Things to see and other tips

tfwthom · Feb 3, 2009

Next Question is "What Can I See" so this is from the Saguaro Astronomy Club here in Phoenix.Objects Viewable From Metro Phoenix.For SAC Award (No you can't get the award) by Thad Robosson and Ken Reeves This observing list is a selection of 110 of the brightest deep sky objects in the night sky that can easily be viewed with a telescope from light polluted sites. A light polluted site is one with enough light that the Milky Way is not visible with the unaided eye.This list contains 100 objects that must be observed and 10 others to be selected at the observers discretion. Room for listing the 10 others has been allowed for at the end of the list.A record of each observation must be made from an urban site and should include at least date, site, observing conditions, telescope size, power and a description of the object. The site should not be from a dark sky site; use dark sky site observations of these objects for comparing and contrasting the difference between the two sites.There is no time limit. However, it suggested the list be completed in 3 years or less. It can be done in under a year; but that requires considerable dedication. How long you take should be dictated by enjoyment. After all entries have been observed, turn in your records to the Deep Sky Chairman for verification. Soon afterwards you will be awared the "URBAN LIST" tag at a SAC Meeting. <table border="3" width="100%" class="printBody10"><tbody><tr><td colspan="3">Abbreviations for Named objects are as follows:

tfwthom · Feb 3, 2009

Again From SAC(Most clubs work with each other and borrow stuff, go to each others meetings etc. I belong to the Sedona Astronomy Club but attend the meetings of many other Arizona Clubs when I have time)Joe Orman's Naked-Eye 1001 Sunrise As we turn from the night side of our planet to the day side, our closest star appears in the sky.2 Equinox Sunrise About March 20 each year, the sun rises straight east. Look along an east-west aligned street, canal, etc.3 Sunspots Occasionally sunspots get big enough to see without magnification. Use proper eye protection!4 Solar Eclipse, Partial The moon takes a bite out of the sun. Use proper eye protection!5 Solar Eclipse, Total Within the path of totality, the moon completely covers the sun, revealing the beauty of the sun's corona.6 Bailey's Beads Sunlight peeking between the mountains of the moon during a total solar eclipse.7 Diamond Ring A brief flash of direct sunlight signals the beginning and end of a total solar eclipse.8 Solar Eclipse, Annular The moon appears in line with the sun but does not completely cover it, leaving a "ring of fire."9 Solar Transit Of Mercury Fairly rare; 13 or 14 each century. Next occurrence is November 8, 2006. Use proper eye protection!10 Solar Transit Of Venus Very rare; only twice a century. Next occurrence is June 5, 2012. Use proper eye protection!11 Sun Halo On winter days with thin clouds, look for a complete circle around the sun, 22 degrees in radius.12 Sundogs (Parhelia) Appear in thin clouds as bright colored patches 22 degrees to the left and right of the sun.13 Sun Pillar Vertical column of light above sun when sun is on horizon; formed by reflection off ice crystals.14 Other Halos Circumzenithal arc, tangent arcs, Parry arc, 46-degree halo -- some are subtle and rarely seen.15 Corona In thin clouds, colored rings a few degrees across around sun or moon.16 Aureole Bright glow around the sun or moon, colorless and only a few degrees across.17 Glory Looking into fog or clouds from a plane or mountaintop, colored rings around the antisolar point.18 Spectre Of The Brocken Your own shadow in the center of the glory.19 Mountain Shadow From the top of a mountain, look opposite the sunset; perspective makes a cone-shaped shadow.20 Rainbow The primary rainbow appears as an arc 42 degrees in radius centered around the antisolar point.21 Double Rainbow The outer, or secondary, rainbow is 51 degrees in radius. Colors are reversed.22 Irisation (Iridescent Clouds) Multi-colored patch in thin clouds or on cloud edges many degrees from the sun23 Mirages