NIGHT WATCH

NIGHTWATCH

Also read:
Celestial Handbook by Robert Burnham
Observers' Handbook
Astronomical Calendar
Sky & Telescope magazine
Read famous book by Carl Sagan

Is there a book that tells the history of the constellations?

Look up the story of Cepheus and Cassiopeia

"Only faintly now I see Him, With the darkling veil between, But a blessed day is coming, When His glory shall be seen. Face to face shall i behold Him, Far beyond the starry sky; Face to face in all His glory, I shall see Him by and by!"

"Oh, telescope, instrument of much knowledge, more precious than any sceptre, is not he who holds thee in his hand made king and lord of the works of God?"

"Many people tend to postpone their enjoyment of the stars beause they are constantly with us, but ... once you come to know [the stars], they never lose their appeal." - Helen Hogg

"Look up at the heavens and count the stars - if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Genesis 15:5
[More than 8000 stars are visible in the darkness of a near Eastern Night]

"What is inconceivable about the universe is that it should be at all conceivable." - Albert Einstein

"It is the very error of the moon; She cmes more near the Earth than she was wont; And makes men mad.

"Astronomy offers one of those pleasures which follow the law of increasing, rather than diminishing returns. The more you develop it, the more you enjoy it." Viscount Grey

We are voyagers on the earth through space, as passengers on a ship, and many of us have never thought of any part of the vessel but the cabin where we are quartered. - S.P. Langley

We had the sky up there, all speckled with stars, and we used to lay on our backs and look up at them and discuss about whether they was made or only just happened. - Mark Twain in Huckleberry Finn

Who were they, what lonely men, Imposed on the fact of night, the fiction of constellations? - Patric Dickinson

The universe begins to look more like a great thought than a great machine - Sir James Jeans

Julius Caesar quote about the sky being full of unnumbered sparks.

The rotates counterclockwise. This is logical as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Also it orbits the sun in the same direction as it rotates.

The big dipper always visible in the northern hemisphere and easily used as a guide for the sky to find all familiar constellations. (For Canada, US, Japan and Europe)

Orion's constellation can only be seen from Nov to Apr.
Belt points to Sirius to the left and Aldebaran to the right. (brighest star in Taurus)
Barnard's loop (the C shaped nebula to the left of the belt.
Between Betelgeuse and Belletrex go north and u will see Capella (part of the pentagon)
Now big arc from Cappella to Sirius that touches Caster Pollux and Procyon.

The Ecliptic - the planets follow this pattern (solar system much like a race track)
Jupiter requires 12 earth years for one trip around the sun.
Michael Ovenden from UBC knew a lot about the history of the constellations (look him up he may have written a book).

Pinky = 1 degree
Index+ring+middle = 5 degrees
Fist = 10 degrees
Index and pinky stretched = 15 degrees
Pinky + Thumb = 25 degrees

Star Charts by Hipparchus more than 2000 years ago show the same stars in almost the exact same alignment as we now see them today.



Spica = ear of wheat in Latin

Procyon = before the dog in Greek

Orion = The Hunter (Rigel = the foot; Betelguese = ancient Arabic for armpit of the almighty one.)

Polaris = pole star

Canis Major = the Great Dog (Sirius = scorching)

Auriga = the Charioteer (Capella = She Goat)

Corona Borealis = the Northern crown

Bootes = The Herdsman (Arcturus = Bear Guard)

Cepheus = King of Ethiopia
Cassiopeia = Wife of Cephius
Cygnus = the Swan


Cancer / Capricorn / Leo
Gemini = the twins (Castor = Beaver; Pollux = much wine)
Virgo = The maiden
Libra = the Balance
Scorpius = The Scorpion
Sagitarius = the archer
Aquarius = the water carrier
Pisces = the two fish
Aries = the ram
Taurus = the Bull


Photograph ideas =
1) rotating sky
2) constant and then a space station or satellite moving across the sky (see note below)
3) Lake Louise in the Winter can see Orion in the middle of the lake
4)

note: To look for satellites prime time is first hour of darkness is spring and summer
They have an altitude of 300 to 500 km and move across the sky in 2 to 3 minutes (28,000 km/h). www.heavens-above.com - viewing of satellites and international space station given your city on earth.

The dark ages is when Arabic astronomy advanced (remember they adopted Greek philosophy when Rome burned Alexandria).

