Trackbacks
-
[...] we mentioned last week, our first trial run at camping for this expedition along with Astrolab in tow was a success. [...]
The Sky is Waiting.
Search AstroGuyz
Custom Search
Advertise on Astroguyz!
 |
|
 |
 |
Pictured is a Delta IV rocket launch from Cape Canaveral on November 21st, 2010. The image is a 20 second exposure taken at dusk, shot from about 100 miles west of the launch site. The launch placed a classified payload in orbit for the United States Air Force.
Difficult but not impossible to catch against the dawn or dusk sky, spotting an extreme crescent moon can be a challenge. The slender crescent pictured was shot 30 minutes before sunrise when the Moon was less than 20 hours away from New.� A true feat of visual athletics to catch, a good pair of binoculars or a well aimed wide field telescopic view can help with the hunt.
The Sun is our nearest star, and goes through an 11-year cycle of activity. This image was taken via a properly filtered telescope, and shows the Sun as it appeared during its last maximum peak in 2003. This was during solar cycle #23, a period during which the Sun hurled several large flares Earthward. The next solar cycle is due to peak around 2013-14.
Located in the belt of the constellation Orion, Messier 42, also known as the Orion Nebula is one of the finest deep sky objects in the northern hemisphere sky. Just visible as a faint smudge to the naked eye on a clear dark night, the Orion Nebula is a sure star party favorite, as it shows tendrils of gas contrasted with bright stars. M42 is a large stellar nursery, a star forming region about 1,000 light years distant.
Orbiting the planet in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) every 90 minutes, many people fail to realize that you can see the International Space Station (ISS) from most of the planet on a near-weekly basis. In fact, the ISS has been known to make up to four visible passes over the same location in one night. The image pictured is from the Fourth of July, 2011 and is a 20 second exposure of a bright ISS pass.
�
Next to the Sun, the two brightest objects in the sky are the Moon and the planet Venus. In fact, when Venus is favorably placed next to the Moon, it might just be possible to spot the two in the daytime. Another intriguing effect known as earthshine or ashen light is also seen in the image on the night side of the Moon; this is caused by sunlight reflected back off of the Earth towards our only satellite.
A mosaic of three images taken during the total lunar eclipse of December 21st, 2010. The eclipse occurred the same day as the winter solstice. The curve and size of the Earth�s shadow is apparent in the image.
Week 6: Into the Wilds of Wisconsin
Grand Yerkes!
Ahhh, cooler weather at last� and while the sixth week of our North American adventure has yet to see us encounter a run on clear skies, we have gotten� back out camping once again for the first time in six years. This week has seen us explore the great state of Wisconsin, from its southern Illinois hinterland across to its farmland heart.
Last week�s installment left off at the Yerkes observatory on the shores of Lake Geneva. We couldn�t have asked for better weather as we got a fascinating look at this observatory behind the scenes. More than just the historic 40� refractor, Yerkes is a modern scientific institution that is still hunting for gamma-ray progenitors with Skynet, building astronomical detectors headed for Antarctica and flying observatories such as SOFIA and much more. A daytrip from the Milwaukee-Chicago area � we based out of East Troy for the trip � Yerkes is well worth the visit. Tours of the ground floor exhibits to include the historic refractor run 25$ a head and although its advisable to book �em prior through the website, they were happy to oblige walkups when we were there.
Don�t miss Yerkes observatory for a fascinating look at the place where modern astrophysics was born� we promise we�ll have some forthcoming stories up on the observatory on Universe Today and Canada.com very soon.
From there, we headed over to Kenosha, Wisconsin on the shores of Lake Michigan. A great place to cool off in June, Kenosha has a charming and easy to explore on foot downtown section, complete with a functioning refurbished electric tram that still plies its heart.
On the edge of town, we checked out the free tour at the Jelly Belly jelly bean factory. In operation since the 1970s, the folks at Jelly Belly have confectionery bean production down to a science. Watch for the art gallery in the factory floor warehouse with depictions of Reagan, Elvis and more compiled entirely in the medium of jelly beans… �this alone is a treat for the eyes. And no, the secret ingredient isn�t �people� ala Soylent Green, but watch out for some of the bizarre varieties such as �caterpillar� and �earwax� available at the jelly bean tasting bar in the gift shop.
Vegan and visiting Kenosha? A great meal can be had at Sol DLicious, where the only diary ingredient is in the half-and-half (a rarity in cheese loving Wisconsin!) Opened in 2013, Soul Delicious offers up some fabulous fare!
Museums of note in the town include the Civil War museum, the Kenosha History Center near the old restored lighthouse, and the Dinosaur Discovery Museum which displays dinosaur and mammoth finds courtesy of the local Carthage College.
As I write this, we�re cooling our heels in The Dells and camping at KOA campgrounds of America, a great place for finding dedicated wifi in the wild. For here, our expected flight plan will see us visiting the Kovak Planetarium in northern Wisconsin and headed into dark sky turf around the Apostle Islands�
More to come!