The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars
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Here's something that's pretty cool - although I'd quantify that by saying especially if you have kids, I think it's pretty cool regardless. It's called spot the station (from NASA). Basically you're signing up for alerts every time the International Space Station (ISS) does a fly over in your area. I will caution you that the time given on the alerts is the time it first rises above the horizon coming from one direction...so unless you live in a complete flat, clutter free area, it'll take a minute before you get to see it http://spotthestation.nasa.gov/
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^ Very cool ricn! Have heard that was available.
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SurSteven:
^ Very cool ricn! Have heard that was available.
You actually get alerts fairly often once you sign up - it'll ask for the town/city and state, then whether you'd prefer AM, PM or all alerts for when the ISS will be visible. I signed up about 3 weeks ago and probably have rec'd 6-8 alerts. Took the time to view it two times in that span...it'll also give you how high over head it will be in terms of degrees and how many minutes it should be visible...the best one I had flew over at 83 degrees, which as far as I was concerned was pretty much straight over head (I guess 7 degrees off doesn't make that much difference) The best thing is it's free (unless you sign up for text alerts - which they give you a notice that your provider may or may not charge you - but emails are free)
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SurSteven:
Just found this recent pic... The Windmill's Moon http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1501/_MG_4115sTafreshi.jpg
Beautiful! Thanks so much for posting, Steve!
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rich n:
Very cool! Thanks so much for posting, Rich!
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Coincidentally, got another alert for the ISS (although unfortunately, it only applies to my general area, eastern MA)...but just to give you an idea of what you'll receive via email (and no, I'm not waking up for that...LOL): Time: Sun Jan 25 5:44 AM, Visible: 4 min, Max Height: 67 degrees, Appears: WNW, Disappears: SE
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We are being watched too early for me _ and the cold weather to boot ... Thanks Steve & Rich for your knowledgeable contributions to this link!
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First thing I saw when I looked up in the sky was a "Shooting Star" ..... what a neat way to start a cold early in the morning
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I appreciate all the contributions on this thread as well. ^^ The_Fool, hope you wished upon that star!
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What a backdrop! http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1412/c2014_q2_2014_12_16dp.jpg
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Steven, that's a very cool photo with the green comet...wondering how they got that photo?! I really have been enjoying everyone's posts on here. I especially have enjoyed the photos of the day! Posting this photo of today, as I like the key descriptions of the stars and nebulas and even the Pleiades... http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150128.html Rich, my friend in New Mexico always seems to be getting those alerts for the ISS, they are very frequent in NM...nice!
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The_Fool:
First thing I saw when I looked up in the sky was a "Shooting Star" ..... what a neat way to start a cold early in the morning
That must have been awesome, good for you!!!
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SurSteven:
What a backdrop! http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1412/c2014_q2_2014_12_16dp.jpg
Beautiful!!! Thanks so much for posting, Steve!
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love2travel:
Posting this photo of today, as I like the key descriptions of the stars and nebulas and even the Pleiades... http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150128.html
Very cool!!! Thanks so much for posting!
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Somewhere in there, is a star named after my Dad! I bought it for him and he loved the star idea Now, somewhere, out there, he's shining down on me... And they are still selling stars... of course, there are so many http://www.starregistry.com/catalog/
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Oh, I was just out on the beach and looked up to the moon and saw the beautiful halo around the moon! So groovy! L2T I love the star idea for your Dad. Very touching.
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APOD recently posted this picture again. One of my favorites! Very beautiful and amazing! Light travels at 186,000 miles per second. (Almost the distance to the moon) It would take light 50,000 years to cross this galaxy. It is 28 million light years away. The International Space Station travels at around 5 miles per second. Imagine how many years it would take the ISS to travel around it. The Sombrero Galaxy... http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1502/m104colombari_q100_watermark.jpg
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Tequila!! I really have always liked that galaxy as well, took a closer look at it because of the brightness of the center and was thinking of a black hole causing it, which it turns out there most likely is a massive one... I'm so curious when it will be discovered how to travel in a manner faster than light years and what that will look like? It makes me think of one of my favorite movies "Contact" One of my favorite celestial photos is the Helix Nebula or "The Eye of God" how beautiful and astounding... http://deepskycolors.com/pics/astro/2008/10/10-07-2008_Helix_nr3.jpg Is God playing dice with the universe? How can this be?!
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That particular spherical ball of highly concentrate matter (blackhole) must be at a relatively moderate enough density that it is allowing an incredible amount of light to radiate back outward as matter falls onto it. This might also explain the profoundly huge dust field ring around the outer edges. When I first came online in 2004...The Helix Nebula aka The Eye Of God was one of the first pics my brother emailed me. Signs and Wonders and Synchronicities...It must be God's way of quietly making God's presence known to us. Michio Kaku has a lot of neat thoughts on high speed space travel.
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I'm not an astrophysicist by any stretch of the imagination, however was thinking that maybe a black hole was drawing stars inward causing such a bright grouping of stars in the center. Now I'll have to read more about it... Michio Kaku... just love him! Physics and Quantum Theory... Alternate dimensions, parallel universes, in such an understandable explanation!!