APOD 3.1

This multi-wavelength photo of the sun was taken on December 21 of 2013 from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). It spans from visible to ultraviolet wavelengths (farthest left pink portion). You can see the many different parts of the photosphere, the "surface of the sun", in the photo. You can also see multiple sunspots, prominences, and even the whisp of the corona around the edge. I selected this picture because we just finished studying the Sun in astronomy so it only seemed appropriate to pay homage to the "mass of incandescent gas" that heats our Earth.

APOD 2.7

This beautiful, circular nebula is the Helix Nebula in the constellation Aquaris. This nebula is produced by a dying star, which is the faint white dot in the center. This image took just about 28.5 hours of exposure to compose, combining the emissions lines of hydrogen and oxygen. The Helix Nebula is 700 light years away and is only a mere 6 light years across. On one of the constellation quizzes that we had, one of the constellations was Aquaris. I knew everything about it, except for the fact that it has the Helix Nebula in it. Now that I know so much about the nebula, I do not think I will forget it again.

3 Jan. 2014 - Astronomy Night Observations

Weather conditions were not optimal because there was a sheath of clouds covering the entire sky. We were still able to see Venus and Jupiter through the cloud cover because of their immense magnitude. Right before everyone was about to leave, a couple of us did see a meteor shoot over the clouds. This meteor was part of the Quadrantids Meteor Shower, which we were hoping to see more of.

Hours spent observing: .5x2=1

22 Dec. 2013 - Observations

Waning Gibbous Moon near Orion. Three of the brightest stars of the night, Vega, Deneb, and Altair (the Summer Triangle) were visible near the western horizon. More along the horizon to my left was Piscis Austrinus and what I thought was the zodiac constellation Capricornus. I could not make out any more constellations along the horizon until Orion and Gemini. At zenith was Perseus and Cassiopeia. Zodiac constellations that I used to figure out where the ecliptic was, along with Gemini and Capricornus, were Taurus and Aquaris. Polaris and Thuban were visible to the north. Light pollution was at a minimum because the street lights did not turn on for some reason.

Hours spent observing: 2

14 Dec. 2013 - Observations

There was a very bright, non-twinkling star that ascended the night sky with the waxing gibbous Moon. I tracked this motion throughout the time observing, and the two celestial bodies never stayed more than three "fists" away from each other. I later found out that the star that was holding hands with out moon was not actually a star but the biggest planet in our solar system, Jupiter. Straight above I could see the King (Cepheus) and the Queen (Cassiopeia) domineering the night sky. Just south was the Great Square of Pegasus, but I could not make out the legs/head of Pegasus nor Andromeda. Marching along the horizon were the strongest of the constellations, Orion, Taurus, and Gemini. To the north I could see Polaris in Ursa Minor with the body of Draco wrapped around it. As time went on I was able to see what I think was Canis Minor. The bands of the Milky Way Galaxy were always apparent, running from east to west across the sky. The brightest stars that I know the names of the night that I know by memory were Rigel, Betelgeuse, Polaris, Algol, and  Fomalhaut.

Hours spent observing: 2.5

APOD 2.6

Sunspots that are visible to the naked eye? Yes, it is true. On January 5th in the Swiss skies during a sunset, viewers were able to see massive sunspots. This solar active region produced a substantial solar flare and a coronal mass ejection (CME), which was forecasted to reach Earth yesterday. This CME caused geomagnetic storms and aurora near Earth's poles. I selected this APOD because we are discussing the Sun in class now and there could not be a better photo.

APOD 2.5

Seeing yourself in a car window or a shiny piece of scrap metal may cause a laughable moment or maybe even an inspirational one such as this one. Astronaut Michael Fossum took this self-portrait with fellow space-walker Piers Sellers on July 8, 2009. You can see a blue Earth and one of the gold-tinted solar arrays in the background. In a generation where "selfies" are ever growing in popularity and use, it seemed like an appropriate post.

APOD 2.4

This cap cloud, as they are called, appeared in Grenada, Spain last January. It may not be an astronomical phenomena but it is one that does have importance. They are formed by air forced upwards by mountain peaks, with the air then cooling, saturating with moisture, and finally having its molecular water condense into cloud droplets. I chose this photo because when I visited Washington state a few years ago, I saw such a cloud formation. It was not to this size and magnitude, but it was still amusing to look at.