Betelgeuse

In taking a casual glance at Orion on my way home tonight, it seemed that
Betelgeuse looked unusually bright; to my eye at least, it actually looked
slightly brighter than Rigel. (I'm not sure what effect star color and
atmospheric extinction may have had, also being in an urban environment with
a lot of stray light to deal with.) I wonder how other people see it;
whether it's truly bright or if I'm "seeing things."

--Tony

"tony hoffman" wrote in message
ink.net...
In taking a casual glance at Orion on my way home tonight, it seemed that
Betelgeuse looked unusually bright; to my eye at least, it actually looked
slightly brighter than Rigel. (I'm not sure what effect star color and
atmospheric extinction may have had, also being in an urban environment
with a lot of stray light to deal with.) I wonder how other people see it;
whether it's truly bright or if I'm "seeing things."

--Tony


http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/con...brightest.html

"Stephen Sherrod" wrote in message
...

"tony hoffman" wrote in message
ink.net...
In taking a casual glance at Orion on my way home tonight, it seemed that
Betelgeuse looked unusually bright; to my eye at least, it actually
looked slightly brighter than Rigel. (I'm not sure what effect star color
and atmospheric extinction may have had, also being in an urban
environment with a lot of stray light to deal with.) I wonder how other
people see it; whether it's truly bright or if I'm "seeing things."

--Tony


http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/con...brightest.html


Yes, I know Betelgeuse is a variable star.

Thanks, John--

I have one friend who's also seen it as particularly bright. I remember one
period somewhere between 1988 and 1993 when it rivaled Rigel, but I'd never
before seen it as brighter. It would be interesting to have a variable star
observer weigh in.

Tony

"John Steinberg" wrote in message
...
tony hoffman wrote:

In taking a casual glance at Orion on my way home tonight, it seemed that
Betelgeuse looked unusually bright; to my eye at least,

During a recent extended and failed attempt to see some auroral
activity I too thought Betelgeuse looked brighter than I recall from
past observations. It also had more of a yellow cast to it. Also
observed from an urban environment.

If you're seeing things, you're not alone. Perhaps a variable star
expert can step in and provide an authoritative answer?

Hello, any definitive answers out there in astronomy land?

I guess we could do our own research on this issue, but that feels
suspiciously like yawn work.

--
-John Steinberg
email: lid

I wouldn't be surprised. It's a red giant, remember, and these types of
stars are, by their nature, going through a stage in their development that
is unstable and variable. Personally, I didn't see Betelgeuse as any
brighter than usual when I saw it a couple of nights ago, but then I'm not
that careful and observer of single stars.

--
Sincerely,
--- Dave
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It don't mean a thing
unless it has that certain "je ne sais quoi"
Duke Ellington
----------------------------------------------------------------------

"tony hoffman" wrote in message
ink.net...
In taking a casual glance at Orion on my way home tonight, it seemed that
Betelgeuse looked unusually bright; to my eye at least, it actually looked
slightly brighter than Rigel. (I'm not sure what effect star color and
atmospheric extinction may have had, also being in an urban environment
with a lot of stray light to deal with.) I wonder how other people see it;
whether it's truly bright or if I'm "seeing things."

--Tony

The most recent observation posted at the AAVSO web site has
Betelgeuse at magnitude 0.2, so no, it seems you aren't seeing
things, and Betelgeuse is currently at a high maximum.

-Paul W.

On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 04:36:03 GMT, "tony hoffman"
wrote:

In taking a casual glance at Orion on my way home tonight, it seemed that
Betelgeuse looked unusually bright; to my eye at least, it actually looked
slightly brighter than Rigel. (I'm not sure what effect star color and
atmospheric extinction may have had, also being in an urban environment with
a lot of stray light to deal with.) I wonder how other people see it;
whether it's truly bright or if I'm "seeing things."

--Tony


----------
Remove 'Z' to reply by email.

