look for it far below bright Venus. Spica shines to Mercury's rght, and the hairline crescent Moon is below them as sunrise approaches.

But by far the biggest sky event is the Comet Holmes that Ho Ho Tai mentioned!


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## biodieselman (Nov 2, 2007)

Ho Ho Tai said:


> ... I've been hanging loose on Comet Holmes because I though that you, or one of the other regulars, would post it...
> 
> This may be the Big One, folks - but that's what I've thought about every comet.
> 
> ...



My "StarDate" magazine mentioned Comet Holmes, saying only that the comet wasn't predicted to give much show. They predicted it would only be visible by telescope & not the naked eye. "Sky and Telescope" reported that something happened Oct 10th & _"Comet Holmes... brightened dramatically  by nearly a million times  virtually overnight._"

I haven't seen Comet Holmes yet but hope to drive to some elevation away from L.A.'s light pollution & put Ris's Swarovski 10x42 binoculars to use. 
 
Either business has been good for my Indian restaurant friend, producing more waste cooking oil, or I need to get out more & put some miles on the new truck. I've got fuel to spare & need to burn it up and this sounds like a good excuse to burn some biodiesel. 

Much thanks, Ho Ho, for the heads up. I've dreamed for years now of buying a relatively nice telescope but always asked myself, just how much use would this luxury item honestly get? Comet Holmes might be the excuse I've been waiting for.


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## Ho Ho Tai (Nov 3, 2007)

biodieselman said:


> My "StarDate" magazine mentioned Comet Holmes, saying only that the comet wasn't predicted to give much show. They predicted it would only be visible by telescope & not the naked eye. "Sky and Telescope" reported that something happened Oct 10th & _"Comet Holmes... brightened dramatically  by nearly a million times  virtually overnight._"
> 
> I haven't seen Comet Holmes yet but hope to drive to some elevation away from L.A.'s light pollution & put Ris's Swarovski 10x42 binoculars to use.
> 
> ...



BDMan -

I include some e-mail that I sent out earlier today. It should explain the title of this post and add a bit of useful info as well. By the way, the Swarovski 10x42 binoculars should be just about ideal. Anything that works fairly well on the Andromeda Galaxy should be fine for the comet. If you decide to buy a telescope, you need to decide where your interests lie. A long focal length refractor with a decent, but not huge objective, is fine for the moon and planetary work, and somewhat OK for diffuse but dense objects like the Hercules Cluster. Trouble is, you spend the rest of your life chasing bigger and bigger glass, like a hot-rodder who always needs more cubes and higher compression.

If you go the other way - comets, galaxies, other diffuse objects, consider a reflector of about 12" or better primary and maybe f/3 to f/5. At f/5, you will still get 60x with a 1" eyepiece - about right for nice, bright views of those extended objects. You can go maybe down to 1/4" focal length on the eyepiece. If you can find a really good Barlow, that makes a nice addition. Years ago, I ran the college observatory which had a 1900s-era Brashier refractor - 9", f/15. The objective was excellent. I was able to squeeze out something like 800x using a Goodwin Barlow and 1/2" eyepiece. It was still crystal clear, given good seeing, and fine for the divisions in Saturn's rings and most of the planetary satellites known at the time (this was around 1950 to 1960). Still, for objects like Andromeda and the Hercules Cluster, it was best at around 60x.

When I was in grad school astronomy at the U of Arizona, they still had the original 36" f/3.3 reflector on campus. I was astonished the first time I looked at some of those diffuse objects. That is still the largest instrument to which I have ever put my eye. It is now doing automatic sky scans on Kitt Peak.

I guess the best astronomical instrument these days is this laptop, connected to the wonderful astronomical resources available on the web. But there is still magic in having your eye on one end of a tube, with the whole universe on the other end.

OK - my comet letter.

> Friends -
> 
We went out on the deck last night and this time Mrs Ho Ho spotted it immediately, without the binocular - with, too, of course.

I was mistaken on the orbit, and the position within the orbit, of Holmes. I 
thought it was still heading 'inward' toward the sun and would therefore 
probably continue to brighten and perhaps present a tail. However, perihelion 
was passed in June and it is now moving away from both the sun and the earth. 
Perihelion distance is about 2 A.U., with an elliptical orbit entirely contained 
between Mars and Jupiter, and a period of about 6.9 years. So it is not the 
stranger i thought it was. 

