Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Posted by Nick James at 21:33 on 2013 Sep 29
John,It’s probably between 11 and 12 at the moment but quite difficult and fairly low in the morning sky.Nick.
Posted by John Turley at 11:03 on 2013 Sep 29
What would you estimate the magnitude to be.I’ve tried to look for it several times this week. but every night when the sky has been clear in the evening, its clouded over in the early hours.CheersJohn Turley
Posted by Mark Jones at 12:59 on 2013 Sep 25
This is sad news, although I can’t say I’m surprised. Patrick was The Sky At Night for so long that the programme without him was always going to struggle. With all due respect to the current presenters and their knowledge and expertise, the lack of a single, carismatic host is the main issue. Patrick was so good at convincing people that they didn’t need a mass of knowledge or a degree in astrophysics to be able to go outside and look up, and also that in doing so they too could be part of something very immersive, where anything could happen next (and often did!) – "…we just don’t know". I hope the BBC keeps the name and keeps it a monthly programme. I’d welcome seeing it as an hour-long programme with a single host exploring an area of current interest, with some kind of Sky Notes section too. Kind of a blend of the Horizon and Sky At Night format. Even better if that host could now arise from the amateur community and lead the way in true Patrick style.
Posted by Bill Ward at 09:33 on 2013 Sep 25
Hi,Whilst I never watched the programme religously I am undoubtably one of those described in the previous post as being inspired by the Sky at Night (a long time ago now). I have been a life long amateur and professional since.The issue of the programme being axed has now become more public with the possible demise of the Sky at Night being discussed during the Today programme on Radio 4 this morning.Personally I think the current format is rather poor. Indeed one of the issues raised by the speakers on Radio 4 was that the subject matter is now covered more widely and better on other channels and the internet/digital media. I feel if it is to survive it needs to return to a single presenter and lose the rest completely. Present a review of whats in the sky for the month ahead and bring in any experts to discuss events and topics of the day as required. Perhaps that’s considered old fashioned (rose tinted glasses etc) but it fills the need for a regular presentation of whats happening in "the sky at night". A niche audience, definitely, but the BBC is supposed to be our public service broadcaster.Anything else can be left to other programmes and broadcasters.I hope it is reformed and kept on air, maybe it will inspire future astronomers to actually go outside and have a look at the night sky!Cheers,Bill.
Posted by Bob McMaster at 23:22 on 2013 Sep 23
I have read on another Astronomy forum that a source close to the programme has indicated that December’s forthcoming Sky at Night will technically be the last programme, with on going discussions about its future but that the BBC remains committed to the programme. This has resulted in a online petition being set up as there is real concern that the programme will be axed.I do think that prior to and following the sad loss of Sir Patrick the programme lost its way, but recent episodes with Chris Lintott and Lucie Green ably supported by Paul Abel and Pete Lawrence have improved. It would be a great shame if the BBC didn’t realise this and allowed a programme with such a past pedigree that inspired many amateur and professional astronomers not to continue to develop.All the best, Bob
Posted by Sheridan Williams at 18:50 on 2013 Sep 21
Sorry to be dense, but I can’t see how to upload the image.
Posted by Len Entwisle at 21:59 on 2013 Sep 10
Hi Sheridan , Though your picture is not visible in your query you may well find out what it is via this website Atmospheric Optics At a guess (unseen) I would think related to a crepuscular ray.Hope you can upload the image.
Posted by A R Pratt at 18:39 on 2013 Sep 09
Hi Bill,This looks like one of your UFO Capture frames / fields. Have you posted your question on the SonotaCo Bulletin Board or e-mailed SonotaCo directly?He is very good at replying to user queries.Apologies if you’ve already done this!Clear skies, Alex.
Posted by Bill Ward at 15:53 on 2013 Sep 09
Hi,Do any other regular video observers ever try spectroscopy?I’ve subitted a report to John and a note to Nick for inclusion as a short paper (or letter as it is indeed short!) in the Journal about a very unusual dual spectrum meteor.I’ve been using a Watec 902H2 Ultimate since 2008 (and a Watec 120N for ~18 months before that) for spectroscopy and have never seen this before. Just wondering if it truly unique or perhaps it’s been captured before.The de-interlaced video frame is here:http://userweb.eng.gla.ac.uk/william.ward/meteors/dualspec.jpgCheers,Bill.
