Nachthimmel

[Galfon]

Venus was 'kin bright tonight. (western sky near waxing crescent moon, just after sunset). Probs. ditto tomorrow if you get a clear sky.Turn that bleedin' light off.

[Galfon]

On June 22 to 24, look at the bright waxing gibbous moon (more than 'arf full) as soon as darkness falls. That nearby brilliant “star” nearby is no star at all. It’s the giant planet Jupiter, fifth planet outward from the sun. As the moon makes its monthly rounds in front of the constellations of the zodiac, it swings in the vicinity of Jupiter for a few days each month. And these next few days present a great time to use the moon to find Jupiter.
(from 'earthsky'..'tis bright tonight )

[morepork]

Mars is also doing a close flyby in July. I love these astronomical periodicities. Even a half decent pair of binoculars gives one a splendid view at the opera.

[Galfon]

This month’s full moon and Saturn will move westward across the sky. As seen from the whole Earth, the twosome will climb highest up for the night around midnight, and will sit low in the west at dawn on June 28 and 29.
You're right about Mars, now bright in the sky and headed for its closest and brightest since 2003.

[Galfon]

Biggest Lunar eclipse of the century tonight if there are nae cloods above.
http://earthsky.org/tonight
Also, Mars has been a stonker in 'opposition' recently, rising near the Moon in the east and visible all night.

[onlynameleft]

Typically after weeks of clear skies we couldn't see a thing.

[Galfon]

Just beneath the crescent Moon this evening at twilight was a brilliant Venus...in a couple of days it will be closer to Jupiter at the same time due to la Luna's eastward shuffle against the backdrop, with it's orbit.

[Galfon]

Four bright planets in the September 2018 evening sky: Venus and Jupiter low in the W after sunset,
Mars in the SE (like an orange blob so it is !)
Saturn in the S sky at nightfall (or as seen from the Southern Hemisphere: high overhead).
**Neptune is at it's closest to us for 2018, today..though at 2.7 B miles, yer'll need 'noccies to see it tucked in the Aquarius constellation.

[morepork]

Check this shit out:

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-47873592

Good effort that.

[Galfon]

The 'Ring o' fire' looks even more incredible than the Hole
itself!.
Not sure how long it took for the BH to creep to just 40B km across, but it would be hilarious if the fate of all things Universal turned out to being sucked into the equivalent of a giant Henry-the-Hoover with no escape.

[morepork]

Another posthumous fist pump for Albert.

[Galfon]

By Jove!
The impressive glowing blob in the SE sky at dusk,and visible all night (unless your covered by a rain-blanket like here atm)
is the biggy..at it's brightest tonight due to being in 'oppostion' in relation to us & the Sun.
https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentia ... rn-mercury

Bwian Cox excellent series on the Planets continues tomorrow covering Jupiter - surely no co-incidence
https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/progi ... he-planets

He does a good job condensing 50 years of exploration and research into a few hours.( not sure about some of the visuals & sound effects though )

[morepork]

NASA have tentatively suggested they have found methane on Mars. Are looking closer and will make an announcement on Monday. Fuck some people have cool jobs.

[Puja]

NASA have tentatively suggested they have found methane on Mars. Are looking closer and will make an announcement on Monday. Fuck some people have cool jobs.

Frozen or gaseous? Cause if it's frozen, that could change the calculations as to whether it'll ever be possible to build an atmosphere there.

Puja

[morepork]

NASA have tentatively suggested they have found methane on Mars. Are looking closer and will make an announcement on Monday. Fuck some people have cool jobs.

Frozen or gaseous? Cause if it's frozen, that could change the calculations as to whether it'll ever be possible to build an atmosphere there.

Puja

NASA says, "fuck knows".

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/curios ... ane-levels

[Galfon]

Jupiter shines bright next to the slightly gibbous waxing moon just after sunset at the moment.
Also, special bonus -'The Perseids', one of the brightest meteor showers of the year can be seen quite easily - look towards the northeast any time between midnight and sunrise around August 12. ( usually active between July 17 and August 24 so might be visible sooner.)
If you're lucky to have a clear sky e.g. western parts like
Cornwall, Wales, NI - it can be quite a show. .

[Galfon]

Dec. 21st. - Winter Solstice this year, also is the 'Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn' - first in 800 years..
They are about to meet in the sky. On that night they will appear as one bright object, visible just after sunset.
Search for 3 Wise Men continues.

[morepork]

Perseverance rover to touch down on Mars 20:55 GMT. NASA will be streaming “live” pretty soon. I am excite...

[Galfon]

'7 mins of terror' / 'squeeky-bum' time..hope it goes to plan.
Looks straightfoward enough..




Job done.
u/d: 21.00 - cool..it's sent a tweet back already

[morepork]

Touchdown baby.

I love this shit

[Mellsblue]

Yep. Watched it with the kids last night. Very cool.

[Mellsblue]

Edit: looking like this might be bs. As you were.

[Galfon]

A trio of delights around now if skies are clear -
Last night we had the last 'supermoon' of the year, pretty spectacular after sunset. Apparently aka 'Sturgeon Moon'.
(relieved to find out this from large fish numbers in N.American lakes at this event, not something from the Edinburgh Fringe..)
or 'Grain moon' (old eng.) or 'Red moon' , as is oft the case at this time.
Also we have a very bright Saturn seen close to the Moon after sunset, at it's closest to Earth around now.
And the annual Perseid meteor shower reaching it's peak over the next couple of nights - if you on hols. out west right now (i.e. somewhere pollution free), could be quite a show