Author Topic: Anyone into Astronomy?  (Read 4376 times)

cjd-player

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 301
  • Near Pittsburgh, PA
Anyone into Astronomy?
« on: March 16, 2012, 10:39:07 PM »
I've always had a bit of interest in astronomy, but never pursued it too seriously apart from getting some star maps and an inexpensive telescope many years ago.  After hearing a program on the radio this past week, for the past few nights I've been watching the fairly rare dance of Venus and Saturn in the western sky.  On the 25th and 26th of March the moon will join the dance.  Kool stuff.

Apparently there is some readily available software in which you can watch the movements of the stars and planets over time and during any year that you choose.  The kind of stuff that NASA uses when they launch a space probe.

I also recently watched a DVD about what the sky looked like in the early first century. Really fascinating information.  Here is a link to the web site:  http://www.bethlehemstar.net/  and I highly recommend the DVD.
Carl
2010 BTO GC, Redwood on EI Rosewood
2010 312ce, kept in DADGAD
2006 814ce LTD, Sitka on Mad Rosewood
2013 Composite Acoustics OX-Raw

Steve

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 765
    • Steve Parr Photography
Re: Anyone into Astronomy?
« Reply #1 on: March 16, 2012, 10:42:23 PM »
I would love to get into it from a photography perspective. I've seen some of the stuff people get when they use telescopes to shoot with, and it's pretty impressive...
No one has ever been on their death-bed wishing they'd been more practical...

cjd-player

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 301
  • Near Pittsburgh, PA
Re: Anyone into Astronomy?
« Reply #2 on: March 16, 2012, 10:45:43 PM »
When I was a teenager, I actually got some pretty good pictures of the moon through my telescope.
An old Kodak Instamatic camera just held up to the eyepiece. The lens surround and eyepiece were the exact same diameter.
Carl
2010 BTO GC, Redwood on EI Rosewood
2010 312ce, kept in DADGAD
2006 814ce LTD, Sitka on Mad Rosewood
2013 Composite Acoustics OX-Raw

sachi

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 395
Re: Anyone into Astronomy?
« Reply #3 on: March 17, 2012, 12:19:42 PM »
I love astronomy, and for a time was very interested in the science behind it all. I had a 10" Dobsonian for a long while, but alas, I am one of those people who cannot stay awake past 10:30, so I find it pretty much impossible to be an observer. So I just read about it and look at the pictures of fascinating deep space sites on the Internet.
Sachi

Kolaya Carmen, Trek parlor, Martin 000-28EC, Taylor GC-5 and 355.

Cindy

  • Global Moderator
  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1414
Re: Anyone into Astronomy?
« Reply #4 on: March 17, 2012, 03:18:12 PM »
Carl, I have that DVD you referenced, and I think it's spectacular! :)

When I was in elementary school, we took a couple of field trips to a planetarium in Trenton, NJ. That was sooo much FUN and informative. Has anyone else ever had the chance to go to a planetarium?
Cindy

cjd-player

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 301
  • Near Pittsburgh, PA
Re: Anyone into Astronomy?
« Reply #5 on: March 17, 2012, 06:10:56 PM »
Carl, I have that DVD you referenced, and I think it's spectacular! :)

Yea, just phenomenal information.  ;D
Carl
2010 BTO GC, Redwood on EI Rosewood
2010 312ce, kept in DADGAD
2006 814ce LTD, Sitka on Mad Rosewood
2013 Composite Acoustics OX-Raw

sachi

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 395
Re: Anyone into Astronomy?
« Reply #6 on: March 17, 2012, 07:00:38 PM »
What did the DVD do? Show what possibilities there were in nature for a nova around the potential time of Jesus's birth? (Not trying to get into religion here, just curious about the science behind the video.)
Sachi

Kolaya Carmen, Trek parlor, Martin 000-28EC, Taylor GC-5 and 355.

cjd-player

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 301
  • Near Pittsburgh, PA
Re: Anyone into Astronomy?
« Reply #7 on: March 17, 2012, 09:53:06 PM »
The DVD shows some of the animations that are available in the mapping software.  By calculating the positions of the celestial bodies, and then rapidly stringing those calculations together, an animation can be created to speed up the natural movements.  In other words, the movement of say, Jupiter, across the star field over a period of several months in any given year can be seen as an animation in a few seconds. 
The DVD shows a unique convergence of Jupiter and Venus that occurred about 2 BC (using our current Western Civilization calender). The two planets "touched" but did not overlap, thereby making the pair the brightest "object" in the night sky, and which exhibited some unique "movement" in the sky because of the relative movements of the Earth and those two planets.  Hence, the "Star" of Bethlehem.   It also shows rare celestial events that occurred in 33 AD (again using our calender).   
« Last Edit: March 17, 2012, 10:00:30 PM by cjd-player »
Carl
2010 BTO GC, Redwood on EI Rosewood
2010 312ce, kept in DADGAD
2006 814ce LTD, Sitka on Mad Rosewood
2013 Composite Acoustics OX-Raw

S MS Picker

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 412
Re: Anyone into Astronomy?
« Reply #8 on: March 17, 2012, 10:08:43 PM »
I used the stars and moon to move in the woods at night while hunting.Man, it's easy to get lost on a cloudy,moonless night.
When my older son got out of the Navy he taught me to read maps and use a compass. Now we both have GPS units, but still map read to stay in practice. GPS has to have the satallite.
Steve
"99 414
2000 410Ce
"05 214
"06 410CE (short scale)
"10 814CE-LTD(fall)
"11 414CE-LTD(fall)
"11 412CE
"12 Custom GS  Adi/Hog

 -other-
"12 Eastman E20D
"? Silvertone (Sears) 2 lipstick tube PU electric

Cindy

  • Global Moderator
  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1414
Re: Anyone into Astronomy?
« Reply #9 on: March 18, 2012, 07:32:32 PM »
Carl, coincidentally a Facebook friend commented on a video which shows The Stars as Viewed From The International Space Station. It's so incredible! Around here I can see a few stars in the night sky, but this video is LOADED with stars!

sachi, to add to what Carl mentioned about the Star of Bethlehem DVD, the guy used information from the Bible and was able to identify the year of Jesus' birth as well as his death (although some people may view the conclusions as speculation) and some other historical events that occurred. Using the software, he was able to go backwards in time which allowed him to see the sky as it would have appeared in biblical times.
Cindy

Iplay2

  • Guest
Re: Anyone into Astronomy?
« Reply #10 on: March 22, 2012, 11:34:49 AM »
http://scaleofuniverse.com/

That is sooo cool!  I am sending it to everyone I know.

mgap

  • Global Moderator
  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5826
Re: Anyone into Astronomy?
« Reply #11 on: March 22, 2012, 09:53:53 PM »
So, I checked out the video it was very cool.
He who loses money, loses much; he who loses a friend, loses more; he who loses faith, loses all.

BlackCats

  • Guest
Re: Anyone into Astronomy?
« Reply #12 on: March 30, 2012, 01:48:06 PM »
Another great site http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html a different picture and explanation each day. Scroll down and click on the Archive link.