The sky reflected off temperature boundaries close to the ground.24 Lightning Lightning is an awesome sight day or night, but use caution and observe from a safe distance!25 Crepuscular Rays Brilliant streaks of light radiating from clouds backlit by the sun.26 Anticrepuscular Rays Crepuscular rays converging on the antisolar point; often very faint and diffuse.27 Sunset Watch our closest star set, but keep watching afterward for the best sky and cloud colors.28 Equinox Sunset About Sep. 22 each year, the sun sets straight west. Look along an east-west aligned street, canal, etc.29 Green Flash Need a low flat horizon and clear skies. The upper limb of the sun flashes green just before setting.30 Belt Of Venus A band of pink above the horizon; look opposite the sun just before sunrise or just after sunset.31 Twilight After sunset or before sunrise, the sky is an pastel palette of orange, pink, purple, blue and black.32 Noctilucent Clouds Rarely-seen clouds of ice particles at the edge of space after twilight; seen only from high latitudes.33 Zodiacal Light A pale cone of light along the ecliptic; best seen before dawn in the fall or after sunset in the spring.34 Gegenschein A faint patch of light on the ecliptic; look at the antisolar point around midnight.35 Aurora Borealis Northern Lights. From the southern U.S., can occasionally be seen as a reddish glow in the northern sky.36 Moonrise The rising moon silhouetting a distant mountain, tree, or saguaro cactus is an awe-inspiring sight.37 Equinox Moonrise Near the spring and fall equinox the full moon rises straight east, opposite the sunset in the west.38 Crescent Moon On evenings after new moon, look for the delicate crescent above the twilight horizon after sunset.39 Earthshine Sunlight reflected off the earth onto the dark side of the moon; best when moon is thin crescent.40 Full Moon Be sure to also look at the surrounding landscape bathed in the cool moonlight.41 Moon Halo Same as a sun halo, but seen around the moon at night.42 Harvest Moon The full moon closest to fall equinox; rises soon after sunset for several days in a row.43 Lunar Eclipse, Partial The earth's shadow, takes a bite out of the moon.44 Lunar Eclipse, Total The moon passes totally within the earth's shadow, often turning a dark reddish color.45 Let The Moon Follow You Home The moon seems to follow you as you drive along the road -- a trick of perspective.46 Moon Reflected In Water This sight has inspired poets and lovers for ages.47 Glitter Path The sun or moon's reflection forms a column of glittering light on rippling water.48 Moonset Whether full moon or crescent, the last bit to slip beneath the horizon always brings a special sadness.49 Equinox Moonset Near the spring and fall equinox the full moon sets straight west, opposite the sunrise in the east.50 Mercury For a few days every month or two, Mercury rises above the glow of twilight and is easy to see.51 Venus Brightly visible above the morning or evening twilight for several months at a time.52 Venus In Daytime Easy to see if you know where to look and can focus your eyes at infinity. Helps if moon is nearby.53 Mars Near opposition, Mars is a brilliant object in the night sky.54 Jupiter Looks like a bright star; magnification needed to see the 4 Galilean moons.55 Saturn Looks like a bright star; magnification needed to see the rings.56 Planetary Conjunction Look for 2 or more planets appearing near each other.57 Star-Planet Conjunction Occasionally planets appear very close to background stars.58 Moon-Planet Conjunction Venus is the crescent Moon's most noticeable companion, but look for other planets near the moon too.59 Lunar Occultation, Stellar Antares, Regulus, Aldebaran and Spica all lie near the ecliptic and are occasionally covered by the moon.60 Lunar Occultation, Planetary Occasionally the moon also passes in front of one of the planets.61 Ecliptic The sun, moon and planets make a straight line across the sky -- the plane of our Solar System.62 Orion The Hunter This constellation really looks like a human figure; the three evenly-spaced stars are the Hunter's belt.63 Betelgeuse The Hunter's