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View Full Version here: : Targets for beginners: 5am, 11th feb - comets, venus and jupiter's great red sp


davidpretorius
10-02-2006, 08:42 AM
Hi Newbies,

here is are some targets for you. Guys have been picking the pojmanski comet up with binoculars (biggish ones) from darwin, so for any tassie / vic people, we should be well placed.

Look for venus at around 5am in the east, can't miss it, it looks like a truck headlight on full beam,

move south about 30 degrees (6 x fists held at arms length) and then just over one fist up.

C/2004 b1 is also a comet, so try for that one as well

I will try this tomorrow morning and will attempt to get some images.

Whilst with venus, check out the crescent shape, just like our moon gets.

Ok, rip on up to jupiter, overhead and to the north. The great red spot should be checking you out!!! Also the large moon ganymede will be nearby. It actually will appear out of nowhere when it comes out of jupiters shadow at around 4:45am.

Would love to hear what you see, please don't be afraid to have a go, and the predawn conditions are generally the best to view the heavens.

And even if you take a pic or scan a drawing you have done, please post it. This forum is the best in the world when it comes to sharing pics & drawings from all levels of experience. I remember posting my first pic very hesitantly, but was immediately swamped with words of encouragement and helpful hints. Made me feel good!

So please have a go!

davidpretorius
10-02-2006, 08:49 AM
sorry, here is the attachment

janoskiss
10-02-2006, 09:30 AM
Dave, I've never seen a comet through my scope, so I might give this one a go if it's visible from here. I'm not much of an early riser though... :confuse3:

stinky
10-02-2006, 09:54 AM
MIght see if we can get that in SE Qld too. But at 4am (you quoted daylight saving??)

ThunderChild
10-02-2006, 09:57 AM
Hi David,

Thanks for the post - much appreciated! I would actually love to see this topic fleshed out a little more - especially with some evening targets for beginners (having a bunch of young children isn't conducive to early morning viewing) :zzz:

Is there a suggested list of things to hunt down for beginners?
Any nebulae/galaxies/etc that are particularly stunning even in telescopes with moderate apertures?

davidpretorius
10-02-2006, 10:21 AM
stinky, yes daylight savings time.

thunderchild, whilst the powers that be keep letting me do this i intend to do monthly targets for beginners

Heres a february one http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=7264

The aim to do be able to use a 6" dob etc not a 20" behemoth to find these things.

I will then add some during the month

I have tried to do some pre 12am ones and then some morning ones.

Glad you like em!

ving
10-02-2006, 11:16 AM
good on ya dave, always on the ball... shame i am never ever up at that time :)

rmcpb
10-02-2006, 11:46 AM
Great article. Its amazing just how we get into habits. I am a pretty lazy observer and prefer to look in the evening and that becomes my time. I don't tend to keep an eye on the morning, hence the article on Venus this morning.

But after saying that I am going to have a go at the comet, thanks for the heads up :)

davidpretorius
10-02-2006, 11:50 AM
love to see if your binos catch rob, i have a cheap pair that andrews give away, so will attempt it

ving
10-02-2006, 12:51 PM
those andrews freebies are pretty small dave, good luck :)

Muddy Diver
10-02-2006, 07:00 PM
Thanks David

I didnt even know Rigel was a double!!! I use it to align most nights but don't really look at it. Thats changed. Hopefully up early enought for the 5.00 am shift.

Good effort David.

cjmarsh81
10-02-2006, 07:24 PM
Thanks Dave, I will set the alarm and give it a go.

janoskiss
10-02-2006, 08:12 PM
NGC 253 and NGC 55 are two galaxies that are easy to see even in smaller (40mm) binoculars. In the binos they will only be fuzzy patches, but the scope should show some structure. This time of the year you can catch them soon after twilight. You do need to get well out of the city though otherwise they get drowned in the skyglow. For impressive nebulae check out Carina between the cross and the false cross. And even from a light polluted backyard NGC 104 (47Tuc) and omega centauri (NGC 5139) have a certain "wow" factor if you have not seen a big glob thru a scope before.

EzyStyles
10-02-2006, 10:36 PM
Thanks dave. Would be nice to see a comet. So it is visual at 5am everyday?

cjmarsh81
11-02-2006, 12:03 PM
Nothing but cloud at 5am this morning, and it sounds like it will be the same tonight. Is the comet going to be visible for a couple of days?

davidpretorius
11-02-2006, 01:40 PM
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=6754

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=7610

there are some links / photos from these threads of where it is going. it is getting lower in the sky each night

stinky
11-02-2006, 04:11 PM
:( Clouds, and more clouds. Is the amount of cloud proportional to the desire to view?

davidpretorius
11-02-2006, 04:23 PM
yup most certainly!