Comet Garradd again...

After seeing that it was a clear night, and the moon wasn't
interfering yet, I ran out for another look at Comet Garradd. I
hadn't seen it since my last effort when it was just creeping away
from Pegasus' nose, and now it was buzzing under the tip of
Sagitta... I didn't take the time to dark adapt, and while I'm not
nearly as cursed by light pollution as most people, my situation
hasn't gotten any better over the years. Also, I don't think my eyes
pick up dim objects quite as well as they did when a younger man was
using them. I studied the chart ( http://cometchasing.skyhound.com/ )
carefully...
When I got out to look at about 10:00pm CDT, I spent a few
minutes looking around at the constellations and bright "M" objects to
let my eyes adapt just a bit. Not a bad evening... 66 F, a few
locusts chirping, and clear skies. Then I swung my binocs up to
Sagitta and took a look. I found a blur in about the right place, but
not EXACTLY in the right place. I was a little confused and
frustrated. I came in and checked the chart again, and then went out
and looked again. There was the little fuzzball, but still, it wasn't
quite where it should be... Was I seeing some of the background
confusion in the starclouds of the Milky Way, and missing the comet?
I went back in and checked the chart again... AH HA... The tick
marks on the chart weren't for 0 hours Universal Time, but for 13
hours on the 24th and 8 hours on the 25th... OK, so I'm a better
observer than a chart reader... THAT'S it... I'm a better observer
than a chart reader... That works....

Marty

On 8/24/11 10:49 PM, Marty wrote:
After seeing that it was a clear night, and the moon wasn't
interfering yet, I ran out for another look at Comet Garradd. I
hadn't seen it since my last effort when it was just creeping away
from Pegasus' nose, and now it was buzzing under the tip of
Sagitta... I didn't take the time to dark adapt, and while I'm not
nearly as cursed by light pollution as most people, my situation
hasn't gotten any better over the years. Also, I don't think my eyes
pick up dim objects quite as well as they did when a younger man was
using them. I studied the chart ( http://cometchasing.skyhound.com/ )
carefully...
When I got out to look at about 10:00pm CDT, I spent a few
minutes looking around at the constellations and bright "M" objects to
let my eyes adapt just a bit. Not a bad evening... 66 F, a few
locusts chirping, and clear skies. Then I swung my binocs up to
Sagitta and took a look. I found a blur in about the right place, but
not EXACTLY in the right place. I was a little confused and
frustrated. I came in and checked the chart again, and then went out
and looked again. There was the little fuzzball, but still, it wasn't
quite where it should be... Was I seeing some of the background
confusion in the starclouds of the Milky Way, and missing the comet?
I went back in and checked the chart again... AH HA... The tick
marks on the chart weren't for 0 hours Universal Time, but for 13
hours on the 24th and 8 hours on the 25th... OK, so I'm a better
observer than a chart reader... THAT'S it... I'm a better observer
than a chart reader... That works....

Marty

smiling Thanks Marty!
-Sam

On Aug 25, 5:49*am, Marty wrote:
After seeing that it was a clear night, and the moon wasn't
interfering yet, I ran out for another look at Comet Garradd. *I
hadn't seen it since my last effort when it was just creeping away
from Pegasus' nose, and now it was buzzing under the tip of
Sagitta... *I didn't take the time to dark adapt, and while I'm not
nearly as cursed by light pollution as most people, my situation
hasn't gotten any better over the years. *Also, I don't think my eyes
pick up dim objects quite as well as they did when a younger man was
using them. *I studied the chart (http://cometchasing.skyhound.com/)
carefully...
* * *When I got out to look at about 10:00pm CDT, I spent a few
minutes looking around at the constellations and bright "M" objects to
let my eyes adapt just a bit. *Not a bad evening... *66 F, a few
locusts chirping, and clear skies. *Then I swung my binocs up to
Sagitta and took a look. *I found a blur in about the right place, but
not EXACTLY in the right place. *I was a little confused and
frustrated. *I came in and checked the chart again, and then went out
and looked again. *There was the little fuzzball, but still, it wasn't
quite where it should be... *Was I seeing some of the background
confusion in the starclouds of the Milky Way, and missing the comet?
I went back in and checked the chart again... *AH HA... *The tick
marks on the chart weren't for 0 hours Universal Time, but for 13
hours on the 24th and 8 hours on the 25th... *OK, so I'm a better
observer than a chart reader... *THAT'S it... *I'm a better observer
than a chart reader... *That works....

Marty



Do yourself a favor Marty and match Kepler's representation of the
motion of Mars against the background constellations with modern time
lapse footage of the motion of both the Earth and Mars -

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...retrograde.jpg

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080511.html

Running the cursor over the APOD image you will see Mars and the Earth
move through the Gemini and Taurus field of stars in our common orbit
around the Sun,there is an aid which matches the outer ring of symbols
with the respective constellations in Kepler's representation,the
second most important in all astronomy -

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._signs.svg.png

You can also enjoy the calendar based on homcentric Ra/Dec system
which keeps everything moving in stellar circumpolar motion but the
real satisfaction is watching the planets and comets move against the
stationary stellar background.All it takes is a little compromise to
inherit both astronomical worlds Marty but in dumping everything into
right ascension,you inherit neither.

