Venus Crescent become noticeably smaller

Today is beautiful weather for observations. I've started the evening from the Venus Crescent, that become noticeably much smaller than it was just eleven days ago.

Annual Christmas WASI Meeting

Created that topic because have some Astronomy related photos from today's Club Meeting:

At first want to publish my pin I've got for accomplishing Moon Observation program.

And here are other photos from the event

Venus crescent

Yesterday had some free time at the evening and made some low-quality, but beautiful pictures.

Both pictures are made by simple Canon PowerShot through 70mm refractor without any mounting devices with a lot of light pollution in Bethesda, MD. The hardest part was to focus the camera.

Big Sunspot

Do not track very often sunspot activity after I've finished Sun spotter program and get my pin.
Sun spotter program

However recently in the news heard about big sunspot and sunspot groups.

Looked at the Sun and saw a big sunspot by naked eye!
I used only sunglasses like these:

 They cost $10 on amazon - that is robbery. You can get them in our club at about $3 and even less for members.

Unfortunately I can't picture what I saw, but I tried to do a photograph of it and here is how my camera sees it.

Then I tried to picture the sun through my telescope's eyepiece. That wasn't much better.

Two Comets to Fly By Mercury on Nov 18 & 19

New Astronomical facts I've recently found.

Will just list facts that I've got from SKY magazine:

1. Voyager 1, that launched in 1977 reached interstellar space in August 2012.
    I assume that signal from that space ship travels about a year back to earth. That is why we were informed about what was happened last year just recently.

NASA Picture

2. Supermassive black hole in the center of our galaxy eats only about 1% of captured particles. Everything else simply escapes powered by burning that 1%.

3. Sunspots are result of disruption in magnetic field created by twists generated by difference in rotation speed between fast Sun equator and slow poles.

4. Methane (CH4) seems to be missing on Mars.Does it mean there is no life that produces the methane or an opposite, there is a life form that eats methane and converts it to something else?

Astronomical Links

Here are all interesting internet links to astronomical resources.

Hot Links:
- News for ISON comet from Sky Magazine




- Heavens Above - Satellite tracker

- Comet Chasing

- Astro League Observing Clubs


- Best Sunspot Tracker

- Sun-Moon Calendar

- Sky maps

- Hourly Star Maps

- Current astronomy calendar

- WASI Calendar

- Sky conditions in Maryland

- Stars and Planets moving model (Flash Game)

ISON Hunt 2

This morning I waked up at 3 AM (just to be safe).

At first want to mention that whole my observation I was guarded by two police cars.
What did they hide in the middle of the field I do not know.

 
My first target was comet C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy). While I was trying to find it I got M44 and added it to my Messier list.

 

 

 I really couldn't find the comet Lowejoy.

Only when I've got home I saw it on my pictures.

Here is a closer view

Other tree comets: 2012 S1 (ISON), 2012 X1 (LINEAR), and 2P/Encke I couldn't find not only in my telescope but they weren't captured by my camera too.

Here are locations where I've searched for them:

Even though I did not find all comets I wish I've learned a lot:

- I've learned that I have to do my homework much better. Have to locate comets way before I go to the field. 

- I've found that my best 6mm eyepiece is having so much metal that very small temperature drop generates a lot of vapor on it that makes it impossible to use.

- I've learned that I really need good viewfinder.

- I've learned that I probably need a new telescope.

- I've also learned shapes of constellations of this part of the sky. 

Hopefully next. time I will be better prepared and more more lucky.

Nevertheless that was good morning. Almost perfect sky conditions and some very nice photos:

Orion

Captured the track down of International Space Station:

Sunrise.

Soldiers Delight Star Party

Every Second Saturday of the Month we have a Star Gazing Party in Soldiers Delight Nature Center.

That meeting was very good because we had wonderful weather conditions.

In limited time we can see the Moon, Andromeda Galaxy, a lot of constellations, some star clusters and finally Jupiter rise up.

Hunting for ISON Comet

On the Morning I waked too late and started my observations only about 6AM that was already too late for the comet.
So here are some photos:

 

Astro Flash Games