Planets

HawkGold

HawkGold

Well-Known Member
Anyone watching the planet show this summer with at about 9pm Venus in the west slightly sw. Jupiter in the south sw. Saturn in the southeast and Mars in the SE? The first 3 at about 40 degrees and Mars low about 15 degrees. Earler this summer Mars, Venus, and Jupiter were fantastically bright.
 
HawkGold said:
Anyone watching the planet show this summer with at about 9pm Venus in the west slightly sw. Jupiter in the south sw. Saturn in the southeast and Mars in the SE? The first 3 at about 40 degrees and Mars low about 15 degrees. Earler this summer Mars, Venus, and Jupiter were fantastically bright.
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Yes I have been watching the show. I always watch the sky show. I have been an avid amateur astronomy buff since I was 7. I have had 4 different telescopes, I have a degree from the UI in physical science and masters in Science Education, and was able to teach university level Astronomy for some years.

Venus is the third brightest object in the sky after the Sun and Moon. Jupiter and Saturn are usually fairly bright but Mars is at closest approach in its orbit to Earth which makes it brighter than usual.

After the Sun sets make a note of where it set and when all four planets are in the sky make a sweeping motion with your arm and hand from the sunset point through all the planets. That arc you just made to connect all those objects is roughly the plane of the solar system on which all the planets orbit the Sun.

It is a beautiful nite sky this summer. If you have any questions shoot them my way and will try to answer them.
 
uihawk82 said:
Yes I have been watching the show. I always watch the sky show. I have been an avid amateur astronomy buff since I was 7. I have had 4 different telescopes, I have a degree from the UI in physical science and masters in Science Education, and was able to teach university level Astronomy for some years.

Venus is the third brightest object in the sky after the Sun and Moon. Jupiter and Saturn are usually fairly bright but Mars is at closest approach in its orbit to Earth which makes it brighter than usual.

After the Sun sets make a note of where it set and when all four planets are in the sky make a sweeping motion with your arm and hand from the sunset point through all the planets. That arc you just made to connect all those objects is roughly the plane of the solar system on which all the planets orbit the Sun.

It is a beautiful nite sky this summer. If you have any questions shoot them my way and will try to answer them.
Click to expand...
Wow, were you there when the physics student went on the shooting rampage?

I took Astronomy my freshman year. My professor was Robert Mutel.

Would love to have a telescope for viewing Mars right now. Closest approach to earth since 2003.

One thing to watch for in the coming weeks as daylight gets shorter is Orion in the Southeastern pre-dawn sky. You don't have to get up super early to see it-5:15-5:30 will do. What's important about this event? It's a sign that football season is right around the corner.
 
Northside Hawk said:
Wow, were you there when the physics student went on the shooting rampage?

I took Astronomy my freshman year. My professor was Robert Mutel.

Would love to have a telescope for viewing Mars right now. Closest approach to earth since 2003.

One thing to watch for in the coming weeks as daylight gets shorter is Orion in the Southeastern pre-dawn sky. You don't have to get up super early to see it-5:15-5:30 will do. What's important about this event? It's a sign that football season is right around the corner.
Click to expand...

I took Astronomy in the '70s. I was lucky enough to have Dr James Van Allen teach my first semester and Dr Mutel taught my 2nd semester class.

With NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day website and so many published Hubble and other pics it is amazing what anyone can see online.
 
Northside Hawk said:
...Would love to have a telescope for viewing Mars right now. Closest approach to earth since 2003..
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Yes at perihelic opposition but the view isn't that great right now as a Martian global dust storm has been raging for weeks. It's dissipating now but not much contrast or fine detail visible. I feel like I have been ripped off - I have one, maybe two perihelic oppositions left (one every15 years or so).
 
bitmap said:
Yes at perihelic opposition but the view isn't that great right now as a Martian global dust storm has been raging for weeks. It's dissipating now but not much contrast or fine detail visible. I feel like I have been ripped off - I have one, maybe two perihelic oppositions left (one every15 years or so).
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Yeah, last year almost to the date we had 90% occlusion of the sun or whatever it was for the solar eclipse-and had low stratus cloud cover in Southwest Wisconsin. Didn't get to see it very well.

Bummer about the Martian dust storm. Global warming on Earth is now affecting other planets in the solar system. :)
 
uihawk82 said:
Yes I have been watching the show. I always watch the sky show. I have been an avid amateur astronomy buff since I was 7. I have had 4 different telescopes, I have a degree from the UI in physical science and masters in Science Education, and was able to teach university level Astronomy for some years.

Venus is the third brightest object in the sky after the Sun and Moon. Jupiter and Saturn are usually fairly bright but Mars is at closest approach in its orbit to Earth which makes it brighter than usual.

After the Sun sets make a note of where it set and when all four planets are in the sky make a sweeping motion with your arm and hand from the sunset point through all the planets. That arc you just made to connect all those objects is roughly the plane of the solar system on which all the planets orbit the Sun.

It is a beautiful nite sky this summer. If you have any questions shoot them my way and will try to answer them.
Click to expand...