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap071029.html

There is a very good discussion of the comet, with all sorts of proper motion 
and orbital data, at Wikipedia. See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17P/Holmes.

I don't think that my 3" f/15 scope would be particuilarly good for this object. 
Binoculars probably work best, unless you have something like the 36" f/3.3 
scope I used to use in Arizona - very bright views of diffuse objects. However, 
we will probably try Mrs Ho Ho's
little spotting scope tonight. I don't know what the f ratio is. It has about a 
2" objective, with a zoom eyepiece that goes from 15x to 45x. The lowest 
magnification should be pretty good for an overall view. The higher powers may 
show the several nuclei. It has a good sturdy tripod, adjustable in height.

*************************************************

By the way,we tried Mrs Ho Ho's little scope tonight. Works just fine on Holmes.


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## snuggletiger (Nov 8, 2007)

Can anybody recommend a good beginners telescope?


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## biodieselman (Dec 5, 2007)

December

*7th* The earliest sunsets of the year come aroundthis date at mid-northern latitudes), even though the longest night of the year is not until Dec. 21. The difference is made up by the shifting time of sunrise, which comes latest in early January.

*13th* The Geminid meteor shower should be at its peak late tonight. There's no moonlight to interfere.

*22nd* The winter solstice occurs at 12:08 a.m. CST on tis date (on the evening of the 21st in time zones farther west). This is when the Sun is farthest south for the year and begins its six-month return northward. Winter begins in the northern hemisphere.

*23rd* The full Moon (called the Long Night Moon) shines close to fiery Mars all night.

*24th* Mars is at opposition, opposite the Sun in our sky. It rises in the east-northeast around sunset, with the Moon following up behind it by nightfall. Mars and the Moon are highest in the south around the middle of the night and set in the west around sunrise.

*31th* After midnight, go out into the silent night and face due south, where Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, is shining at its highest. It forms the big Winter Triangle with Betelgeuse to its upper right (by about two fists at arm's length) and Procyon to its upper left. Mars blazes high above them.


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## biodieselman (Dec 11, 2007)

Don't forget!​

Thursday, December 13 - 13th The Geminid meteor shower should be at its peak late tonight. There's no moonlight to interfere. The peak is on the 13th, but you can also check the night before and after for activity.


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## biodieselman (Jan 1, 2008)

*January*

*1st* Happy New Year!






*2nd* Earth is at perihelion, its closest point to the Sun for the year.

*3rd* The Quadrantid meteor shower is at its peak. These aren't a major shower event but predictions are never certain.

*4th* The crescent Moon, the planet Venus (the "morning star") and the star Antares form a triangle in the southeast at dawn.

*5th* Antares appears just above the crescent Moon, with Venus to their upper left, at dawn.

*19th* The Moon and Mars stage a spectacular encounter, Mars looks like a bright orange star to the right or upper right of the Moon at nightfall.

*21st * Mercury, the planet closest to the Sun, is visible as a moderately bright "star" low in the southwest at nightfall.

*23rd* Regulus, the "heart" of Leo, the lion, is just a whisker below the Moon in the evening sky. The planet Saturn is below them. Regulus and the Moon are even closer together at dawn on the 24th.

*24th * Saturn, which looks like a bright golden star, lines up to the right of the Moon.


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## biodieselman (Feb 2, 2008)

*February*

*1st* Venus and Jupiter, the brightest objects in the night sky after the Moon, are low in the southeast at first light. Venus is brighter, with Jupiter to its lower right. The star Antares stands to the left of the Moon.

*7th* There's an annular solar eclipse today, but it's visible only from Antarctica ans parts of the South Pacific. I'm not sure if you guys in New Zealand or Australia will be able to see this.

*15th* Orange Mars huddles close to the Moon tonight. They pass closest together in the wee hours of the 16th.

*20th A total lunar eclipse is visible from the United States tonight.*

Most of the country will see the entire eclipse, while the West Coast will miss only a small part of the show. A lunar occurs when the full Moon lines up directly opposite the Sun, so it passes through Earth's long shadow.

This eclipse begins at 6:35 p.m. CST, when the Moon first touches the hazy outer portion of the shadow, known as the penumbra. Most people don't notice much of a difference, however, until the Moon begins to enter the dark inner portion of the shadow, the umbra, more than an hour later, beginning the "partial" eclipse. As the Moon moves deeper into the umbra, it looks like a bigger "bite" is missing from the disk. Eventually it will move into the shadow completely, Sunlight filtered through Earth's atmosphere will turn the lunar disk dark red or gray.

