Saturn in opposition and Stellarium

[Penn]

The only other thread I started dealt with astronomy and since a few people found it of interest I thought a few might be interested in this.

I noticed the past week Saturn seemed brighter than it was a few months ago so I looked into it. Tonight at 3AM (eastern) it will be in full opposition meaning it will be on the opposite side of the sun so it will be fully illuminated. So again tonight with a decent telescope you will be able to see the rings and at least one moon.

If it will be cloudy tonight or you need help finding the exact position (or if you just have general interest in astronomy) there is a great program called Stellarium for viewing the stars and other objects. Cool features of the program include what an object will look like under certain types of telescopes (though a real telescope just looks better), adjusting light pollution (so you can see just how many stars you could see if you didn't live close to modern technology), and ability to see the view of the sky from other planets and moons or even other places on this planet (you man need to set your current location since some versions the preset default is Paris). http://www.stellarium.org/

A bit more info on Saturn including a picture of the earth from a satellite currently observing the planet up close http://www.mentalfloss.com/article/80978/look-tonight-you-can-spot-saturns-rings-telescope

[*bfine32*]

How can we see it at night if it is on the opposite side of the sun?

[SunsetBengal]

Pretty interesting, indeed. Perhaps I should invest in a telescope.

[Penn]

(06-02-2016, 09:24 PM)bfine32 Wrote: How can we see it at night if it is on the opposite side of the sun?

If the sun is on one side of our planet then a celestial body (in this case Saturn) is considered the opposite side when the Earth is in between the two.  Perhaps astrology people tend to phrase that poorly (I would say I phrased it poorly but I wasn't using my own terminology there).

[*bfine32*]

(06-02-2016, 09:42 PM)Penn Wrote: If the sun is on one side of our planet then a celestial body (in this case Saturn) is considered the opposite side when the Earth is in between the two.  Perhaps astrology people tend to phrase that poorly (I would say I phrased it poorly but I wasn't using my own terminology there).

Ah, makes sense. So in layman's terms we are directly between the Sun and Saturn? 

I used to love astronomy as a kid. Remember going to  the planetarium at UC 

[fredtoast]

Interesting that you should post this now.  Tomorrow night, if it is clear, I am taking my daughters to this...

http://www.phys.utk.edu/trdc/telescope.html

[Nebuchadnezzar]

I'll have to check this out

I also would like to remind everyone that in Hopkinsville Kentucky on August 21, 2017 will be the best place to see a total eclipse of the sun. I plan on going and if you do too, then get your reservations for a hotel on August 21 of this year or all the hotel rooms will be gone.

I'll most likely just drive down but if you're further away, get those reservations

[fredtoast]

My first child was born 11-10-03.  It was a full moon and a total lunar eclipse.  A lunar eclipse does not go black.  Instead the moon just turns blood red.  My wife was very superstitious and saw signs in everything.  It was about a 45 minute drive to the hospital and I just kept hoping that she would not notice the moon.  Luckily she was too preoccupied with her labor to look at the moon.  if she had seen it she would have been convinced that she was having a devil child.  It was really creepy looking.

[oncemoreuntothejimbreech]

(06-02-2016, 11:03 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Interesting that you should post this now.  Tomorrow night, if it is clear, I am taking my daughters to this...

http://www.phys.utk.edu/trdc/telescope.html

We did something like that last summer.  They picked a state park to get away from the lights in the city.  Seeing Saturn was pretty cool.

[SteelCitySouth]

(06-02-2016, 09:24 PM)bfine32 Wrote: How can we see it at night if it is on the opposite side of the sun?

(06-02-2016, 09:42 PM)Penn Wrote: If the sun is on one side of our planet then a celestial body (in this case Saturn) is considered the opposite side when the Earth is in between the two.  Perhaps astrology people tend to phrase that poorly (I would say I phrased it poorly but I wasn't using my own terminology there).

Easier way to understand it is that celestial bodies are positioned relative to the earth.  Making the center the earth instead of the sun.

[fredtoast]

(06-03-2016, 12:10 AM)oncemoreuntothejimbreech Wrote: We did something like that last summer.  They picked a state park to get away from the lights in the city.  Seeing Saturn was pretty cool.

Most children in the US have never even seen the Milky Way.

I have camped way out in the middle of nowhere in Utah and Colorado.  The night sky is unbelievable in places like that even without a telescope.

[Penn]

(06-03-2016, 12:10 AM)oncemoreuntothejimbreech Wrote: We did something like that last summer.  They picked a state park to get away from the lights in the city.  Seeing Saturn was pretty cool.

(06-03-2016, 01:03 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Most children in the US have never even seen the Milky Way.

I have camped way out in the middle of nowhere in Utah and Colorado.  The night sky is unbelievalbe in places like thateven without a telescope.

I once took an 18 year old and 20 year old who had never been outside of an urban area at night to a place about 30 minutes outside of the city (edit - Omaha so it doesn't take long to "get away").  The was barely enough light to see the look on one's face right after they were told to look up.  I like astronomy a bit but have never been big into it.  That 18 year old became big into astronomy to the point of knowing constellations from other cultures and taking frequent camping trips to remote areas in Nebraska, the Dakotas and Colorado just to star gaze.

As I already mentioned, that program Stellarium has the ability to adjust light pollution and that is one of my favorite features.  Somewhere out there on the net is a world map showing light levels around the world and it is sad that almost no place still exists to see absolute dark outdoors.