For an amatuer wanting to see Saturns rings or Jupiters moons what does it take.
 
uihawk82 said:
I took Astronomy in the '70s. I was lucky enough to have Dr James Van Allen teach my first semester and Dr Mutel taught my 2nd semester class.

With NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day website and so many published Hubble and other pics it is amazing what anyone can see online.
Click to expand...
Very nice! What a privilege to have astronomy taught to you by the man who discovered radiation belts that would have otherwise incinerated our astronauts upon re-entry.

It would have been like having the Old Testament taught to you by Moses.

When I was at Iowa in the mid 1980's one of the most popular professors on campus was Dr. Jay Holstein (also a rabbi) He taught classes like Quest For Human Destiny, Judeo Christian Tradition, Old Testament Survey, etc. Students who didn't major in anything even close to religion would flock to his classes and they would be full by the end of the second or third day of open registration.

One of my favorites was Dr. Randy Hirokawa in the Communications department. It wasn't unusual for him to spend the last five or ten minutes of the period talking college hoops. And in Iowa City in 1987 there was a lot to talk about.

My daughter is about to start college at UW Whitewater. One of my bits of advice to her was to take advantage of the professors office hours and the TA's office hours and get to know them a little bit. They appreciate it and you will take better notes.
 
Northside Hawk said:
Very nice! What a privilege to have astronomy taught to you by the man who discovered radiation belts that would have otherwise incinerated our astronauts upon re-entry.

It would have been like having the Old Testament taught to you by Moses.

When I was at Iowa in the mid 1980's one of the most popular professors on campus was Dr. Jay Holstein (also a rabbi) He taught classes like Quest For Human Destiny, Judeo Christian Tradition, Old Testament Survey, etc. Students who didn't major in anything even close to religion would flock to his classes and they would be full by the end of the second or third day of open registration.

One of my favorites was Dr. Randy Hirokawa in the Communications department. It wasn't unusual for him to spend the last five or ten minutes of the period talking college hoops. And in Iowa City in 1987 there was a lot to talk about.

My daughter is about to start college at UW Whitewater. One of my bits of advice to her was to take advantage of the professors office hours and the TA's office hours and get to know them a little bit. They appreciate it and you will take better notes.
Click to expand...

I was privileged to take American Novel: 1900-1945 with Dr. David Morrell. I took it AFTER he had written First Blood, in the Spring Semester. That summer? Out came "Rambo: First Blood, Part II".

Some buddies and I clamored for then, and continue to clamor for now, "the ultimate": Rocky meets Rambo, takes him off the streets/out of the jungle, and trains him to box. Thus (of course), "paying it forward" the way Apollo did for Rocky and Rocky is now doing for Apollo's son, Adonis. Of course, if Rocky, Clubber Lang and Ivan Drago were to form a six-man tag team for the next Wrestlemania, you KNOW they'd dominate. Big time.
 
HawkGold said:
Anyone watching the planet show this summer with at about 9pm Venus in the west slightly sw. Jupiter in the south sw. Saturn in the southeast and Mars in the SE? The first 3 at about 40 degrees and Mars low about 15 degrees. Earler this summer Mars, Venus, and Jupiter were fantastically bright.
Click to expand...

I'm lost????????????? What the hell is this?
 
uihawk82 said:
Yes I have been watching the show. I always watch the sky show. I have been an avid amateur astronomy buff since I was 7. I have had 4 different telescopes, I have a degree from the UI in physical science and masters in Science Education, and was able to teach university level Astronomy for some years.

Venus is the third brightest object in the sky after the Sun and Moon. Jupiter and Saturn are usually fairly bright but Mars is at closest approach in its orbit to Earth which makes it brighter than usual.

After the Sun sets make a note of where it set and when all four planets are in the sky make a sweeping motion with your arm and hand from the sunset point through all the planets. That arc you just made to connect all those objects is roughly the plane of the solar system on which all the planets orbit the Sun.

It is a beautiful nite sky this summer. If you have any questions shoot them my way and will try to answer them.
Click to expand...


This does not surprise me at all! Lol. Completely the way I envisioned you! Cool hobby and career, though. Not sure I would call you an amateur with your background and experience.
 
MelroseHawkins said:
I'm lost????????????? What the hell is this?
Click to expand...

Let me simplify. At about 845 go out and find Venus. Look west. Outside of the moon (the big white thing that changes sape a bit each night ) it is th brightest in the sky. Turn a bit bit south and the next brightest is Jupiter. Turning a bit more left one of the next brightest thingy is Saturn. A bit west of direct south. More left in the SE low in the sky is Mars. Matt Damon isnt there any more. He left. Its bight and orange. Looks like a lit up Asian lady bud. The ground just ahead of you is earth. You can find your way home unless you are drunk. Unless you are PC Hawk and it doesnt impair you.
 
Link --> https://cosmicpursuits.com/night-sky-this-month/

Saturn-Mars-August-20-2018-1024x585.jpg
 
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