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Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Quite the celestial show. If you've been wondering what those two bright stars are, wonder no more. Venus and Jupiter are putting on a show, and if you look around 9 PM Mexico time, you'll see the crescent moon along with them.

notamiss · Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 5:04 am Post subject:

Thanks for this.

Let me recommend YourSky, http://www.fourmilab.ch/yoursky/. Fill in your coordinates and see exactly what's above you right now. You can then adjust the star map to show more or fewer stars (and other heavenly bodies; planets, galaxies, etc.) and more or fewer labels.

You can also get it as a screen saver http://www.fourmilab.ch/skyscrsv/ (for Windows). When you install it you put in your coordinates, adjust the display settings on the star map, and every time your screen saver kicks in, it shows exactly what's above you, day or night.

sweeney66 · Joined: 26 Mar 2008 Posts: 147 Location: "home"

cool, thanks.

El Gallo · Joined: 05 Feb 2007 Posts: 318

Also an interesting article here (I don�t know why my hyperlink doesn�t work):

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/29/AR2008112901775.html?nav=hcmodule

reddevil79 · Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 7:29 pm Post subject:

According to this map (set for DF at 9pm tonight), Pluto is nearby too, but how visible it will be I'm not sure. Pluto is the 'P' symbol in the grey circle to the right.

http://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/Yourtel?lat=20.6874&ns=South&lon=282.677&fov=45.000&z=1

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Very cool...thanks for that, will look for it tonight.

The nerd astronomer in me is coming out I'm afraid. Wink

Some city workers were planting trees near my home last night and I took some time to show them the night sky. They all thought they were simple stars and were amazed to learn about the planets visible to them. I was asked if I was an astronomer after pointing it out.

There's an American-funded observatory in Puebla state atop some mountain. What a joy it would be to get a view from there.

MO39 · Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 8:10 pm Post subject:

lozwich · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536

notamiss · Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 11:51 pm Post subject:

2009 is going to be the International Year of Astronomy, and some of the planned Mexican events are tied in with archeological sites. There is going to one at Teotihuacan sometime in January, involving camping, telescopes, special speakers, etc. I will post more information as I find out. Also this: http://dti.inah.gob.mx/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2616&Itemid=55, aparently.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Now that would be something...standing atop the pyramid of the Sun and commenting on the celestial view. Nice that you only need to go an hour out of Mexico City for such a thing.

MO39 · Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 12:45 am Post subject: Re: Look up in the sky

MO39 · Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 12:48 am Post subject:

lozwich · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536

This one was taken on Sunday around sunset..

[img]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y128/lozwich/nov30.jpg[/img]
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y128/lozwich/nov30.jpg

And this one tonight (Monday) at about 7. The top planet is a lot fainter than the other one tonight, and interesting how its swapped sides.

[img]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y128/lozwich/dec1.jpg[/img]
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y128/lozwich/dec1.jpg

For some reason I can't get the image thingy to work, so I'll leave the links in until it does.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Nice shots...I was out trying to take photos last night, but night shots are really hard.

Dave's dropped the photo feature some time ago. A real shame for a website that was at the top of its class to drop so much in quality.

lozwich · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536

Here's another one I took about 50 minutes after the last one in my last post. The planets appear to be moving around the moon.. Or maybe its us moving around them?

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y128/lozwich/dec1no2.jpg