left shoulder is a red giant star, bright and pink to the eye.64 Orion Nebula Look for the diffuse patch in the middle of the sword hanging from the Hunter's belt.65 Sirius The brightest star in the night sky; twinkles different colors when low in atmosphere. In Canis Major.66 Summer Triangle Bright stars Deneb in Cygnus, Vega in Lyra, Altair in Aquila form triangle visible in evening all summer.67 Winter Hexagon Sirius, Procyon, Pollux & Castor, Capella, Aldebaran, and Rigel form a hexagon on winter evenings.68 Hyades The "V" shaped open cluster in the face of Taurus the Bull; Aldebaran is the bright star among them.69 Pleiades A tight cluster of 6 or 7 bright blue stars, in the form of a miniature dipper.70 Omega Centauri This globular cluster looks like a fuzzy patch to the naked eye; a telescope shows the individual stars.71 Big Dipper The body and tail of Ursa Major, the Big Bear. Close to Polaris in the northern sky.72 Arc To Arcturus Follow the curve of the Big Dipper's handle to a bright star -- Arcturus in Bootes.73 Drive A Spike To Spica Continue the curve past Arcturus to another bright star -- Spica in Virgo.74 Big Dipper Double Star The star where the dipper's handle bends, Mizar, has a fainter companion Alcor -- a good test of vision.75 Big Dipper Pointer Stars Follow the last two stars in the bucket to find Polaris, the North Star.76 Polaris The North Star, the axis of the sky as the earth turns.77 Little Dipper In the constellation Ursa Minor, the Little Bear. Extends from Polaris; a lot fainter than the Big Dipper.78 Cassiopeia In the shape of a "Broken W." Close to Polaris in the northern sky.79 Cygnus The Swan This cross-shaped constellation really looks like a long-necked bird in flight.80 Leo The Lion The sickle shape forms the lion's mane, the bright star Regulus is lion's heart.81 Southern Cross The constellation Crux lies near the south celestial pole.82 Scorpius This constellation really looks like a scorpion; the bright stars Antares is the scorpion's heart.83 Antares, The Rival Of Mars This red giant star in Scorpius is sometimes close to Mars, and they look the same -- bright and pink.84 Sagittarius The teapot shape is distinctive in the southern sky on summer nights.85 Milky Way Our own galaxy seen edge-on; this faint band crossing the sky is the combined light of millions of stars.86 Center Of Our Galaxy Look at the "steam" cloud above the teapot's spout; that's the direction of the center of the Milky Way.87 Andromeda Galaxy This faint patch of light is the farthest thing visible to the naked eye, over 2 million light-years away!88 Magellanic Clouds These neighboring irregular dwarf galaxies can be seen from the southern latitudes.89 Perseid Meteor Shower August 12-13 each year. Between midnight and dawn, lie on a blanket or lawn chair and look up.90 Leonid Meteor Shower November 17-18 each year. Between midnight and dawn, lie on a blanket or lawn chair and look up.91 Geminid Meteor Shower December 13-14 each year. After 9 p.m., lie on a blanket or lawn chair and look up.92 Sporadic Meteors Random "shooting stars" or "falling stars" can be seen any night of the year. Make a wish...93 Asteroids Usually too faint to see, but on April 13, 2029, asteroid 2004MN will make a close naked-eye pass.94 Artificial Satellites ISS, HST etc. look like stars moving steadily across the sky. Check heavens-above.com for visibility.95 Iridium Flares Flash that lasts several seconds; like a slow-moving meteor. Check heavens-above.com for visibility.96 Rocket Trails Rocket launches from Vandenberg or White Sands can be seen from hundreds of miles away.97 Comets Every year or so one reaches naked-eye visibility. Even rarer are bright "Great Comets" like Hale-Bopp.98 Whole Sky Find a wide open space and look at the dome of the sky -- the sky is an infinite sphere centered on you.99 All-Night Sky Stay up all night and watch the sky change as the earth turns.100 Fall Asleep While Watching Sky Make your bed under the open sky. Lie back, look at the stars, close your eyes and dream of infinity. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> www.siriuslookers.org </div>

