Anythin visible tonight?

Dave!

Alright lads,

Gorgeous clear sky expected here in Tallaght tonight (and all day too!)

Just wondering is there anything worth looking at this evening?

I've no telescope, mind

Cheers

Unfortunately there isn't a lot visible tonight.

There's a penumbral lunar eclipse later on (there's a thread about it a few threads down with the times etc.). But it'll be very unspectacular and very faint.

Jupiter rises just before 22:00 in the east, and it's usually a good site, but its brilliance will be obscured by the full Moon tonight and for the next few nights.

The Perseids meteor shower hits its maximum in a week or so, so there'll be an elevated chance of seeing meteors on the nights preceding and proceeding it; but again, unfortunately, the Moon will basically ruin any chance of seeing meteors (there's also a thread about this meteor shower a few threads down).

That's about it, really.

Dave!

Cheers man. Clear skies seem to be a rarity for me nowadays, so was hoping I'd get lucky and see them launch another shuttle or somethin Ahh well

Well if you've some patience, there'll (hopefully, depending on weather) be another Shuttle launch visible in less than two weeks. On August 25th at 06:36 AM (our time) the Shuttle should be visible again, along with the fuel tank etc. It'll be like the last one, only in the early hours of the morning. See Kevster's thread a few down (STS-128) for more details.

The Space Station will begin to be visible again in just over a week or so, for about 10 days.

jumpguy

Do you even have 10x50 binoculars? Alot to see just with them (galaxies, etc).

Otherwise, there's always plenty of OTHER satelite passes, there's loads tonight, none as bright as the ISS mind you. Rosat (out-of-commision telescope), Seasat, Lacrosse 2, 3 and 4 (American spy satellites). Go to www.heavens-above.com and enter your co-ordinates to get pass times and directions.
We're also approaching a peak in shooting stars (peak is on the 12th) however the full moon means that it'll only be the brighter ones that are visible.


Also, there's these things call iridium flares. Iridium satellites are global communication satellites (for satellite phones). If the antennae reflect the sunlight properly back onto your location, they can get from -5 to -8 in magnitude. That's at least 10 times brighter than the ISS is. Again, www.heavens-above.com + your co-ordinates for times, etc.

Flukey

The Moon and Jupiter, and their proximity, is certainly the highlight this week. If you are lucky, you might see a few meteors too, as we head towards the peak of the Perseid meteor shower next Wednesday. On any clear night, no matter when it is, if you take a bit of time to go out and look, there are always things to see. The night sky is always fascinating, even when there aren't some extra special things like we have at present. One downside of the bright moon at present is that it makes some of the meteors harder to see. So a clear night without the moon can sometimes be better for seeing things than when the moon is to be seen. If you have binoculars, sometimes the moon is better for seeing craters when it is not full. This is because the sun is shining across them, rather than directly at them. So if you look to the edge of where the sunlight is on a less than full moon, or what we call the terminator, you can see craters very well. If you look at this photo of the moon that I took a few years ago, you can see the clearest craters are near the terminator on the right, and not the bright edge on the left.

SheRa

Just found this forum. Hope you can help me. I was walking along the beach with my sis this evening at Dollymount about 9.30pm and I saw the most spectacular sight, what appeared to be a red planet down very low in the sky. It slowly eclipsed until it disappeared. It was beautiful.

First we thought that it was the moon, but then saw the moon much higher up in the sky so thats not it:o. Id love to know what it is, hopefully one of you guys might know. Thanks:).

SheRa

SheRa wrote: »

Just found this forum. Hope you can help me. I was walking along the beach with my sis this evening at Dollymount about 9.30pm and I saw the most spectacular sight, what appeared to be a red planet down very low in the sky. It slowly eclipsed until it disappeared. It was beautiful.

First we thought that it was the moon, but then saw the moon much higher up in the sky so thats not it:o. Id love to know what it is, hopefully one of you guys might know. Thanks:).

In what direction? Both Saturn and Mercury would have been visible in the ~west right after sunset.

SheRa

Well we were on Dollymount beach looking out to the sea and we could see it just right of howth head.

jumpguy

He means North, East, West, South, South-East, South-West etc roughly.
At Howth I assume you might've been looking somewhere Easterly?

SheRa

SheRa wrote: »

Well we were on Dollymount beach looking out to the sea and we could see it just right of howth head.

I'd say it was Jupiter so (Jupiter rose in the east -- the direction you would have been looking -- just before the Moon itself rose).

SheRa

It was north east.

SheRa

-JammyDodger- wrote: »

I'd say it was Jupiter so (Jupiter rose in the east -- the direction you would have been looking -- just before the Moon itself rose).

Thanks for that. Could be alright, it was red with small bits of white. It seemed to disappear before our eyes, there was half of it there, then a quarter, then it was gone.

Bohrio

SheRa wrote: »

Thanks for that. Could be alright, it was red with small bits of white. It seemed to disappear before our eyes, there was half of it there, then a quarter, then it was gone.

I dont think it was jupiter as jupiter will be visible until later tonight/this morning.