On Aug 24, 8:49*pm, Marty wrote:
After seeing that it was a clear night, and the moon wasn't
interfering yet, I ran out for another look at Comet Garradd. *I
hadn't seen it since my last effort when it was just creeping away
from Pegasus' nose, and now it was buzzing under the tip of
Sagitta... *I didn't take the time to dark adapt, and while I'm not
nearly as cursed by light pollution as most people, my situation
hasn't gotten any better over the years. *Also, I don't think my eyes
pick up dim objects quite as well as they did when a younger man was
using them. *I studied the chart (http://cometchasing.skyhound.com/)
carefully...
* * *When I got out to look at about 10:00pm CDT, I spent a few
minutes looking around at the constellations and bright "M" objects to
let my eyes adapt just a bit. *Not a bad evening... *66 F, a few
locusts chirping, and clear skies. *Then I swung my binocs up to
Sagitta and took a look. *I found a blur in about the right place, but
not EXACTLY in the right place. *I was a little confused and
frustrated. *I came in and checked the chart again, and then went out
and looked again. *There was the little fuzzball, but still, it wasn't
quite where it should be... *Was I seeing some of the background
confusion in the starclouds of the Milky Way, and missing the comet?
I went back in and checked the chart again... *AH HA... *The tick
marks on the chart weren't for 0 hours Universal Time, but for 13
hours on the 24th and 8 hours on the 25th... *OK, so I'm a better
observer than a chart reader... *THAT'S it... *I'm a better observer
than a chart reader... *That works....

Marty

Thanks Marty

Gerald was saying
All it takes is a little compromise to
inherit both astronomical worlds Marty but in dumping everything into
right ascension,you inherit neither.

Well, half the time I use declination...
Marty

On Aug 25, 2:25*pm, Marty wrote:
Gerald was saying
All it takes is a little compromise to
inherit both *astronomical worlds Marty but in dumping everything into
right ascension,you inherit neither.

Well, half the time I use declination...
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Marty

HA!

On Aug 25, 11:25*pm, Marty wrote:
Gerald was saying
All it takes is a little compromise to
inherit both *astronomical worlds Marty but in dumping everything into
right ascension,you inherit neither.

Well, half the time I use declination...
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Marty

It was already included in Ra/Dec so your attempt at a smart answer is
somewhat disingenuous.

There is nothing offensive about matching the motion of Mars against
the field of stars known as the constellations with Kepler's
Quadragesimalis using modern sequential imaging for this is the realm
of astronomers from antiquity to the time of Copernicus,Kepler and
Galileo.It is only when they started to observe the motion of planets
and other celestial objects using stellar circumpolar motion and right
ascension/declination that the great observations and interpretation
of the motions of objects against the field of stars was lost.

The next time you try to sound homely when you go about your Ra/Dec
observing be sure to remember that none of the great astronomers
looked at the constellations that way as Ra/Dec is based on
timekeeping averages and accurate clocks only came into existence in
the late 17th century.

oriel36 wrote:
On Aug 25, 11:25 pm, Marty wrote:
Gerald was saying
All it takes is a little compromise to
inherit both astronomical worlds Marty but in dumping everything into
right ascension,you inherit neither.

Well, half the time I use declination...
Marty

It was already included in Ra/Dec so your attempt at a smart answer is
somewhat disingenuous.

There is nothing offensive about matching the motion of Mars against
the field of stars known as the constellations with Kepler's
Quadragesimalis using modern sequential imaging for this is the realm
of astronomers from antiquity to the time of Copernicus,Kepler and
Galileo.It is only when they started to observe the motion of planets
and other celestial objects using stellar circumpolar motion and right
ascension/declination that the great observations and interpretation
of the motions of objects against the field of stars was lost.

The next time you try to sound homely when you go about your Ra/Dec
observing be sure to remember that none of the great astronomers
looked at the constellations that way as Ra/Dec is based on
timekeeping averages and accurate clocks only came into existence in
the late 17th century.

As usual you have got everything the wrong way round. Before accurate
clocks astrononomy was based on observing the sky based on the
constellations and the movement or otherwise of objects against this
background. RA and Dec are just a systematisation of this. It was the mean
24h day which depended on accurate clocks.
You have a real talent for 180 degree misinterpretation of facts.

On Aug 26, 8:01*am, wrote:

You have a real talent for 180 degree misinterpretation of facts.

Au contraire. He has absolutely no talent at all.
Except, perhaps, for verbiage and obfuscation.
An intemperate loser going around in circles.

On 25/08/2011 04:49, Marty wrote:
After seeing that it was a clear night, and the moon wasn't
interfering yet, I ran out for another look at Comet Garradd. I
hadn't seen it since my last effort when it was just creeping away
from Pegasus' nose, and now it was buzzing under the tip of
Sagitta... I didn't take the time to dark adapt, and while I'm not
nearly as cursed by light pollution as most people, my situation
hasn't gotten any better over the years. Also, I don't think my eyes
pick up dim objects quite as well as they did when a younger man was
using them. I studied the chart ( http://cometchasing.skyhound.com/ )
carefully...
When I got out to look at about 10:00pm CDT, I spent a few
minutes looking around at the constellations and bright "M" objects to
let my eyes adapt just a bit. Not a bad evening... 66 F, a few
locusts chirping, and clear skies. Then I swung my binocs up to
Sagitta and took a look. I found a blur in about the right place, but
not EXACTLY in the right place. I was a little confused and
frustrated. I came in and checked the chart again, and then went out
and looked again. There was the little fuzzball, but still, it wasn't
quite where it should be... Was I seeing some of the background
confusion in the starclouds of the Milky Way, and missing the comet?
I went back in and checked the chart again... AH HA... The tick
marks on the chart weren't for 0 hours Universal Time, but for 13
hours on the 24th and 8 hours on the 25th... OK, so I'm a better
observer than a chart reader... THAT'S it... I'm a better observer
than a chart reader... That works....

Marty

If the skies are clear tonight (Fri Aug 26), 2009 P1 (Garradd) will be
within 10 arcmins of M71 at around 22:00 UTC, so should be fairly easy
to find. I've been waiting to image this all week - guess what?.. yes,
raining now and not expected to stop for ~24h (of course.)
--
Rob