Astronomical Interlude

After gathering dust for a year the scopes are once again gathering light.

Labels: Astronomy

posted by Paul @ 5:26 PM

Quantum Electrodynamics For Dummies...

...as taught by the master himself. I found this great video series of Feynman lectures at the University of Auckland, New Zealand on the Vega Science Trust web site.

Labels: Astronomy

posted by Paul @ 7:06 PM

Sun Pillar

Sun Pillar - (meteorology) A luminous streak of light, white or slightly reddened, extending above and below the sun, most frequently observed near sunrise or sunset; it may extend to about 20° above the sun, and generally ends in a point. A visual phenomenon created by the reflection of light from ice crystals with near horizontal parallel planar surfaces.

I photographed this sun pillar this evening from Pine Island, NY, as the sun set behind Mt. Pochuck. No photo can do it justice - it was much more visible and brilliant to the naked eye, like a searchlight.

Labels: Astronomy, Photography

posted by Paul @ 5:59 PM

Things Astronomical - July/August 2006

After months of uncooperative weather we're finally getting to do some astronomy. Here's what's been happening:

• Sold the Nexstar 8 GPS in July and picked up a used Antares 127 mm (5") achromatic refractor and a new Orion Sirius equatorial mount.
  
  
• The weekend of Aug 04 & 05 was fairly dark, which gave me an opportunity to give the new scope and mount a good shakedown run. The following weekend, on Aug 12, I managed to get a few nice photos of the moon using the new scope and Canon Digital Rebel.
  
  
• Variable star Chi Cygni has reached record brightness of magnitude 3.8.
  
  
• New software: Astroplanner
  
  
• Hubble images the dimmest dwarf stars in globular cluster NGC-6397.
  


• The Unplanetization of Pluto - My disjointed rant against the illegal, unjust, unilateral War on Pluto.
  

All this and more!: Epistolae Astronomicae.

Labels: Astronomy

posted by Paul @ 4:24 PM