Thank you. I also thought it was bright, but was embarrassed to say so :-)

Clear Skies

Chuck Taylor
Do you observe the moon?
Try http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lunar-observing/
And the Lunar Picture of the Day http://www.lpod.org/
************************************

"Paul Winalski" wrote in message
...
The most recent observation posted at the AAVSO web site has
Betelgeuse at magnitude 0.2, so no, it seems you aren't seeing
things, and Betelgeuse is currently at a high maximum.

-Paul W.

On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 04:36:03 GMT, "tony hoffman"
wrote:

In taking a casual glance at Orion on my way home tonight, it seemed that
Betelgeuse looked unusually bright; to my eye at least, it actually
looked
slightly brighter than Rigel. (I'm not sure what effect star color and
atmospheric extinction may have had, also being in an urban environment
with
a lot of stray light to deal with.) I wonder how other people see it;
whether it's truly bright or if I'm "seeing things."

--Tony


----------
Remove 'Z' to reply by email.

Thanks for letting me know, Paul--
That gives me some more confidence in my observing ability.
--Tony

p.s. "High maximum"--One of these millennia, it'll go supernova on us, and
then it'll really be at high maximum.


"Paul Winalski" wrote in message
...
The most recent observation posted at the AAVSO web site has
Betelgeuse at magnitude 0.2, so no, it seems you aren't seeing
things, and Betelgeuse is currently at a high maximum.

-Paul W.

On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 04:36:03 GMT, "tony hoffman"
wrote:

In taking a casual glance at Orion on my way home tonight, it seemed that
Betelgeuse looked unusually bright; to my eye at least, it actually looked
slightly brighter than Rigel. (I'm not sure what effect star color and
atmospheric extinction may have had, also being in an urban environment
with
a lot of stray light to deal with.) I wonder how other people see it;
whether it's truly bright or if I'm "seeing things."

--Tony


----------
Remove 'Z' to reply by email.

Thanks, Chuck--
Glad to hear I'm not the only one.
--Tony

"CLT" not@thisaddress wrote in message
...
Thank you. I also thought it was bright, but was embarrassed to say so
:-)

Clear Skies

Chuck Taylor
Do you observe the moon?
Try http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lunar-observing/
And the Lunar Picture of the Day http://www.lpod.org/
************************************

"Paul Winalski" wrote in message
...
The most recent observation posted at the AAVSO web site has
Betelgeuse at magnitude 0.2, so no, it seems you aren't seeing
things, and Betelgeuse is currently at a high maximum.

-Paul W.

On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 04:36:03 GMT, "tony hoffman"
wrote:

In taking a casual glance at Orion on my way home tonight, it seemed
that
Betelgeuse looked unusually bright; to my eye at least, it actually
looked
slightly brighter than Rigel. (I'm not sure what effect star color and
atmospheric extinction may have had, also being in an urban environment
with
a lot of stray light to deal with.) I wonder how other people see it;
whether it's truly bright or if I'm "seeing things."

--Tony


----------
Remove 'Z' to reply by email.

Thanks, Dave--
I don't do much stellar observing per se, so it caught me by surprise.
Tony

"David Nakamoto" wrote in message
news:zqNmd.6101$J55.3341@trnddc06...
I wouldn't be surprised. It's a red giant, remember, and these types of
stars are, by their nature, going through a stage in their development that
is unstable and variable. Personally, I didn't see Betelgeuse as any
brighter than usual when I saw it a couple of nights ago, but then I'm not
that careful and observer of single stars.

--
Sincerely,
--- Dave
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It don't mean a thing
unless it has that certain "je ne sais quoi"
Duke Ellington
----------------------------------------------------------------------

"tony hoffman" wrote in message
ink.net...
In taking a casual glance at Orion on my way home tonight, it seemed that
Betelgeuse looked unusually bright; to my eye at least, it actually
looked slightly brighter than Rigel. (I'm not sure what effect star color
and atmospheric extinction may have had, also being in an urban
environment with a lot of stray light to deal with.) I wonder how other
people see it; whether it's truly bright or if I'm "seeing things."

--Tony