The entire eclipse will be visible from the Rocky Mountains eastward. Farther west, the eclipse will just be getting underway as the Moon rises. Alaska and Hawaii will see only part of the Moon's disappearing act.

*Eclipse times CST*

6:35pm--Penumbral Eclipse Begins 

7:43--Partial Eclipse Begins 

9:01--Moon Completely Eclipsed 

9:30-- Full Moon (Snow Moon) 

9:52--Total Eclipse Ends 

11:09pm--Partial Eclipse Ends 

12:17am--Penumbral Eclipse Ends


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## Ho Ho Tai (Feb 2, 2008)

biodieselman said:


> *February*
> 
> 
> *20th A total lunar eclipse is visible from the United States tonight.*
> ...



Yee - ha! What a chance to go moon-bathing! (Just for a few seconds, though. Still damn cold around here.)

But, as I suggested before, what a great chance for Dimmers all across the country to 'show their stuff'! Let's pick a specific moment, say, when the moon is at mid-totality in the central time zone. Everybody get ready and . . . 3 . 2 . 1 . Zero! Moon the moon.

Report back on the 21st - with pix!


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## biodieselman (Feb 18, 2008)

Remember to take your kids outside Wednesday night to show them a
total lunar eclipse.










biodieselman said:


> *20th A total lunar eclipse is visible from the United States tonight.*
> 
> Most of the country will see the entire eclipse, while the West Coast will miss only a small part of the show. A lunar occurs when the full Moon lines up directly opposite the Sun, so it passes through Earth's long shadow.
> 
> ...


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## daddyoh70 (Feb 19, 2008)

Thanks for the heads up Bio, and Happy 1000th post by the way.


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## Friday (Feb 20, 2008)

Damn clouds. It was nice and clear...last night.


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## Aliena (Feb 21, 2008)

I actually got to see it and took a couple of pictures. Here is one I thought I'd share. It's a little difficult to see detail, but I thought I'd still share what I have. 

Total Eclipse right after full stage:

View attachment !cid__0_0 (600 x 450).jpg


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## biodieselman (Mar 4, 2008)

*March*


*7th* New Moon tonight.

*9th* Daylight Savings Time begins for most of the US.

*10th* The Moon is at perigee, its closest point to Earth.

*14th * The Moon barely misses bright orange Mars tonight.

*19th* Saturn and Regulus line up to the upper left of the Moon. Brighter Saturn looks golden. Regulus is slightly farther from the Moon.

*20th * The vernal equinox occurs at 12:48 a.m. CDT, marking the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere.
*
21st * Full Moon tonight.

*26th* The Moon and Antares, the brightest star of Scorpius, huddle together after midnight tonight. The Moon is at apogee, its farthest point from Earth.

*31st* Jupiter, which looks like a brilliant cream-colores star, stands to the left of the Moon at first light.


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## biodieselman (Apr 4, 2008)

*APRIL*


*11th* The Moon barely misses bright orange Mars tonight. Mars is just to the left or upper left of the Moon at nightfall, with the "twin" stars of Gemini above them.

*14-15th* Saturn and Regulus, the brightest star of Leo, huddle close to the Moon. On the 14th, Regulus is closer to the Moon. On the 15th, saturn is closer, with both points of light to the upper right of the moon.

*20th* Full Moon. Best night of the year to see a rainbow at night at Yosemite Falls. We'll meet you at the bottom of Yosemite Falls, just after sunset.

*21st * The Lyrid meteor shower is at its best tonight, although moonlight will overpower most of the fireworks.

*26-27th * Jupiter and the Moon stage a spectacular encounter in the pre-dawn sky. Brilliant Jupiter is to the left of the Moon on the 26th, and just above the moon on the 27th.


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## biodieselman (Jul 19, 2008)

*August*

*1st* A total solar eclipse will be visible along a narrow path from Nunavut, Canada, across Greenland, and through Russia and China. A partial eclipse will cover large portions of Europe and Asia. Northern New England will see a few minutes of the partial eclipse just after sunrise.

