Venus drifts next to Uranus

Last night was clear in this part of Virginia, allowing for viewing of Venus next to Uranus. The picture was taken from downtown Roanoke which explains the yellow sky glow. Dim Uranus is the object immediately to the left of bright Venus. The other objects are stars of various brightnesses. Their short streaks are due to the Earth's rotation during the 15 second exposure. Yes, Uranus is very dim, but considering that the image was taken from a well-lit downtown area, it is remarkable that it could be seen at all.

Why not try imaging the night sky with your digital camera using its manual settings? Image what could be recorded from a dark location!

Such is our view from Earth...

Venus and Uranus — Tonight!

Tonight is your chance to see distant Uranus, the most difficult to spot "naked eye" planet.

Tonight is the conjunction, i.e., close approach with each other, of Venus and Uranus. Look to the west at 7:30 p.m. at blazing Venus while using binoculars. Just to the left of Venus will be a dim starlike object. That will be Uranus.

Why not photograph both objects when they are so close to each other? If you have a digital camera with manual control capability:
• place it on a tripod,
• if it has a variable ASA setting, set that at the maximum value,
• set the focus at infinity,
• open the f stop as wide as it will go,
• adjust the shutter speed to 8 or 15 seconds,
• and zoom on Venus.

Take a couple of shots and download them to your computer's photo program. Uranus likely will have been captured along with the surrounding star field. Astronomy without a telescope!

Such is our view from Earth...

Galaxy Formation Lecture at Roanoke College, 2/12

SUN, 12 FEB, 5.30-6.30pm, TREXLER HALL 372, Roanoke College, Salem, VA

Dr. Elizabeth McGrath
Lick Observatory, Univ. of California- Santa Cruz

Title: Exploring the Formation of the Largest Galaxies in the Universe

Abstract: New observations from some of the most powerful telescopes in
the world, including the Hubble Space Telescope, are changing the way we
think about massive galaxy formation and evolution. I will describe how
these observations allow us to extrapolate backwards in time in order to
infer the formation histories of galaxies more massive than our own
Milky Way, and discuss the implications of these results on our current
theoretical understanding of galaxy formation. Finally, I will conclude
with a few exciting prospects for future investigations that will be
made possible both with ongoing surveys and future technological
advancements.

Such is our view from Earth...

Spy mysterious Uranus

The seventh planet of the solar system, Uranus, never appears brightly in our sky. In fact, it always hovers on the edge of visibility, making it difficult to spot with the unaided eye. On Thursday February 9, it can be found with relative ease, though.

Venus shines brilliantly in the west shortly after sunset. From our point of view, it appears to move right next to faint Uranus on the 9th. Look with binoculars at 7:30 p.m. at Venus. Uranus is the dim starlike object immediately to its left. You are looking at Venus lying 98 million miles from our little blue world and Uranus lurking 1934 million (=1.934 billion) miles away.

Does the glare from Venus blot out the much, much dimmer Uranus?

Such is our view from Earth...

Discover February's Celestial Treasures

The month of February brings the winter Milky Way overhead and the big, bright constellation Orion high in the south a couple of hours after sunset. Both brilliant Venus and bright Jupiter are hard to miss in the west, while red Mars peeks above the eastern horizon before 9 p.m.

Binocular users will be rewarded with the Orion Nebula, or M42, faintly glowing to the upper left of the bright star Rigel. Scanning the constellation of Auriga, nearly overhead, will reveal several dim star clusters imbedded in the overall glow of the Milky Way.

Such is our view from Earth...

"Use that 'Scope!"

"Use that 'Scope!" -- Saturday, February 4, 9:00 a.m .to noon, Moomaw Center, main campus Dabney Lancaster Community College, Clifton Forge. $20. Instructor: John Goss. Get a new telescope for Christmas and not sure how to use it? Learn how to use your new 'scope to find fun sky objects. Be sure to bring your telescope with you! To register, contact:

Judy Clark
Public Relations and Non-Credit Coordinator
Dabney S. Lancaster Community College
PO Box 1000
Clifton Forge, VA 24422
(540) 863-2863
(540) 863-2928 (Fax)
(540) 460-0187 (cell)

Such is our view from Earth...

Watch Mars March

Every twenty-six months or so, Mars makes a bright appearance in our early evening sky. The Red Planet can be found climbing above the eastern horizon two hours after sunset. It is the brightest object in that part of the sky, almost matching Sirius, which shines in the south. During the next three months, Mars slowly moves westward through the constellation Leo, towards its bright star Regulus. After the middle of April, it reverses its apparent direction and begins moving away from Regulus.

Find the time to spot Mars as it marches through Leo!

Such is our view from Earth...