[SteelCitySouth]

(06-03-2016, 03:18 PM)Penn Wrote: Somewhere out there on the net is a world map showing light levels around the world and it is sad that almost no place still exists to see absolute dark outdoors.

Actually...most of the earth is exactly the opposite of what you state.

http://www.lightpollutionmap.info/#zoom=2&lat=4431690&lon=4128945&layers=B0TFFFF

[Penn]

(06-03-2016, 03:21 PM)SteelCitySouth Wrote: Actually...most of the earth is exactly the opposite of what you state.

http://www.lightpollutionmap.info/#zoom=2&lat=4431690&lon=4128945&layers=B0TFFFF

Ahh, so cute.  You didn't read that info when you open the page?  Do you know anything about the Bortle Scale as opposed to SQM?

Slight difference in how to define "pollution" but I would have to guess that map shows from 5 or 6 on Bortle and higher when only 1 or 2 makes for conditions for true dark.

Granted an ambiguous statement like "almost no" can easily be argued so, gee wiz, you win.  Feel better?  More can be said on this but I'll just concede, you win the internet.

By the way, is Keystone Oaks still a good football program or did they fade back to lousy?

[SteelCitySouth]

(06-03-2016, 03:54 PM)Penn Wrote: Ahh, so cute.  You didn't read that info when you open the page?  Do you know anything about the Bortle Scale as opposed to SQM?

Slight difference in how to define "pollution" but I would have to guess that map shows from 5 or 6 on Bortle and higher when only 1 or 2 makes for conditions for true dark.

Granted an ambiguous statement like "almost no" can easily be argued so, gee wiz, you win.  Feel better?  More can be said on this but I'll just concede, you win the internet.

By the way, is Keystone Oaks still a good football program or did they fade back to lousy?

Whoa dude....What is your problem?  Maybe I am wrong and if so, so be it.  But if this is your go to behavior when you feel your positions threatened or you are correct in your thought while others are wrong, then you have some stark personality issues.


I didn't go to Keystone Oaks, I live out further from the city.  

[Penn]

(06-03-2016, 04:20 PM)SteelCitySouth Wrote: Whoa dude....What is your problem?  Maybe I am wrong and if so, so be it.  But if this is your go to behavior when you feel your positions threatened or you are correct in your thought while others are wrong, then you have some stark personality issues.


I didn't go to Keystone Oaks, I live out further from the city.  

Hey now, ease up on the personal attacks.  I just thought you'd feel better about yourself if you "won".

But if you don't mind staying on topic - When I lived in PA the best nearby place to see the stars that I experienced was Slippery Rock but I doubt it was as low as a 2 even back then.  Is there anywhere in western PA that would be that dark?  I looked into it when I was in the Cincy area a few years ago but there wasn't any place nearby.  Hell, I don't really remember but I don't even think there was so much as a sliver between Cincy and the Burgh.

[Nebuchadnezzar]

Lol, this thread is funny

Anyway, on a clear night where I live, about 30 miles west of downtown Cincinnati and 10-15 miles north of Lawrenceburgh Indiana, I can see the Milky Way. I also can't get over 5mb Highspeed Internet either which sucks to high heaven but that's another topic for another thread.

But back in the 70's in Westwood in Cincinnati, you could see the Milky Way but I doubt you can any longer.

[Penn]

(06-03-2016, 06:15 PM)Nebuchadnezzar Wrote: Lol, this thread is funny

Anyway, on a clear night where I live, about 30 miles west of downtown Cincinnati and 10-15 miles north of Lawrenceburgh Indiana, I can see the Milky Way. I also can't get over 5mb Highspeed Internet either which sucks to high heaven but that's another topic for another thread.

But back in the 70's in Westwood in Cincinnati, you could see the Milky Way but I doubt you can any longer.

I'm glad you found it funny since parts of my last two posts were in jest.  I just re-read and now realize if the "cute" comment didn't connect in a person's mind with some past arguments (which I wasn't involved in) it could have been taken as serious.  Hopefully SCS caught that, if not then, well, he is just a rude Steeler fan who is nothing but confrontational and his response was just mean (lol).

The exchange did however prompt me to actually put out something resembling effort.  An explanation of the Bortle Scale http://mentalfloss.com/article/25128/quick-10-bortle-dark-sky-scale (apparently searching for certain astronomy terms frequently brings up that Mental Floss site, maybe I should actually check it out).  An interactive map that shows a not completely accurate depiction of that scale in the US http://www.jshine.net/astronomy/dark_sky/ It starts on Minneapolis so zoom out and move it around to see other areas.

Bortle scale is very subjective.  3 people can be at the same location on the same night and come up with 3 different numbers.  One of those people can return on a different night (but moon in the same phase) and come up with a different number than the first.

As far as where you are Neb, it shows yet a another subjective element.  Some say you can't see the Milky Way at higher than 4 but others say it is visible at 6.  I do know not much more west than your location I can recall looking toward Cincy and actually seeing the smog over the city, so close enough to see where the city is but far enough out of it to see it.

[Beaker]

I can't wait to see this Penn guy clash with Fredtoast. Battle of the superiority complexes. Should be epic.

[*jason*]

(06-04-2016, 01:51 PM)Beaker Wrote: I can't wait to see this Penn guy clash with Fredtoast. Battle of the superiority complexes. Should be epic.

Yeah. If only this place had more feuds.