tfwthom · Feb 3, 2009

Star Party EtiquetteThese rules are intended to help maintain access and use of the Saguaro Astronomy Club observing sites for as many members and their guests as possible, while preserving the conditions that have brought us out to enjoy the sky. Following these rules will permit everyone to pursue the study and enjoyment of astronomy to the fullest satisfaction.If you are new to the Club, or it has been a while since you have been to a part party, please take a few minutes to review these basic rules. Please don't hesitate to ask questions if anything is unclear.<table border="3" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" align="center"><tbody><tr><td><table border="3" cellspacing="5" cellpadding="5" width="100%" align="center"><tbody><tr><td class="Body">Members are Responsible for their Guests. All non-members are considered ``Invited Guests,'' and must observe the rules.

tfwthom · Feb 3, 2009

Keeping Warm while Observing by Roger VenableCold winter nights at the eyepiece can be so uncomfortable as to dishearten some budding 'stronomizers. I'd like to tell you some of my tricks at keeping warm. I was a hunter in Upstate New York for years, and if there is anyone who knows how to keep warm, it's a hunter. Hunters sit for hours without moving, even minimizing their breathing motions. It's this lack of motion that causes one to be susceptible to cold.The first principle of keeping warm is to wear more clothing. If you are not so bundled up that your motion is impaired, you're not bundled up enough. I accumulated, over a period of years, my warm clothing... lots of it... and on cold nights I wear it ALL. For temperatures in the 20's, I may wear three warm pairs of leggings, three warm pairs of socks in my oversized boots, and four layers of warm stuff under my down jacket. As the temp gets lower, or as the wind picks up, I add headgear, gloves, and other body and leg clothing layers as needed. With this approach, I generally stay as snug as a bug in a rug for a whole night of observing.Boots: snowmobile boots have a 3/8" thick tightly matted wool liner, under which you can wear multiple socks. These boots are rubber below the ankle, but have only a nylon shell to cover the liner above the ankle. The U.S. Army makes two types of winter boots, each of which is very warm -- a "wet cold" variety that comes in basic black, designed f or temps down to -20 F (fondly known as "Mickey Mouse Boots", because their insulation makes them somewhat bulbous); and a "dry cold" variety that comes in basic white, designed for temps down to -65 F. The snowmobile boots are readily available, at K-Mart perhaps, while the Army boots are seldom available, and expensive. The Army boots are highly recommended, should you come across any of either type.Socks: wool is best, mostly-wool is next best, and nothing else is nearly the same. Don't wear cotton. Cotton is for keeping cool in the summer! Its insulating value is less than that of most synthetics.Leggings: some year, spend the money to get good wool long underwear or thick polypropylene long underwear. If you use it only for star-gazing it will last many years. Wool is more durable but seems eventually to shrink or deform regardless of how well you take care of it. I have found the polypropylene underwear to be VERY warm, with some warmth when wet though with less wet-warmth than wool. It "pills" fiercely when abraded, worse than polyester. Over it, put a very thick wool pant. I mean 1/8" thick or so. You can get these at most good hunting supply stores, or probably they will occasionally be available at places like L.L. Bean. Spend the money, for such pants will last longer than you or I will. Mine are 15 years old and hardly show wear. Warm? Sheesh! Over that, wear an oversized tightly woven pant or wind-breaker. Down pants are O.K. for an outer layer if the weather is very cold. (Down always has to be the outermost layer, for it loses its insulating ability when compressed.)Chest: alternate tightly woven layers with loosely woven layers, so as to lessen convection between layers. At least one sweater should be a turtleneck. Over these, a thick jacket (down is probably best, but other warm jackets will probably be satisfactory). The jacket should have a drawstring at the bottom and the bottom should be below your buttocks. Insulated pockets are a desirable plus. The neck should be adjustable so as to allow you to tighten it so as to prevent air loss regardless of whether the hood is up. Most truly warm coats have a hood, which offers much better cover than a hat. The best hoods have a drawstring around the face opening, not around the neck. North Face brand does all these things right.Head: a ski cap under the hood is necessary on only the coldest nights. Take one with you. They're fairly inexpensive, even the woolen ones. Yes, that means you cover your cheeks and forehead with the ski cap, if needed. These caps also cover the neck. Gloves: a real pearl of information here -- go to a store that specializes in backpacking and rock-climbing gear and get a pair of rock-climbers' gloves. They