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Post by jerrysmith on Dec 31, 2012 8:12:51 GMT -5
Comet C/2012-S1 is now headed our way. It will come very close to the sun in late November of 2013 and, on its outbound leg, will possibly appear brighter than the moon sometime around Christmas Day. Or maybe not; it could also break up from solar pressure and just go away in little pieces. This one is said to possibly be a sister of the Great Comet of 1680, which scared hell out of the whole world and probably started a few new religions. Here's a link to that comet's history: www.jwwerner.com/history/Comet.htmlIf all works out right, this one should really be something to see! |
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Post by Tommy Thompson on Dec 31, 2012 12:22:19 GMT -5
we were able to see the International Space Station last night as it flew over at 6:00 pm. That sucker is fast. It looked like a bright star moving from North to South.
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Post by jerrysmith on Dec 31, 2012 13:06:03 GMT -5
we were able to see the International Space Station last night as it flew over at 6:00 pm. That sucker is fast. It looked like a bright star moving from North to South. What a coincidence; I watched that pass, too, directly overhead and bright as a major planet. It was the third among three sats which passed within a 20 minute span. HST was almost invisible, and the new Morse code-blinking Chinese sat got right by me without being spotted. Here's a site that gives visible pass times for all the better ones: heavens-above.com/?Loc=Pell+City&Lat=33.586&Lng=-86.286&Alt=183&TZ=CST |
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Post by nanichris on Jan 1, 2013 10:13:10 GMT -5
With all of the trees here, I never see much of anything....even stars. ;D But I'll try with the help of the link. Thanks for posting Jerry.
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Post by jerry on Jan 1, 2013 11:06:50 GMT -5
There's plenty of open country around you.
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Post by nanichris on Jan 1, 2013 12:49:54 GMT -5
The only open country on my street belongs to Rednecks who don't take kindly to trespassers. LOL I guess I could take a chair into the middle of the street.  |
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Post by jerrycsmith on Jan 1, 2013 12:54:00 GMT -5
There's a great place atop a hill on AL174, on the driveway for that failed Ray Scott community that was going to be built. It's across the road from Lynch Lake Road, just east of Bald Rock Mountain. You can see for miles. That's where I took the big moon picture. Might want to take your pistol along, though.
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Post by nanichris on Jan 1, 2013 15:33:30 GMT -5
I'll take you along and we can both take a pistol. Actually, we can take a bunch of friends, take some food & a little wine for an evening picnic when the weather gets warmer. Would make up for not being able to have the Bar-B-Q I wanted to give when Obama was defeated. I have a scope to look at the sky but I can't seem to make it work. Perhaps you could figure it out.
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