Auughh!! Augggh!! My eyes!! They're melllltttinnggggg...

[Code Red]

As it was a nice clear night on Monday I got the old scope out - got some nice views of Jupiter and Saturn (still sends a shiver down my spine). The Milky Way was nice and clear too...

I decided to try and get a good sighting of Andromeda and spent ages trying to sight it up, but eventually... voila there it was. Amazing.

I fitted my barlow lens to get a better view, was trying to centre it again when the nosey old f**t that lives over the back of me decided to turn his halogen PIR lamp on (which shines directly at our back window) to see what I was up to. Yaarrrgh.

By the time my vision has returned, I'd lost Andromeda for good. I'm considering getting my air rifle out before the next clear night to sort out this little problem... I might even shoot his darned light out as well [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]

[hullaballo]

Many years ago when Comet Haley was in the neighborhood, the astronomy club at Texas A&M had a public viewing. Of course the local tv station wanted to get in a story about it. So here I am at the scope trying to find a cotton ball of a comet when the film crew points their camera down the scope and turns on the light. WHAMMO, and then he says "act like you can see something"

I guess my wailing about my eyes wasn't good copy, I never made it on the tv.






<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: hullaballo on 2002-01-23 07:55 ]</font>

[GrapesOfWrath]

When I'm out in the yard, various family members usually flip on the yard lights when they notice that I'd forgotten them. They're just trying to help.

[Chip]

On 2002-01-23 07:59, GrapesOfWrath wrote:
When I'm out in the yard, various family members usually flip on the yard lights when they notice that I'd forgotten them. They're just trying to help.

I had this same problem years ago when I had a back yard. Solution? I replaced all the back lights with red darkroom lights. (And I had a red flashlight.) Then I found that I couldn't see the starcharts under red light, and it didn't spare my eyes either. People coming out from the bright indoors to see what I was doing weren't used to the dim red lights and couldn't see. We'd all be stumbling around and then the neighbors would turn on their bright backyard lights to see what was going on.

But later we still had some nice viewing when things settled down. It's a tradeoff: I didn't get to see Johnny Carson as much as other folks. [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]

[Wiley]

On 2002-01-23 11:25, Chip wrote:
But later we still had some nice viewing when things settled down. It's a tradeoff: I didn't get to see Johnny Carson as much as other folks. [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]

Can we assume you've star gaze nightly since Leno took over? [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

[Chip]

On 2002-01-23 14:14, Wiley wrote:
Can we assume you've star gaze nightly since Leno took over? [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

You are right. (Except I rushed in to watch SCTV and sometmes Conan.)

P.S. - My current classical music selection for star gazing: Bruckner: Symphony No. 5.

Chip

[Azpod]

On 2002-01-23 07:53, hullaballo wrote:
Many years ago when Comet Haley was in the neighborhood, the astronomy club at Texas A&M had a public viewing. Of course the local tv station wanted to get in a story about it. So here I am at the scope trying to find a cotton ball of a comet when the film crew points their camera down the scope and turns on the light. WHAMMO, and then he says "act like you can see something"

I guess my wailing about my eyes wasn't good copy, I never made it on the tv.

Did you ever get to see it? I was depressed for a long time because the skies never cleared in time to see the comet. But to have my chance ruined because someone wanted to get a good TV story... I'd cram that camera someplace really unpleasant.

[Zandermann]

My current classical music selection for star gazing: Bruckner: Symphony No. 5.

Hey Chip, try Bruckner Symphony 8 too!

[ljbrs]

It is wonderful to know that there are other REAL MUSIC LOVERS here at Bad Astronomy.

ljbrs [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img] [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img] [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

[David Hall]

Don't forget about Holst's "The Planets".

Hmm, set up your scope, find Mercury during the first movement, switch to Venus as the music changes, etc... Now that would be cool.

Of course, You'd need to find a time when all the planets are visible at once. [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

[GrapesOfWrath]

On 2002-01-25 00:40, David Hall wrote:
Of course, You'd need to find a time when all the planets are visible at once.

Check out the early evening sky of May 4, 2002, just a little more than three months from now.

I think Mercury is at maximum elongation from the sun, about twenty degrees. In a cluster, Venus is just above it at 27 deg., with Saturn and Mars at 30 deg. Jupiter is a bit higher, 57 degrees. That's all five of the classical planets (look down and you can see a sixth). Moon is in last quarter, so it won't interfere, either. A few days later, on May 10, Mars and Venus are only 20 arcmin apart.

Any of the lineups in April and later will be impressive, but Mercury doesn't join up until later in the month.