Posted by Gary Poyner at 09:03 on 2013 Sep 09
Hi Paul,The brightness changes in PR Per are not large (7.7-8.2), and at the moment it’s about 8th magnitude, so the chances are it wouldn’t have jumped out at you as unusually bright. There are also two Mira stars quite close – S Per and T Per. However S Per is currently around mag 10.5 and T Per is at 9th magnitude. I wouldn’t have thought that either of these two would have been conspicuous in your bins at the moment. If it has caught your attention, it needs to be a star with a decent amplitude – one that passes beyond your mag. limit of your bins – if you haven’t noticed it before. Roughly how bright was this star?Might you also give us a basic coordinate so that we can determine a likely candidate please? That whole area is packed with small amplitude variables, NSV objects and of course orange/red stars.Gary
Posted by David Basey at 11:30 on 2013 Sep 07
Having been critical previously, I have to say I agree with Grant, this episode was much better than those over the last few months. Still a bit lightweight in places but the interview with Sir Martin Rees regarding black holes was well worth watching.As to the vision of the future, who knows, maybe this time next year it will have become Celebrity Sky At Night On Ice!
Posted by Grant Privett at 09:24 on 2013 Sep 07
I watched the latest episode today. It was the first time I had seen the programme in a few years. I got put off a while back for 2 main reasons:1, The subject matter was often too familiar – the disadvantage of being an astronomer for 40+ years. 2, Some of the presenters/reporters were so bad that I had to turn off to reduce my blood pressure.So, when I tried it again today I was surprised. They tried hard, and while I thought some of the content fairly superficial it was, overall, a reasonable watch for someone who has been in the hobby only a few years. The presentation is still a bit weak the original selection criteria was always bizarre but at least the standard has improved. Having watched half the Ages of Stars programme a year or so ago, its obvious that selecting good speakers who know what they are talking about is clearly a problem the BBC still has.Personally, I didnt find much of the music intrusive and had fun working out who they were spotted Tangerine Dream and Philip Glass.I cant see it surviving much longer, not because of its weaknesses (minor compared to some programmes), but because of a hostility within the media to anyone not obsessed with Facebook, celebrity, dancing, cooking or soaps. I am mildly surprised to see its still going. No doubt the BBC will announce a major restructuring of their educational science output and drop it. But at least the current team are trying.
Posted by Bill Ward at 16:24 on 2013 Aug 30
Ok that didn’t work…Can images be embedded in forum posts?Thanks,Bill.
Posted by Bill Ward at 16:16 on 2013 Aug 30
Hello All,Only had two clear nights over the peak period of activity.However the night of the peak was mostly clear and I captured over 150 meteors on the wide field watec and 65 on the narrow field with grating.There were 24 spectra, 5 good and 2 exceptional.It’s taken this long to reduce and analyse them. John Mason has the nice pics for his report but here’s one of the brightest spectra I caught.Cheers,Bill.
Posted by Callum Potter at 13:52 on 2013 Aug 30
Hi David,sorry, file uploads are severely restricted at the moment.If you can post to another web-site, you could post it as a linked image here (that also circumvents the image dimensions and file size restrictions).Regards, Callum
Posted by D A Dunn at 22:15 on 2013 Aug 28
Sorry but I seem to be having a problem with posting an image. Thanks for the tip on the sun dog. The angle looks about right. I will look it up.David
Posted by Len Entwisle at 18:16 on 2013 Aug 28
Although I cannot view the link /image I will guess at it being a sundog,often found in pairs at ca 22.5 degrees from the sun, one at each side. A Google under sundog or parhelia should pull up plenty of information on their nature.Hope this is of some help 🙂
Posted by Robin Leadbeater at 21:41 on 2013 Aug 24
Hi Mike,Mike Harlow wrote:
Regarding the spectrum…I’m curious to know what the lines between about 520 and 540nm are due to?They are Fe II lines which characterises the type of nova You either get Fe II or He/N lines appearing depending on the type. See this article by Francois Teyssier for example who is currently coordinating the amateur end of the spectroscopy campaignhttp://www.rspec-astro.com/download/Nova-A9RCDC6.fr.en.pdf
And you mention CN emission…what wavelengths will they appear at?According to Steve Shore CN absorption lines may appear briefly at 4216 and 3886A sometime in the next week. Here is a spectrum I took on 20th. http://www.spectro-aras.com/forum/download/file.php?id=1079The two broad lines in the centre are the CaHK lines showing the classic P Cygni type shape with emission and blue shifted absorption components as the hot gas from the explosion travels outwards (The narrow absorption lines are from interstellar Ca) no sign of CN there yet though.Robin
