Awesome night sky tonight

[Tiktaalik]

A very clear night tonight, and I live in a pretty dark place. On the way to the mailbox this evening I saw a glowing yellow-red globe in the eastern sky, which I identified as Mars - then I turned around and saw two brilliant white globes - Venus & Mercury? Turned out to be Venus & Jupiter...I guess I'm usually not out strolling about in mid-March after dark to see this, but it's pretty cool...

 

[MG1962]

you missed Mercury low on the western horizon by about 2 weeks

 

[Chupacabras]

But you can catch Saturn, lower (later on) than Mars.

 

[Ketyk]

Evidence, or it didn't happen. (Clouds here)

 

[UnrepentantSinner]

you missed Mercury low on the western horizon by about 2 weeks

And the Moon, Venus, Jupiter conjunction 3 weeks ago. That was pretty awesome, especially about a half hour after sunset.

 

[Dancing David]

Always beautiful, especially with Orion and Taurus around

 

[Brown]

Yeah! There's some great stuff in the sky. Venus and Jupiter are easy to spot, and reddish (some say yellowish) Mars is also very bright.

The winter/spring sky near the ecliptic has the Pleiades (in Taurus), and Orion with his belt and nebula and red giant Betelgeuse (say THAT fast three times! No, wait, don't!) and the "Winter Triangle," or if you prefer, the "Winter Hexagon," both of which feature the brightest star in the sky. Gemini is easy to spot, and Leo with its distinctive "backwards question mark" is also close at hand.

For me, seeing spring stars in the evening is also exciting, because that means winter is almost over and warmer days are on the way. Follow the curve of the handle of the Big Dipper and you'll come to two "spring stars," Arcturus (in Bootes) and Spica (in Virgo).

 

[Shalamar]

The weather out here in the NW has been terrible.. I've been wanting to pull out the telescope for the show, but the clouds and the rain make that impossible.

This makes me sad.

 

[Monketi Ghost]

V & J have been a pretty pair in the sky. It's gratifying to have Orion looking over my shoulder.

I wish I could live as a millionaire hermit with a huge 'scope in remote isolation.

If I had my entire life to live over I'd update the Burnham's Guides.

 

[MG1962]

V & J have been a pretty pair in the sky. It's gratifying to have Orion looking over my shoulder.

I wish I could live as a millionaire hermit with a huge 'scope in remote isolation.

If I had my entire life to live over I'd update the Burnham's Guides.

Not really much to update - He kind of got everything. Some of the text could use some work but that would not require either a scope or being a hermit

 

[Monketi Ghost]

Not really much to update - He kind of got everything. Some of the text could use some work but that would not require either a scope or being a hermit

No... the articles, while wonderful, are out of date to some extent. It's fun to read some of them (the entry on quasars being an example) that are full of speculation about what a thing might be or the way it might work, and the competing theories, in light of what has been shown today. There are a few things that are now much better understood than in ...what, 1975?

 

[MG1962]

No... the articles, while wonderful, are out of date to some extent. It's fun to read some of them (the entry on quasars being an example) that are full of speculation about what a thing might be or the way it might work, and the competing theories, in light of what has been shown today. There are a few things that are now much better understood than in ...what, 1975?

I think it is even older than that - he self published it somewhere in the mid 60's - the version we get is from 1978. I don't think the books ever looked the way Burnham wanted them to, but his seemingly growing mental instability sort of stopped any grand vision coming forward for us to be guided by.

It always saddens me he may have died without ever really understanding how important his contribution had been, and how much amateur astronomers look up to him even after all these years

 

[Monketi Ghost]

I think it is even older than that - he self published it somewhere in the mid 60's - the version we get is from 1978. I don't think the books ever looked the way Burnham wanted them to, but his seemingly growing mental instability sort of stopped any grand vision coming forward for us to be guided by.

It always saddens me he may have died without ever really understanding how important his contribution had been, and how much amateur astronomers look up to him even after all these years

I know; after his wonderful work on the Guides, his story is really sad.

He was and is something of an observational hero of mine.

 

[Soapy Sam]

Lots of meteorology going on here...(As usual).

 

[MG1962]

I know; after his wonderful work on the Guides, his story is really sad.

He was and is something of an observational hero of mine.

In the southern hemisphere you cant go past Hartungs Astronomical Objects for Southern Telescopes - He shares much of the same passion Burhman brought to astronomy and compiled his list around the same time.

I may be mistaken but I think Burham personally observered every DSO he describes in his book - that alone is a monumental achievement