Oh my stars!

[altivo]

As often happens with bitter cold in winter here, the sky is crystal clear tonight. Venus was spectacular just after sunset, calling to mind for me the story of Eärendil in Tolkien, the origin of the evening star. In the new moon, it seems so bright that it might almost cast shadows all by itself. Orion is high in the southwest, probably one of the best recognized and certainly brightest of constellations. Only the "big dipper" (properly Ursa Major) is better known I think. I had brief thoughts about hauling my telescope out from the barn loft, but it is just too cold out there. The only reason I was out after sunset was that I had been doing the animal chores alone and underestimated the extra time I would need for hauling water by myself.

Gary is at his mom's place in Chicago tonight, having stayed here last week so he didn't think he could skip again. She needs his help with groceries and getting her prescriptions. I'm most grateful that he filled up the wood rack in the garage before leaving, as I need the woodstove tonight for sure.

Today was the deadline for libraries to make a decision whether to join our rebel group or stay with the main flock. One that had declared an intention to join us was forced to back down by a deadlock among its board members. So it's now official, there are eight of us. We serve a geographically contiguous region and are used to working together and using a common catalog database. I expect things to go pretty smoothly from here on with that.

And I think that's the limit of my tolerance for sitting in this chilly room where the computer is, so I'm going back to the stove and the dogs.

Comments

[atomicat.livejournal.com]

I should have remembered to say this last Saturday when I came home with my new pup. The sky was so clear and the stars so bright that you could see the nebulae in Orion's belt and sword. Beautiful! Haven't seen any particularly bright northern lights unfortunately. Sad that most people never ever get the chance to see them. I've tried to describe them to some younger friends down south but it's damn near impossible.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

There have been a couple of extensive aurorae in recent months, but each time it has been too cloudy here for viewing. Even when they are visible this far south, light pollution often keeps them from being obvious. The really sad thing is that not only have most people never seen them, many just aren't interested.

[atomicat.livejournal.com]

Probably because they haven't seen them. How can anyone not be fascinated by huge sheets of rippling fire in the sky? When you look at it you KNOW how big it is! I dunno, maybe it's just me, knowing what they are, how they're produced and such. The ol' Feynman view on science, it adds to the wonder and mystery, not subtracts.

[corelog.livejournal.com]

I thought clear nights were always more likely to be cold because of lack of cloud cover to hold down the heat of the day. :) Is that true, you think? Or just a rumor?

*hugs tight and piles the blankets on you until you're completely buried*

[altivo.livejournal.com]

That is certainly a factor, though in this zone it's also true that the clear night is associated with a high pressure cell that often sweeps in with cold air from the Canadian plains. Normal winter temperatures there are significantly lower than ours because we usually have a moderating effect from the Great Lakes that keeps us warmer in winter and cooler in summer.

*reaches out from under the blankets and grabs you by the paw, pulling you under with him*

[atomicat.livejournal.com]

Absolutely! It's always about 10 degrees C colder up here when it's clear. The overcast sky definitely captures the light bouncing upwards from the snow.

[captpackrat.livejournal.com]

I was outside last night (it was in the -5ºF range) and noted that the stars seemed particularly clear and bright. I could clearly see the individual stars in the Pleiades.

I hadn't seen the Pleiades in San Diego since I was a child. The light pollution had gotten so bad there since the late 70's that even Orion's belt had become nearly invisible.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yes, light pollution is obnoxious and so utterly unnecessary.

When we moved here eight years ago, the Milky Way was easily visible on clear nights. Now you can't see it. That's how fast it's getting worse.

[cetasdolphin.livejournal.com]

Last night here as I was coming home from a family dinner with the parents (we all went out to celebrate Valentine's Day, particularly for my mother) the sky was so clear that my mother kept confusing planes for stars. Unfortately it was also bitter cold as well so I didn't stay out to look much but was able to see all the major constellations (Orion, Ursa Major, found the North Star, etc). Would do the same here tonight but have high clouds moving in and it is still bitter cold. Also I do have a telescope as well but it has been in the attic collecting dust for the past 10 years or so due to my father complaining that the only good nights to use it were the ones where it is bitter cold.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

It's true that the best seeing is often on the coldest nights of winter. However, clear nights any time of the year can be quite productive. The best aurora displays I've seen have always taken place in summer.

[cetasdolphin.livejournal.com]

Unfortuately I have never seen those. I live in a modest suburb that borders what could only be described as shrinking farmland. The light pollution here wasn't so bad 10 years ago but nowadays there is so much development you have to go further and further out to escape it. Not even the local lake is immune to it with its many coves and hidden nooks (most of which are private property to begin with). Being that I also live in South Carolina that is also a bit far south to even see an aurora unless in the rare event of a supercharged ion storm from the sun or such.

[avon-deer.livejournal.com]

The best sky I have ever seen in my life was a Spring evening in the middle of no where. Light pollution is the main culprit for poor skies.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I agree. Light pollution is a major problem now, and it keeps getting worse because most people don't understand or just don't care.

From the tongue-twisting place names on that map, I take it you were somewhere in the Scottish highlands? That should still be a pretty good place for skywatching if it isn't raining. ;p

[avon-deer.livejournal.com]

Indeed...my spiritual home. :)

The sky was amazing. I could see everything that I should have been able to. Could still make out a feint glow from Wick, but it was not too bad, as it was low in the horizon.

Morning Sky

[doug-taron.livejournal.com]

Yesterday morning, the sky was pretty spectacular, too. As I was driving in on the Kennedy, the thinnest sliver of a new moon was very low in the sky, just to the west of the Loop. It was low enough to appear very large, a phenomenon that I think of more when the moon is full or nearly so. It was most impressive.

[hgryphon.livejournal.com]

"Venus was spectacular just after sunset..."

And you didn't even have to get drinks into her!

Good luck with your Rebel Alliance, and may the Force be with you!

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

It's been clear here too when it hasn't been raining, I keep getting confused with the southern cross and this set of stars which looks just like the southern cross. Kitty likes a bit of city light though, sometimes they turn on the big revolving light in the city and it flashes overhead every 2 minutes or so. ^.^