Remember safety when viewing the sun. Dark sunglasses don't provide adequate UV or IR protection. I made 5 solar viewers for all the neighborhood kids for these events when my kids were growing up. I used a piece of cardboard large enough to completely shade the whole head. I cut a hole in the center just a little smaller than a welder's lens. *Do not use a welder's shade lens lower than a #14!* Use a #14 or darker lens. Duct tape the lens in place to completely eliminate any light getting through any gaps in the edges of the welder's lens.

*14th* The Perseid meteor shower peaks around dawn on the morning of the 12th.
_
The Perseids were best in the 1990s after the Swift-Tuttle comet renewed the supply of "comet dust". As Earth flies through the comet's path, some of these grains streak into the atmosphere at tens of thousands of miles per hour. They quickly vaporize, forming meteors. Even though the comet dust is thinning, many experts expect displays of a few dozen meteors per hour. Best viewing is away from city light pollution in the early hours of the 12th, between moonset and dawn._

*16th* There is a partial lunar eclipse today, with the best views from Africa, Europe, and Asia. New England and a thin sliver of the central Atlantic coast will see the final moments of the eclipse, when the Moon is partially immersed in the faint outer portion of Earth's shadow.


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## biodieselman (Jul 30, 2008)

Bumped as a reminder for the eclipse.



biodieselman said:


> *August*
> 
> *1st* A total solar eclipse will be visible along a narrow path from Nunavut, Canada, across Greenland, and through Russia and China. A partial eclipse will cover large portions of Europe and Asia. Northern New England will see a few minutes of the partial eclipse just after sunrise.
> 
> ...


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## biodieselman (Aug 11, 2008)

biodieselman said:


> *August*
> ...
> 
> *14th* The Perseid meteor shower peaks around dawn on the morning of the 12th.
> ...



Bumped as a reminder to get up before sunrise over the next few days to watch for meteors.


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## Sugar Magnolia (Aug 11, 2008)

Yay! Thanks for the reminder, Bio.
I'm going to get up and sit on my deck - hoping for a great show!


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## biodieselman (Nov 12, 2008)

*November*

*17th* The Leonid meteor showers peaks before dawn today. 

Named for the constellation Leo, the lion, which rises in the wee hours of the morning. The moon is only a couple of days before full, so its light will overpower all but the brightest Leonids.

The Geminids on December 13th may be the year's best meteor showers. However, the moon will one day past full.


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## Ho Ho Tai (Nov 12, 2008)

biodieselman said:


> *November*
> 
> *17th* The Leonid meteor showers peaks before dawn today.
> 
> ...



Thanks BDMan -
Just a small correction: The U.S. Naval Observatory website lists the November full moon as occurring at precisely 13 d 6 h 17 m UT, or CST 17 minutes post-midnight on the 13th. If I reword your comment thus: "The moon is full only a couple of days before [the meteor shower] . . ." that about does it. Lunar transit occurs at 4:08 am, CST, 73% illuminated, altitude 68deg. S.

Regulus (bright star in Leo, close to the radiant) transits at 06:34 am, or about 30 deg. east of the moon. Doesn't sound too promising, but if you can see Regulus (the faintest of the 20 1st magnitude stars) you can probably see some of the brighter meteors.

The Geminids will have an even brighter moon to contend with. Lunar transit is at 0 h 43 m and a slightly higher elevation - 71 deg. S.

But I think that many of the folks here will find lots of neat stuff to do under that high, bright moon. Be sure to dress warm, and hold hands, even with gloves on. If you chill out, hot chocolate is the antidote of the professionals. (Brandy works too, but you don't want to see two moons - or do you?)


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## Friday (Dec 1, 2008)

Saw Venus and Jupiter in the sky above a beautiful crescent moon tonight on the way over Snoqualmie Pass about 6 pm and thought of you Bio. It was quite a sight.


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## biodieselman (Dec 1, 2008)

Ho Ho Tai said:


> ...Just a small correction: ...


Well that's it!





I fired off a nasty letter demanding the editor be fired for printing misinformation!



Ho Ho Tai said:


> The Geminids will have an even brighter moon to contend with...



Despite the full moon, StarDate Magazine predicts the Geminids will be one of the year"s best meteor showers. See below.



Friday said:


> Saw Venus and Jupiter in the sky above a beautiful crescent moon tonight on the way over Snoqualmie Pass about 6 pm and thought of you Bio. It was quite a sight.



Beautiful aren't they? Continue to check them out Friday, they will be getting closer.

