Look!
Me in Cafe Douglas in Vienna. Only a few weeks back taken by my buddy Michael. Cheers! (hope you're still my mate even though I'm pagan and proud).
And the second Michael emailed me this (or last) week asking about Bratislava. I'll post you some pictures soon matey boy! I assume you're the same Scottish lad that I asked about the Niddrie stone a few year's back?
So . . the Niddrie stone . . (ahem!)
All the best to all Michaels in the world, especially the two that visit me weblog.
OOh, and Blair, did you get your telescope?
XXX
8 comments:
Yeah I got one:
http://www.telescope.com.au/tabid/536/cid/2723/productid/3/default.aspx
It's brilliant, although as bad luck would have it, I've been done over lately at work and haven't had time to give it justice.
Also it's mid-winter and our balcony can dip below zero degrees at night. Boy, am looking forward to a clear, balmy summer night cum January!
Just a few times I've had a go, but what I saw was worth it.
However I'm a woeful beginner, when I get some time I'll be in contact via email for a few tips!
Thanks!
Just like to add that where I am in the mountains, the full moon often (or always?) rises up from the horizen right out from the balcony.
It is truly gigantic for about half an hour, before it shrinks to it's proper size.
Why is this so?
This is called the 'moon illusion'. The moon just looks bigger when it's lower.
If you hold a pencil at arm's length, its width should be a bit less than the moon. Try it with a low moon and a high moon. You'll see the moon is the same size. It's our perspective that changes.
Technically, the moon changes size VERY slightly due to its eliptical orbit - but that's not the reason it looks bigger when its lower.
Gonna check your scope out now. .
Okay . . a newtonian reflector with a five and a half inch mirror? lovely!
Celestron too. You can't really go wrong. Very tasty!
Of course, I know nothing about the southern sky, so I don't know how much help I'll be. But I will say this - the fun of astronomy, for me, comes with not just viewing the objects, but finding them. This scope, once it's aligned properly, will find many objects for you. That's good and bad I think. I've spent many happy hours poring over celestial maps in the same way early astronomers did. I know most of the northern constallations by memory, and on clear nights can point out galaxies viewable to the naked eye in the UK skies. All because I know the night sky.
I'd hate you to just 'dial in' sites and let the scope do all the work. You'll get no sense of thrill or achievment in finding these things.
There's a finderscope on there, so enjoy 'star hopping' to find your targets.
And write down what you see, make little sketches. I've got notes going back 15 years! I used to look at maps in the day, decide what was viewable at that time of year, and make a 'hit list'.
I envy your clear skies!
As I have a "Newtonian reflector", la-di-dah, I'm getting a book out from the library tomo' about Newton's life, along with all the other old astronomers like Galileo.
I've always been fascinated by what older cultures thought of the night sky, the Aboriginals, NZ Maoris (who navigated their migratory canoes via the stars to travel extraordinary distances circa 800AD) Romans, Greeks, ancient Chinese etc.
I mean we are still in awe of the universe, so imagine how they felt!
The pioneering astronomers, with their basice equipment, were remarkable.
We used to sit out on the street (cul-de-sac) at night as kids, all the neighborhood kids together (well the cool ones who were allowed outside on a summer evening!), and we'd look up in wonder, pointing out the "frying pan", "the Southern Cross", "Satelites" and so on.
I'll never forget those times, and right then I realised that every generation has done the same thing, which makes us feel connected in that way. We were all here, looking up there!
You are so right.
I never was much into archeo-astronomy till I visited Aberdeenshire in 2005 and saw the amazing neolithic stone circles there - all aligned to the moon's movements. Some amazing, little known monuments all built for ritualistic reasons in reference to the Moon.
In those pre-Stonehenge days the most powerful member of the tribe could well have been the astronomer!
The place is called Diglass and is quite well known. Its in the city centre with its coveted '1st District' status and is over a hundred years old.
Plus, Richard got a 'bravo' and clapping at the end of his medley which was pretty nice. Though I guess he is used to that already :)
Michael (Vienna)
It was lovely to play there. Bit different from the back room of the Combomere eh?
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