Night sky viewing experience for you

[Jersey Girl]

Hello Folks!

I've watched the night sky here in CO ever since we moved here. The elevation makes it feel as though you can reach up and touch the stars and planets. It's really spectacular from up here and you can see the Milky Way with your nakey eyes. For real. So... what I have for you is a night sky viewing experience.

But it's not natural.

I was out on the porch one night a couple of months ago when I saw what looked like contrails...only they were lit up. Like how could you see contrails at night and how could they be lit up, right? Then I remembered what it was from reading comments by other residents. Now I watch for it when the time works for us.

The following information and unnatural night viewing experience is brought to you by SpaceX!

Here's a link to Starlink where you can check when the Starlink satellite train is coming your way by using your location. I think the website will actually automatically plug in your location when you go on it.

https://findstarlink.com/#5417598;3

If you have light pollution it may be difficult to see it. Wherever you are, turn off your interior and exterior house lights and get your night vision. Get your night vision by closing your eyes for a minute or so, then slowly open them and you should be good to go.

Word of warning...this thing moves FAST so be ready for your viewing in advance of the schedule. It's really cool to see!

Happy viewing!

[huckelberry]

just so you know this was not missed and I have a little question.

I am not unaware of what the night sky can look like. I think of camping at higher elevations far far from any electric lights. A dark night and the sky is a bejeweled magnificence. But out my back door not so much so. We have had rather hazy skies this summer and there is just enough city lights that only the brighter stars appear. However a couple weeks ago we a nice bright clear sky night and I took a look up around 11 oclock and was started by a very bright star to the east. Wow, it looked like bright phase of Venus to my surprised eyes. But it is impossible for Venus to be in the east in the evening. Is it even possible a nova? Well I check on line star map and see Jupiter was at closest proximity to us so appeared much brighter than usual.

So how bright is this artificial star string? Usually here cannot see dimmer than about magnitude three.

[Jersey Girl]

just so you know this was not missed and I have a little question.

I am not unaware of what the night sky can look like. I think of camping at higher elevations far far from any electric lights. A dark night and the sky is a bejeweled magnificence. But out my back door not so much so. We have had rather hazy skies this summer and there is just enough city lights that only the brighter stars appear. However a couple weeks ago we a nice bright clear sky night and I took a look up around 11 oclock and was started by a very bright star to the east. Wow, it looked like bright phase of Venus to my surprised eyes. But it is impossible for Venus to be in the east in the evening. Is it even possible a nova? Well I check on line star map and see Jupiter was at closest proximity to us so appeared much brighter than usual.

So how bright is this artificial star string? Usually here cannot see dimmer than about magnitude three.

The Starlink satellite train looks just like a string of un-twinkly stars following each other across the sky! It's so cool!

I live out in the woods so there is no light pollution on the back of the house. To give you an idea how how we're situated, I can walk out my back door and easily see the Ursa Major framed by our trees. Like it's RIGHT THERE and at 7600ft it looks huge! That's where I first saw the Starlink...moving west to east on the north side facing part of our house. We've also got a good spot around the corner where it's all open fields and I often go there for special personal viewings.

I LOVE the meteor showers! The Orionid meteor shower is happening right now!

In front of our house is a different story. I can see the Starlink train but it's a bit faded looking because it's moving towards the lights in town so it looks like it disappears in the haze. It moves in different routes so if you check that link you might find a night or early morning that works well for your darkest view. Be patient!

YES you can see Venus to the east. We can easily see planets here. I'm not sure what's up right now but we've seen Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn. EASILY. Watching them line up sometimes is amazing! I feel like we saw Mars as well, but I can't swear to it. And at night we can see the Milky Way so...don't doubt your eyes!

Our astronomical society does star parties throughout the year. They bring all types of telescopes and offer the experience for free! They also do photography that rotates with the earth...SO cool! If you have an astronomical society try to get in touch with them for tips specific to your area. They do them for hours and also go up in the mountains to have star party camp outs. Can you imagine that?? You might also be able to check your local weather folks for good times for night sky viewing and perhaps even including the best viewing opportunities for Starlink.

I don't know about your area but I think fall and winter are the best for night sky viewing. If you are standing in your yard or looking out your window simply looking up, or have a telescope and use that, or if you attend an actual star party at night...I consider all of those to be night sky viewing experiences.

Just try for the Starlink, huck and see how it goes. I do this all the time out here in the sticks. Simple pleasures you know!

Okay now I'm just blathering. I'm happy someone looked in on the thread and this is a topic that excites me. Can't tell, right?

[Some Schmo]

I'm happy you're so into this, Jersey Girl. I'm fascinated by outer space and our own Milky Way myself.

Light pollution... that's the key to whether someone has experienced the fullness of the night sky or not. If you've lived in a city your whole life, you've probably never seen it.

I've lived in both big cities and out in the sticks, so I know what you're talking about. Our galaxy is a fascinating wonder, but the only way to appreciate it is out in a place where artificial night light is scarce. I live in the northern planes these days, so I have quick access to seeing the fullness of the night sky. There is nothing more humbling.

Nature is my god, were I to have one.

[Jersey Girl]

I'm happy you're so into this, Jersey Girl. I'm fascinated by outer space and our own Milky Way myself.