Although Jupiter did rise to the west at aprox 9.30pm today followed by the moon, but is still clearly visible.

Maybe it was an iridium flare?

Ghost Train

Some shots from last night around half 12
Jupiter and its moons, 2 of the moons overlapping, so looks like 3 dots instead of 4


Moon


Cassiopeia from what I can tell, was to the east

estargazer

International Space Station & Shuttle chase each other across the sky low in the South at 8.35 pm passing just above Jupiter

TirNaNog.

I seen one of them Just passing over.... was going quiet fast

Dr Pepper

Thanks, that was cool. Just read your post at 20:34 and stepped outside the door and there it was! Hadn't seen the whole space chase thing until now, despite all the chances lately. The following object, which I assume was the shuttle was much brighter. Anybody know why that is? I assumed it was much smaller and therefore would reflect less sunlight!

Beeker

Dr Pepper wrote: »

Thanks, that was cool. Just read your post at 20:34 and stepped outside the door and there it was! Hadn't seen the whole space chase thing until now, despite all the chances lately. The following object, which I assume was the shuttle was much brighter. Anybody know why that is? I assumed it was much smaller and therefore would reflect less sunlight!

That was the station which is brighter by far.

Stargate

Ghost Train wrote: »

Some shots from last night around half 12
Jupiter and its moons, 2 of the moons overlapping, so looks like 3 dots instead of 4

Hiya Ghost Train

I saw that too last night , had the scope out around same time , the night dew here in Cork was unreal , EP`s and and telrad were very damp , re the moons , at first i thought hang on 3 moons ? , thinkin 1 was behind Jupiter , then out she popped so to speak , first time i caught that in the scope in real time ,

Regards
Stargate

Dr Pepper

Beeker wrote: »

That was the station which is brighter by far.

Right you are, thanks.

Fly-by times* for the next 10 days for the ISS and shuttle (STS-128) show that they will be gradually separating during that time. Next fly-by is at 22:07:29 (shuttle) and 22:08:29 (ISS) towards the SW. Each will be visible for a little over 2 minutes.

*Those links show times for Dunboyne which are about the same as the times for the rest of the country, but you might want to select your own location on that website for a more accurate prediction.

Beeker

Dr Pepper wrote: »

Right you are, thanks.

Fly-by times* for the next 10 days for the ISS and shuttle (STS-128) show that they will be gradually separating during that time. Next fly-by is at 22:07:29 (shuttle) and 22:08:29 (ISS) towards the SW. Each will be visible for a little over 2 minutes..

Yes but dont forget the shuttle is due to land at 00:05 Friday morning so tomorrow night may be the last time to see both together during this mission.

Dr Pepper

That's interesting.. The website shows predictions into next week. They must just not take account that it actually lands on Friday (hopefully!) and all the astronauts go home when making the automatic 10 day predictions!

Ghost Train

Stargate wrote: »

Hiya Ghost Train

I saw that too last night , had the scope out around same time , the night dew here in Cork was unreal , EP`s and and telrad were very damp , re the moons , at first i thought hang on 3 moons ? , thinkin 1 was behind Jupiter , then out she popped so to speak , first time i caught that in the scope in real time ,

Regards
Stargate

Well that was last night... a month ago
But yep, cool to be able to make out the moons

here another lunar moon shot from a week ago, bit better than the last one

Beeker

Dr Pepper wrote: »

That's interesting.. The website shows predictions into next week. They must just not take account that it actually lands on Friday (hopefully!) and all the astronauts go home when making the automatic 10 day predictions!

I think they just allow for the fact that the landing can be delayed sometimes for up to three days.

Dr Pepper

Cheers Beeker!

Love the picture Ghost Train.. I assume your original photo is much bigger. You must have some great detail in it.

I just spotted Neptune with the binos. Not much different to any other very dim star around it but still exciting to be able to spot the furthest planet (in our neighbourhood). Might try and catch it with the scope in the next couple of weeks, maybe even at the North Dublin Astronomy meeting on Friday night.

Clear nights are few and far between these days folks. Make the most of it!

Dr Pepper

Doh! meant to say, I just spotted Uranus which, of course is only the second furthest away local planet! But I've just noticed Neptune isn't far from Jupiter in the sky so am gonna go look for that now

Dancing_Priest

Saw the Shuttle and the ISS
Cheers lads:D

Stargate

Ghost Train wrote: »

Well that was last night... a month ago
But yep, cool to be able to make out the moons

here another lunar moon shot from a week ago, bit better than the last one

Nice Pic Ghost Train

similar to one i took

http://www.flickr.com/photos/42397607@N08/3904390695/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/42397607@N08/3905188550/

Ostrom

The shuttle seems to have stolen all the astronomical thunder... Here's to a rapid onset of winter!

Excellent clear night out tonight!

Also, what is going on lately as regards this. These Wicklow mountains threads seem to be shooting up.

TirNaNog.

Seen the the shuttle and the ISS,its was such a beautiful clear starry starry night.......................
Starry, starry night.
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze, Swirling clouds in violet haze,
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue.
Colors changing hue, morning field of amber grain,
Weathered faces lined in pain,
Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand