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.

APOD 2.3

This photo was taken by Eclipse chasers during the most recent solar eclipse on November 3rd. This snapshot of a solar eclipse was taken from a chartered jet traveling 500 miles per hour 600 miles southeast of Bermuda. The silhouette of the Moon only covered the Sun totaly for only an instance, blanketing the clouds in its dark shadow. I chose this photo because I would like to see a solar eclipse with my own eyes. Hopefully I will be able to see the eclipse that is planned to occur on the 21st of August in the year 2017 in Kentucky.

APOD 2.2

It may look like the scene of a Hollywood extraterrestrial movie, but it is actually the real volcanic landscape of northeastern Iceland. The picture was taken on the night of September 12th when geomagnetic storms produced this beautiful yet spooky auroral display while ghostly towers of steam and gas venting from fumaroles drifted eerily infront of the greenish lights. I chose this photo because I plan viewing the aurora lights for myself and seeing that it is the night after Halloween, it seemed appropriate. I hope everyone had a safe and Happy Halloween!

APOD 2.1

1996; the year the Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl, the year I was born, but most importantly the year the ever so amazing Hale-Bopp Comet began it's transit across the sky. The bluish-white comet was it's brightest from May of 1996 to Seprember of the next year. It's next expected pass through the Earth's sky is near the year 4380. Don't fret because there are other comets to see in the next century. On the 28th of November, Comet ISON will reach perihelion around the Sun and will be visble by us on Earth. It is expected to be the brightest comet ever seen in human history, but some astronomers have their doubts. Halley's Comet, another very famous comet, will reach it's perihelion in July of the year 2061. Both of these upcoming comets I plan on observing and having a life changing experience like the two boys in the photo that I selected for today's APOD.