Light pollution... that's the key to whether someone has experienced the fullness of the night sky or not. If you've lived in a city your whole life, you've probably never seen it.

I've lived in both big cities and out in the sticks, so I know what you're talking about. Our galaxy is a fascinating wonder, but the only way to appreciate it is out in a place where artificial night light is scarce. I live in the northern planes these days, so I have quick access to seeing the fullness of the night sky. There is nothing more humbling.

I never saw such night skies until we moved here. If you can see it without experiencing a sense of awe and fascination, I doubt you can even see through your own eyes. Never heard of a star party until I went to an adult weekend camping trip for Girl Scout leaders and they came with their telescopes and all! Arranged for my troop(s) to go to star parties. I'll never forget that first time viewing through a huge telescope when I told the man that the planet was moving out of view, and he told me...the planet isn't moving...the earth is. Now I should have known that but I didn't and I got hooked.

I really need a telescope of my own. Maybe Christmas!

Nature is my god, were I to have one.

I could probably create a nice response to that but I know you wouldn't want to read it. And I respect that. I agree that it's breath taking and humbling. It leaves one with a sense of wonder and smallness. Like there is something greater out there than us. Oops! I almost went there!

Thanks for reading and replying, Schmo! Try for a Starlink viewing and see what you think about it!

[Some Schmo]

I never saw such night skies until we moved here. If you can see it without experiencing a sense of awe and fascination, I doubt you can even see through your own eyes. Never heard of a star party until I went to an adult weekend camping trip for Girl Scout leaders and they came with their telescopes and all! Arranged for my troop(s) to go to star parties. I'll never forget that first time viewing through a huge telescope when I told the man that the planet was moving out of view, and he told me...the planet isn't moving...the earth is. Now I should have known that but I didn't and I got hooked.

Yeah, that is exactly the kind of thing that gets me going too.

This week, I've been falling down the rabbit hole on JWST videos. If you're a space junkie, you will die over the images the new telescope is sending back. I watched a documentary recently on the JWST project and it's launch on Christmas of 2021, and it was fascinating.

This thing can see deep into the universe's past, so far that many scientists are beginning to believe we got many of the assumptions associated with the Big Bang wrong. They're seeing huge objects (galaxies or huge star formations - they aren't yet sure which) with a red shift indicating their age as within the first half billion years after the big bang, and they shouldn't be there. Incredible. What a time to be alive!

I really need a telescope of my own. Maybe Christmas!

Yeah, telescopes are fun. I went to a star watch party last year and saw Saturn through a telescope for the first time. It blew my mind how bright the rings were.

Nature is my god, were I to have one.

I could probably create a nice response to that but I know you wouldn't want to read it. And I respect that. I agree that it's breath taking and humbling. It leaves one with a sense of wonder and smallness. Like there is something greater out there than us. Oops! I almost went there!

If you write it, it will be read.

I've said this many times to people: I believe in the universe. I can see it, and it inspires awe. I don't need anything beyond that.

Hell, driving across the country, I welled up several times just absorbing the beautiful American landscapes. In another life, I might be a druid.

Thanks for reading and replying, Schmo! Try for a Starlink viewing and see what you think about it!

I tried it. Apparently I need to wait 5 days.

I like the map.

[huckelberry]

Jersey Girl, glad you are enjoying the viewing possibilities of your location. Being over 7 thousand feet makes improved visibility clear skies. You are correct fall and winter are better than summer, less dust smoke or other mists on a clear night. Though in the winter clear nights are often fogged in where I live.

I am wondering how bright this star link is. Is it as bright as the main stars of the big dipper? I went ahead and checked your link for my location, no good views in next five days. I could check again next week though November one starts fog season.

A little note,because Venus is closer to the sun than we are it always appears in the same half of the sky as the sun. Never to the east in the evening. It is morning star in the east preceding the sun and evening star to the west following the sun. Which one depends upon where in its orbit it is.(when in junior hi I went through an astronomy obsession with a small barely better than toy telescope. It could show rings of saturn, moons about planets and small smudges for galaxies)

[Jersey Girl]

CNN
—
A partial lunar eclipse will take over the night sky on Saturday for a dazzling show that will allow sky-gazers to see part of Earth’s shadow reflected on the moon.

For those in the eclipse path — which spans all of Europe, Africa, most of Asia and western Australia, according to EarthSky — the moon will appear to have a bite taken out of it during the partial eclipse from 3:34 p.m. to 4:52 p.m. ET.

Surrounding the partial eclipse will be a penumbral eclipse that begins at 2:01 p.m. ET and causes the moon to dim slightly from the reflection of Earth’s outer shadow, otherwise known as the penumbra, before the planet’s inner and darker shadow, the umbra, creates the partial eclipse. People along the eastern coasts of North and South America will be able to see the tail end of the penumbral eclipse, just before it ends at 6:26 p.m. ET, according to Time and Date.

More at this link: https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/27/world/pa ... index.html

Be sure to scroll all the way down to see the upcoming events in the night sky!

[huckelberry]

Last night the full moon was lovely with Jupiter very close just below it. The bright pair out shown the rest of the sky.

[Jersey Girl]

For the night sky fans!