have the ends of the fingers cut out, and they're wool. You could cut the distal portions of the fingers off of any old pair of gloves, but you will like the non-fraying toughness, fit, and warmth of the store-bought ones. And get an over-sized pair of mittens, into which you can stuff your hands, gloves and all. Two thick layers on the hands is a big help. The mittens preferably will be wind-proof and warm, such as insulated leather with pile lining. Or, you could use insulated wind-proof pockets, but I usually find that my pockets are full of other things when stargazing, and they're not a good place to put my hands. Since the mittens will be removed frequently to enable you to handle eyepieces, star charts, etc., it is helpful to attach a string to them, and run the string through your sleeves, as small children do.Please note that I have accumulated these items over a number of years -- sort of like accumulating gizmos for telescopes, I guess.Where socks overlap the lower ends of leggings, I alternate overlaps. That is, I pull my long underwear over my first layer of socks, and then put on another layer of socks that overlaps the long underwear, before I put on the next layer of leggings... and so on, alternately. This type of overlap creates a friction that makes it nearly impossible to expose bare skin at the junction. I do an analogous overlap of layers at the junction of pants and sweaters and at the junction of sweaters and gloves. (That makes it impossible to see my wristwatch. If I need to know the time on cold nights, I usually keep my watch with my eyepieces or tell time by the stars.I have rarely resorted to brief exercise to keep warm. It is effective. Remember, it's the sedentary nature of stargazing that makes the 'stronomizer so susceptible to cold. I have done "jumping jacks" on more than one occasion, and once I jogged a mile down the road and back! Since I usually stargaze alone, nobody knew of this eccentric activity. Generally, I have resorted to exercise only when I had come to my observing site unprepared for the unexpected cold. If you exercise, you are likely to sweat, and then you will feel cold and clammy as you cool down again.Therefore, exercise probably should be done only if you are wearing clothing that retains its insulating properties when wet. No fabric is quite as warm when wet as when dry, but wool is best in this regard, and polypropylene is next best. Cotton next to the skin is VERY bad in this regard. I swear it's colder than nudity when it's wet (I have a tale to tell about that... but just believe me: it's warmer to be naked than it is to wear wet cotton). One more thing about exercise: relying on it to keep warm can lead to sore muscles if you are not in good shape, and worse -- it can lead to exhaustion. The latter is very dangerous in the cold, for when it happens you will have no further resource for warmth. Exhaustion can be delayed by having had plenty of high-calorie foods to eat recently.Warmth can be noticeably enhanced by eating sugary foods. I expect that some of you won't believe that until you've tried it. Candy bars freeze hard as rocks, but small pieces of hard candy can be sucked on, usefully. Hot liquids, of course, have a noticeable warming effect. Hot chocolate is ideal, for it contains lots of sugar. Carrying a thermos is a lot easier than whipping up a brew in the field. It's a lot better than a pocket warmer!I have had little benefit from pocket warmers. They just don't provide enough heat to make a difference. Furthermore, their very principle is wrong. The body uses the extremities (hands, feet, nose, ears) to help regulate body core temperature. When your core temperature drops, circulation to the extremities decreases drastically, in order to preserve body heat. So cold extremities may mean that you need more insulation ON YOUR TORSO AND HEAD, not on your extremities. And, if your torso and head are well enough insulated, your hands will stay warm in very cold temperatures indeed. By the way, the head has the least natural insulation (i.e., body fat) and a great deal of heat is lost from it. Try that ski cap!I think that if you get cold despite bundling up, it's time to go indoors! Relying on exercise is a bit risky. Whatever you do, don't push yourself to stay out in the cold too long. This is especially true if you are at a lonely observing site. Cold can kill. What if your car won't start....One useful source of information about this is "Winter Hiking and Camping", a book by John A. Danielson. It's published by the Adirondack Mountain Club, 172 Ridge St., Glens Falls, N.Y. 12801.I hope this has been helpful. Happy winter observing to you! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> www.siriuslookers.org </div>

rybanis · Feb 3, 2009

All good points! Also reminds me that I have to go to a Spokane Astronomical Society meeting one of these days... Also, I like that Andromeda is on the list. First time I saw it through a telescope, I was hooked for life! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

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