[X] My Assistant

[Palomar]

Summer Delights in Sagittarius

*Sagittarius itself is a summer delight; there's nothing like watching its progression along the southern horizon as it trails immediately behind Scorpius. Its "Teapot" shape is a classic. Of course it "hosts" the richest portions of the Milky Way as visible to us.

The Sagittarius Star Cloud, about 30,000 light years distant, seems to be the nucleus, with the Sun and all the outer stars of the outer stars of the galaxy turning at the rate of 155 miles per second.  It requires about 200 million of our Earthly years to make one complete revolution, or one "cosmic year." Its outer edge is about 20,000 light years in the opposite direction.

This is the prime time to view the Milky Way. Also, Sagittarius is visible well into October. It is, IMO, the final fading of what was once summer, to see it seemingly pitching down into the horizon on mid-autumn nights.

--Cindy

P.S.: Will post a link to celestial cartography web site(s) tomorrow.

[Palomar]

Terrific resource

*I've always loved looking at these old celestial atlas illustrations. The art work, the colors employed, the mythology involved, etc.

Enjoy.

--Cindy

[Guest_Myran_*]

Warning whiny post!
Wish I could, but the sky is still to bright.
First observing - weather permitting - might be at the end of the month, but skyglow will prevent anything but planetary observing.
Good clear weather isnt enough either later on, the northern lights mess up most other observing attempts. Anyone know the off switch for that magnetic field?
But yes I will get a glimpse fo Sagittaurus.

[Palomar]

Warning whiny post! 
Wish I could, but the sky is still to bright.
First observing - weather permitting - might be at the end of the month, but skyglow will prevent anything but planetary observing.
Good clear weather isnt enough either later on, the northern lights mess up most other observing attempts. Anyone know the off switch for that magnetic field? 
But yes I will get a glimpse fo Sagittaurus.

*I suppose (northern lights interference); bummer. The photos of NL are always pretty...but they're rarely if ever seen where I currently reside. Previously I lived in the "middle" of the Midwest, but it was often cloudy and aurorae were rare. Glad I don't have to deal with that ... glow ... often.

-*-

The Two Crowns

Corona Borealis and Corona Australis. CA is visible from my latitude and yes, it is noticeably dimmer than its Northern counterpart. CB is a pretty little constellation. Some interesting factoids, including one I wasn't aware of until now. Of course everything's moving, but:

Alphecca and Nusakan, a star immediately adjacent to it, have opposing motions and in the past 75,000 years have just about changed places.

Cool.

Another rather amazing feature about the Northern Crown is that within its boundaries there is a very rich cluster of distant galaxies, referred to as a supergalaxy.  It is one of the most remarkable of all such aggregations, with more than 400 galaxies.  The cluster is extremely remote; estimates place it at 1.3 billion light-years and receding from us at 13,000 miles per second or about one-fourteenth the velocity of light.

[tty]

Terrific resource

*I've always loved looking at these old celestial atlas illustrations.  The art work, the colors employed, the mythology involved, etc.

Enjoy. 

--Cindy

If You're interested in old celestial atlases have a look at the links in:

http://www.maphistory.info/imagetheme.html

tty

[Palomar]

If You're interested in old celestial atlases have a look at the links in:

http://www.maphistory.info/imagetheme.html

tty

*Hi, yes indeed. Thanks for the link!

[Palomar]

http://tinyurl.com/8wpm7

*Just purchased this sumptuous deck today. I've never seen cartography for sale in this fashion. They are gorgeous illustrations. Click on "Larger View" to see closeup of 1st illustration.

I enjoy star charts (the simple, utilitarian and unadorned) and old-fashioned cartography illustrations nearly as much as looking at the stars themselves.

Will affix/mount these to a backing and display on the wall facing me, here in the office.

Barnes & Noble have signified this as "Sold Out." Want it, better hurry and get it (my store had 8 remaining).