*December*

*1st* Venus and Jupiter huddle close to the crescent Moon after sunset. Venus, which is brighter than Jupiter, is closer to the Moon. For the rest of December, Venus and Jupiter swap roles. They rapidly draw apart, and now it's bright Venus's turn to shine at the upper left while Jupiter takes the lower right.

*3rd* The crescent Moon just misses the planet Neptune, which is visible through strong binoculars or a telescope. Neptune is just to the left or lower lest of the Moon at nightfall. It looks like a faint star with a hint of blue.

*13th* The Geninid meteor showers peaks tonight. Named for Gemini, the twins. This shower can be the year's best, with some of the brightest meteors. The gibbous Moon, just one day past full, will overpower most of the Geminids.

*17th* Saturn is close to the Moon tonight. It looks like a bright golden star to the lower left of the gibbous Moon as the rise in late evening.

*21st* The December solstice, which marks the start of winter in the northern hemisphere. The Sun stands farthest south for the year, and will soon begin its trek to the north. This is the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, and the longest day south of the equator.

*28/29th* Jupiter and Mercury huddle close to the Moon, very low in the southwest after sunset. They are above the Moon on the 28th (with Mercury closest to the Moon), and to its lower right on the 29th.

*30/31st* Venus, the "evening star", is to the upper left of the Moon on the evening of the 30th, but quite close to the Moon's lower left on the year's last night. At the end of December, little Mercury comes up out of the Sun's glare to meet Jupiter. After sunset on the 31st, look for Mercury a finger-width to Jupiter's left. Bring binoculars.


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## steely (Dec 1, 2008)

It's raining and snowing,the sky is full of clouds.Can't see a thing.The wind is blowing 25 mph so I don't really want to go out.

I will check out the rest if the weather permits.Thank you for the update.


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## JoyJoy (Dec 1, 2008)

Friday said:


> Saw Venus and Jupiter in the sky above a beautiful crescent moon tonight on the way over Snoqualmie Pass about 6 pm and thought of you Bio. It was quite a sight.


I saw this tonight, too, after a friend called to tell me the sky was frowning. I walked out to see the two planets blinking under the crescent moon, and it did look like a beautiful frowny-face.


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## Ho Ho Tai (Dec 2, 2008)

biodieselman said:


> Well that's it!
> *December*
> 
> *1st* Venus and Jupiter huddle close to the crescent Moon after sunset. Venus, which is brighter than Jupiter, is closer to the Moon. For the rest of December, Venus and Jupiter swap roles. They rapidly draw apart, and now it's bright Venus's turn to shine at the upper left while Jupiter takes the lower right.



We had a nice, clear sky up here in Minnesota. Unfortunately, the rapidly advancing moon was pulling away from Venus and Jupiter by twilight. I wonder if any of our European / English / Irish friends actually saw the occultation of Venus by the moon? Not exactly the sort of thing that causes astronomers to go into fits, but lots of fun for the rest of us.









Venus shortly before disappearance............Venus reappears from behind the Moon


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## Friday (Dec 2, 2008)

Well I'm glad we came over the pass on a beautiful, clear night last night because it's back to raining buckets today.


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## biodieselman (Dec 10, 2008)

biodieselman said:


> ...
> 
> *13th* The Geninid meteor showers peaks tonight. Named for Gemini, the twins. This shower can be the year's best, with some of the brightest meteors. The gibbous Moon, just one day past full, will overpower most of the Geminids.
> 
> ...



Bumped as a reminder to watch for the Geninid meteor showers, including a couple of days before & after peak.


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## Ho Ho Tai (Dec 10, 2008)

biodieselman said:


> *21st* The December solstice, which marks the start of winter in the northern hemisphere. The Sun stands farthest south for the year, and will soon begin its trek to the north. This is the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, and the longest day south of the equator.


"The Third Annual Orgasm for Peace"
While you're out there in the garden, or the woods, may as well do your bit for peace.

And those of us who can't march in the parade can still sit on the curb and clap.


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## Ho Ho Tai (Mar 11, 2009)

As I type this, I can see it through my east window, about 30 deg. high. Tried to get Mrs Ho Ho interested in a moon hug, but it's -10 deg. F. out there. Ah, well - spring is on the way.

http://aa.usno.navy.mil/idltemp/current_moon.php


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## Ho Ho Tai (Apr 2, 2009)

Ho Ho Tai said:


> As I type this, I can see it through my east window, about 30 deg. high. Tried to get Mrs Ho Ho interested in a moon hug, but it's -10 deg. F. out there. Ah, well - spring is on the way.
> 
> http://aa.usno.navy.mil/idltemp/current_moon.php



A cheap shot, quoting myself. But it is worth noting that the moon pic in this post is always the CURRENT phase, whenever you access this post.

