Quote:
Originally Posted by multiweb
That's a really nice collection Phil and a great write-up. I actually saw the Gegenschein visually at Coonabarabran once. Lachlan McDonald pointed it to me. I thought it was high clouds or light pollution. It's very faint but obvious and you can only see it when the milkyway wraps all around the horizon.
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Thanks for taking the time to read the post Marc.. makes a day spent writing it up worthwhile
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I can see the Gegenschein regularly at the right times of year, even from the ASV dark sky site near Heathcote in central Victoria. As you say, it needs to be well clear of the Milky Way which rules out most of winter and not too low in the sky which rules out most of summer from down south (with the Gegenschein at low ecliptic elevations in the north). There is a bit of an art to viewing it and the rest of the zodiacal band as well.. you almost look for where the sky is darker first to notice the areas that are brighter relative to those. But it's easy to confirm that you are seeing the real thing as you can identify the location in the sky where you see it and verify that it is in fact at the anti-solar point.
cheers
Phil