Because Mars is playing "catch up" right now, it pretty much hangs in the same place in the western sky for a few months, while Saturn moves down to it. You can follow Saturn's progress towards Mars for the next four months--that's a nice little project for young kids.

[Code Red]

There was a nice sky last night - forget the scope, use the old mark 1 eyeball - Orion with bright Jupiter just over it, and to the right the moon, Saturn, Aldebaran and the Pleades very close.

*sniff* it's all so overwhelming...

[David Hall]

On 2002-01-25 08:10, GrapesOfWrath wrote:

Check out the early evening sky of May 4, 2002, just a little more than three months from now.

{snip}

That's all five of the classical planets (look down and you can see a sixth).

Already looking forward to May from that earlier thread. But Uranus and Neptune are well below the horizon. And you can't go through "The Planets" without all the planets. [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

Oh, and I got the order a bit off though. According to my copy, Mars comes first, followed by Venus and Mercury. So you can either alter your viewing order, or reprogram your CD player. It's your choice.

Or you could just put in some PDQ Bach and forget about all of it. Prelude to Einstein on the Fritz anyone? [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

[Kaptain K]

Maybe I'm strange, but I prefer to do my observing to Pink Floyd and early Genesis ((w/ Peter Gabriel. Phil Collins should have stuck to drumming.).

[The Curtmudgeon]

On 2002-01-25 10:04, David Hall wrote:

Or you could just put in some PDQ Bach and forget about all of it. Prelude to Einstein on the Fritz anyone? [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

AAARRRGGGHHH!!! I'm missing a PDQ recording!? Which CD is Prelude to Einstein on??? Please, please tell me!! I'm dying here!

The (okay, deep breaths, deep breaths...AAARRRGGGHHH!!!) Curtmudgeon

[hullaballo]

On 2002-01-24 14:16, Azpod wrote:

On 2002-01-23 07:53, hullaballo wrote:
Many years ago when Comet Haley was in the neighborhood, the astronomy club at Texas A&M had a public viewing. Of course the local tv station wanted to get in a story about it. So here I am at the scope trying to find a cotton ball of a comet when the film crew points their camera down the scope and turns on the light. WHAMMO, and then he says "act like you can see something"

I guess my wailing about my eyes wasn't good copy, I never made it on the tv.

Did you ever get to see it? I was depressed for a long time because the skies never cleared in time to see the comet. But to have my chance ruined because someone wanted to get a good TV story... I'd cram that camera someplace really unpleasant.

Oh yes indeed. This occured in December when it was still coming in (just a puff ball no visible tail). Had a real big turn out.

I followed it for about a year. Went to Big Bend on spring break to see it, didn't make it to the Texas Star Party though.

[Timm]

I'm probably the only one here who listens to Metallica's S&M while I watch the sky, right? Thought so... [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]

[Donnie B.]

Okay, maybe I don't go stargazing as often as some of you, but...

I've never listened to anything while observing except the "music of the spheres"...

[GrapesOfWrath]

On 2002-01-25 20:21, Donnie B. wrote:
I've never listened to anything while observing except the "music of the spheres"...

Crickets. Frogs. Transformer buzz. AC unit fans. Distant sirens. Owl hoots. Creaks in my knees.

[Russ]

Of course, You'd need to find a time when all the planets are visible at once. [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

Let's seeeee....that's when we are over one of the Solar poles! Sounds like a great idea! When does that occur? [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_lol.gif[/img]

I'm a Pachelbel "Cannon in D" junkie. Sometimes I add in Bach's "Jesus Joy of Mans Desiring", just about anything Mozart, Beethoven's 5th & 9th, Purcel's trumpet voluntary, Clarke's air in C,....

Now that I think about it, it's hard to go wrong with the classics. [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

[The Curtmudgeon]

On 2002-01-28 17:11, Russ wrote:
I'm a Pachelbel "Cannon in D" junkie.

Did he use US Grant's or Napoleon's tuning to get them into D? [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_lol.gif[/img]

Now that I think about it, it's hard to go wrong with the classics. [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

I certainly agree! I'm now much more into folk music than anything else, but my first love was classical music.

The (and it's hard to watch stars while listening to Arlo Guthrie) Curtmudgeon

[David Hall]

On 2002-01-25 15:53, The Curtmudgeon wrote:

AAARRRGGGHHH!!! I'm missing a PDQ recording!? Which CD is Prelude to Einstein on??? Please, please tell me!! I'm dying here!

The (okay, deep breaths, deep breaths...AAARRRGGGHHH!!!) Curtmudgeon

Sorry to get back to you so late Curtmudgeon. I was out of town for a few weeks. I just found your request. The Prelude is on his "1712 Overture" Album.

Calm down now and go enjoy A Little Nightmare Music. [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]