The MacDonald Observatory StarDate Online for this month (April, 2009) notes the following:

"22 The Moon, Venus, and Mars congregate low in the east at first light. The Moon will pass across the face of Venus, briefly hiding the planet from view."

http://sz0125.ev.mail.comcast.net/zimbra/mail#3

Note that this is a morning sky event with a thin lunar crescent, quite close to the horizon. Run out in your jammies to see it - that will get the neighbors' tongues wagging!


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## Ho Ho Tai (Apr 6, 2009)

It's so darn beautiful (and awesome!) that I just had to post it. If I were of a religious bent, I suppose that I would see the Hand of God in there somewhere.






Red represents low-energy X-rays, the medium range is green, and the most energetic ones are colored blue. The blue hand-like structure was created by energy emanating from the nebula around they dying star PSR B1509-58. The red areas are from a neighboring gas cloud called RCW 89. Credit: NASA/CXC/SAO/P.Slane, et al.​


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## steely (Apr 7, 2009)

Astounding


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## biodieselman (Apr 20, 2009)

Ho Ho Tai said:


> ... Tried to get Mrs Ho Ho interested in a moon hug, but it's -10 deg. F. out there. Ah, well - spring is on the way. ...



"... _spring is on the way_ ..."? Where do you live Ho Ho? It's been spring here for over a month now. Today almost hit 90 degrees.




Ris & I *just now*, (9:30pm), came in the house from a 'moon hug'/skinny dip in the pool. I offered :wubu: to towel her off but she said she would sit on a bench to look at the night sky while she 'drip dried'.




Sorry, no pics... of Ris.



*April*

*21st* The Lyrid meteor shower is at its best tonight.

*22nd* The Moon, Venus ans Mars congregate low in the east at first light. The Moon will pass across the face of Venus, briefly hiding the planet from view.

*26th* The Moon, the Pleiades and Mercury align low in the west-northwest as night falls. The Pleiades star cluster is a little distance below the Moon, with Mercury about the same distance below the Pleiades. Mercury looks like a fairly bright star. Binoculars will enhance the view.


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## SocialbFly (Apr 20, 2009)

Dang, free show, and i missed it....hahaha, thanks for the info


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## Ho Ho Tai (Apr 20, 2009)

biodieselman said:


> "... _spring is on the way_ ..."? Where do you live Ho Ho? It's been spring here for over a month now. Today almost hit 90 degrees.
> 
> *22nd* The Moon, Venus ans Mars congregate low in the east at first light. The Moon will pass across the face of Venus, briefly hiding the planet from view.
> 
> *26th* The Moon, the Pleiades and Mercury align low in the west-northwest as night falls. The Pleiades star cluster is a little distance below the Moon, with Mercury about the same distance below the Pleiades. Mercury looks like a fairly bright star. Binoculars will enhance the view.



Aww c'mon, BDMan - you know full well that we live in Minnesota. Besides, that comment was posted over a month ago (3/11). It really is spring here now. Temps are in the 40s, despite the 6 - 8" snowfall they had in the northern parts of the state. Actually, today is an anomaly, because we have had several very nice days, and will again by the end of the week.

A month ago, we tried to walk through one of our favorite wooded areas. Mrs Ho Ho hit a patch of ice and took a bad tumble. No serious damage because she landed full on that part of her that has the best cushioning. If she had put out an arm to break her fall, she would still be in a cast.

I wasn't sure whether we would see an occultation of Venus, or just a near miss. The US Naval Observatory has all sorts of good stuff, including this On-line Almanac which guides you to this chart of the April 22 Occultation of Venus.
There is a link on that page to a PDF version of the same chart.

If I am interpreting the chart correctly, it does look like most of the continental US will see an occultation, except for the east coast. BDMan, please examine the chart (or your other sources) and confirm or negate my conclusion, according to your own interpretation.

As to your failure to include photos of that other, dripping, Heavenly Body, well, all I can say (Heh! Heh!) is that Google Sees All.


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## biodieselman (Apr 21, 2009)

biodieselman said:


> ...
> 
> *21st* The Lyrid meteor shower is at its best tonight.
> 
> *22nd* The Moon, Venus ans Mars congregate low in the east at first light. The Moon will pass across the face of Venus, briefly hiding the planet from view. ...



Thread bump for the meteor shower & occultation of Venus.



Ho Ho Tai said:


> ... If I am interpreting the chart correctly, it does look like most of the continental US will see an occultation, except for the east coast. ...



I just couldn't see it until I got the globe. Ris recognized it first. If you were looking down on Earth from above the North Pole, Greenland is center just above the halfway point. Florida points to the '2' in the 2009 date & Baja California points towards the '22' in the date. You're correct Ho Ho, the eastern seaboard, east of the Great Lakes, down to Louisiana won't see the occultation. But *you'll* be able to use the occultation of Venus as an excuse to give Mrs. Ho Ho a 'Moon Hug'. As if you need an excuse.

I hope Mrs. Ho Ho is OK after her fall. Have you tried Yaktrax? I bought a pair for Ris because her ankle & knees were damaged in a car accident years ago & her left ankle doesn't flex. She loves them because they made her feel safe & secure when walking on ice. They easily slip over your shoes & are available on-line from REI. I know, I know, living in Minnesota you've already seen them.:doh:


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## Ho Ho Tai (Apr 22, 2009)

biodieselman said:


> Thread bump for the meteor shower & occultation of Venus.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hi Guys -
Curious about what you saw out your way. Here, at about 6am, CDT, the crescent moon was still very bright - a thin crescent with the "bow and arrow" pointing at the sun, yet to rise. Venus was nearly a full lunar diameter on the sun side of the moon. Since actual lunar motion is opposed to the apparent motion, at about 1/2 deg. per hour, the moon should have been encroaching on Venus by about 7 am CDT. However, we have a tree problem which makes celestial objects play hide and seek with us, as we observe from the bedroom window (the closest to the outdoors that I can get Mrs Ho Ho at that time of the morning.) In addition to the trees, the sunlight was now bright enough to mask both the moon and venus. If I had trained a 'scope with a drive on it, I could have followed it, or if I had taken my 7x50s to a nice, clear spot. I have seen Venus in broad daylight this way.

The tip-off to interpreting the globe is that the coordinates of the center were 113.6 E and 87.3 N - almost dead on to the north pole. You can see the Great Lakes, looking something like the male appendage and related equipment. We live about 150 miles south of the western tip of Lake Superior.

Well, I hope someone was positioned to see it.

re: Yaktrax. Mrs Ho Ho did buy some strap-ons years ago from that self-same REI. They had actual ice points on them and were quite effective on ice. But, like snow tires with studs, you don't use them all the time. Neither of us expected that much ice that day. BBWs do have one advantage. If I had fallen in the same way, I probably would have broken my tail bone.

I'm going to drop a bit of a bombshell on you. Tomorrow, Mrs Ho Ho is scheduled for surgery - not major, but not trivial either. I won't go into detail here, but we have concerns both for the surgery and for the follow-on potential, if you get my meaning. Tests will be run after the surgery, and those results won't be known for a week or so.

Meanwhile, kind thoughts are always appreciated.


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## Ho Ho Tai (Dec 30, 2009)

We have a moon, both full and blue, on New Year's Eve 2009 (tomorrow, as I write this.) We may try for a blue moon bath, but pretty sure we will be more blue than the moon if we do. But there are creative ways to warm up afterward . . .

From Space: "Blue Moon to Occur New Year's Eve"






From Space: "A full moon is visible in this view above Earth's horizon and airglow, photographed by Expedition 10 Commander Leroy Chiao on the International Space Station."​


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## Ho Ho Tai (Jan 30, 2010)

Because the moon is at perigee (about 221K miles from the earth) it is brighter both because of apparent diameter and because of the inverse-square law of radiation. Up here in MN, with a cold, clear sky, it was incredibly bright, and will be again tonight. Not blue, though we would be if we stayed outside too long.

As this article from Nat'l Geo points out, Mars, in opposition, is also bright, and very near to the full moon, as we see it.


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## biodieselman (Feb 1, 2010)

Ho Ho Tai said:


> ... re: Yaktrax. Mrs Ho Ho did buy some strap-ons years ago from that self-same REI. They had actual ice points on them and were quite effective on ice. But, like snow tires with studs, you don't use them all the time. Neither of us expected that much ice that day. ...



I apologize Ho Ho, I just now saw this post. Ris had told me about Ms. Ho Ho's surgery last year & being an 'old man', I completely forgot to ask if everything turned out OK.

I'm glad the Yaktrax worked. Ris has a fused ankle & she has no confidence on ice. She's afraid of falling & the Yaktrax gives her the traction on ice to feel safe.

Feb 1st Saturn follows the Moon across the late sky. They rise in late evening, with Saturn to the lower left of the Moon. They are closer together at first light on the 2nd.

Feb 2nd Saturn ans Spica form a wide, bright triangle with the Moon in the pre-dawn hours. At first light, Saturn is to the upper right of the Moon, with Spica to the Moon's upper left.

Feb 25th Mars and the Moon stand side by side in the east at nightfall. Pollux, the brightest star of Gemini, is directly above Mars.
__________________


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## Ho Ho Tai (Feb 1, 2010)

biodieselman said:


> I apologize Ho Ho, I just now saw this post. Ris had told me about Ms. Ho Ho's surgery last year & being an 'old man', I completely forgot to ask if everything turned out OK.
> 
> I'm glad the Yaktrax worked. Ris has a fused ankle & she has no confidence on ice. She's afraid of falling & the Yaktrax gives her the traction on ice to feel safe.



Hi BD -

Thanks for asking. Ancient history now, thank goodness. Everything turned out cool, with just a bit of snipping. No pink ribbons yet.

The ice tumble was a separate event. She slipped and landed on the part of her BBW frame best able to cushion the blow. Nothing damaged but her dignity, and easily fixed by a bit of tender massage.

In my younger days, I would hear constantly that the thing that old folks feared the most wasn't heart attacks or cancer - it was the accidental fall. At 72, I can attest to this. I haven't had a really bad one yet (at least not since I was 12 y.o.) but with tendon damage in both arms and a balance problem, the potential is there every minute.

I'm beginning to see why the snowbirds fly off to Arizona in the winter.


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## Ho Ho Tai (Dec 2, 2010)

As good an excuse to bump this thread again. Should be a good eclipse, visible from everywhere in the lower 48, at least. The two links will tell you everything you need to know - except what to wear in the back yard, besides your foot pajamas.

From Wikipedia: December 2010 Lunar Eclipse.

and Total Eclipse of the Moon: 2010 December 21

Viewing is best with your favorite beverage in one hand and your S.O. in the other.


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## biodieselman (Dec 6, 2010)

Don't forget the fireworks on the nights before & after the 13th Ho Ho.





December

12/13th Jupiter huddles close to the Moon. The planet is to the left of the Moon at nightfall on the 12thg and directly below it on the 13th.

13th Geminid meteor shower peaks tonight, and the Moon sets by around midnight, leaving plenty of dark hours for the fireworks.

21st The December solstice, which marks the start of winter in the northern hemisphere.

28th Saturn is the golden "star" to the upper left of the Moon at first light.

30/31st Morning-star Venus stands well to the left of the Moon at first light on the 30th, and closer tot he upper left of the Moon on the 31st.


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## biodieselman (Dec 13, 2010)

Just a reminder to watch the night skies the next few days for the Geminid meteor showers. These are predicted to be the best showers of the year. Best viewing times are after the Moon sets around midnight to before sunrise.


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## Ho Ho Tai (Dec 20, 2010)

biodieselman said:


> Don't forget the fireworks on the nights before & after the 13th Ho Ho.



Ho Ho Heh Heh! We NEVER forget the fireworks!

We might have to forget the eclipse, though. Things totally socked in by a snowstorm. I guess we'll just have to check it out on the NASA livecam.


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## Ho Ho Tai (Feb 12, 2012)

A million things have happened since anyone (well, since I) last bumped this thread. I was trying to remember something, used Google, and found it hiding in this thread. 

I don't have any particular reason to bump it, but it was such fun while it lasted. Say something, post something, you starry-eyed Dimmers.

Here's my old favorite: What the moon looks like now.

Here's a lovely website, created and maintained by some equally lovely folks from Germany. It has everything imaginable about the full moon.

Enjoy!


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## Ho Ho Tai (Feb 13, 2012)

"Enormous backside filmed from space . . ."

Google sees all. Anyone you know?


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