US Air force keeps tabs on about 11,000 objects

page 36 and 37 include names of all constellations and their meanings (L, G, A)

British call the big dipper a plough. (7 stars)

SPRING:
Arcturus is the brightest star in the spring... speed on to spica...
Top 2 stars of Corvus point to spica

Binoculars can spot the beehive (between Regulus and Pollux; right beside Cancer.... just fuzz to the naked eye)

SUMMER:
Vega, Denab and Altair
Cignus (the Northern Cross is very visible in summer; includes Deneb at its head)
Lyra, the harp (includes Vega)
Aquila (the eagle, is the brightest star in its constellation)
Denab is one of the brightest stars in the entire galaxy 60,000 x brighter than our sun
Center of milky way galaxy is at the edge of the Sagitarius teapot (great way to scout the milky way is through binoculars, otherwise looks like a mist)
Look at epsilon Lirae (Chart 10 on page 6 through binoculars in the summer as well)
The end of the Fish hook of scorpius to the tip of Sagitarius teapot (a ton of stars concentrated here but difficult to see at 48 degrees latitude)

AUTUMN
Cassiopeia is the main locator object in the sky during the fall.
- 2 middle stars point to the center square of pegasus (opposite direction to polaris). Pegasus is huge. (kind of looks like a huge big dipper)
- the 2 parallell lines of pegasus point to Diphda and Fomalhaut
- To the left of pegasus is Aries and has the most empty space in the sky.
- the V of the W closest to pegasus point to the Andromeda Galaxy which is sort of the left handle of the square of pegasus
- right overhead in November nights
- inside of W points to the 'double cluster'

WINTER:


An incident that emphasizes just how far some city dwellers are removed from real stars occurred in the hours following a major LA-area earthquake in 1994. The 4 AM quake, had prompted almost everyone who felt it to rush outdoors for safety and to inspect damage. But the quake had also knocked the power out over a wide area. Standing outside in total darkness for the first time in memory, hundreds of thousands of people saw a sky untarnished by city lights. That night and over the next few weeks, emergency organizations as well as observatories and radio stations in the LA area received hundreds of calls from people wondering whether the sudden brightening of the stars and the appearance of a 'silver cloud' (ie. the Milky Way) had caused the quake. Such a reaction can come only form people who have never seen the night sky from city lights.
Many anxious callers were reluctant to believe that what they had seen while the power was off was the normal appearance of the real night sky. pg47

- Orion is right in the middle of the winter sky.
- Rigel is 50,000 x more brighter than our sun


CHAPTER 5:
BINOCULARS
Through Binoculars you can see dozens of the moons craters and the four moons of Jupiter
When quoting 8 x 56 (8 is the power, 56 is the aperture)
8x42, 7x50, 10x50, 8x56 (40mm to 56mm is ideal for handholding)
52 feet for 1 degree
7x50 usually has between 7 to 8 degrees. 5 degree minimum for handheld
20x50 has 3 degrees. That is pretty useless for handheld. needs to be on a tripod.

Good examples: Celestron Ultima DX lines (example 8x56 = $200)
Zeiss 8x42 Victory FL (suberb) and Nikon 8x42 HG
Best on the market: Canon 15x50 IS ($1200). gets rid of shakes via image-stabilization prism with 4.5 degree field
- don't ever buy binoculars with zoom or wide angle because the edges get blurred.
- a tripod adaptor hold is useful (need an L shaped bracket that threads into the hole)

TELESCOPES
Mounts:
Dobsonian mount - you manually push the telescope (basically need to realign every minute, but are very portable).
Altazimuth mount - slow motion knobs that smoothly adjust the telescope up-down and left-right.
Equatorial mount with motor drives - compensate for the Earth's rotation. (polar axis of the mount needs to be aligned with the north celestial pole near polaris. these are obviously more expensive and heavy)

- finder scope (usually a miniature scope parallel to the main scope to assist with alignment wider field of view obviously; they are often flimsy and not attached very well so find one with 6 thumb screws) pg 67

1) REFRACTORS - 50 to 80mm is a beginners; 70mm to 100 mm is a lot better.
(a) achromatic - usually less than 100 mm scopes have this. Bigger than that it fuggs up the residual light coming in.
(b) apochromatic (aka apo-refractors)- 60 mm to 180 mm scopes where the main lens consists of 2 or 3 lenses and gets rid of the residual light. These usually go from $2500 to $5000 with an equatorial mount.

2) NEWTONIAN REFLECTORS - Reflects the light at a 45 degree angle to the top of the scope where it is then focussed. These telescopes tend to be large and on Dobsonian mounts. 8" scopes and under can go on equatorials, anything larger go on Dobsonians. These scopes are great value for the money but tend to be too large for portability. The massive scopes up to 25" are great for viewing nebulas and galaxies. Again very unrealistic to lug around though. THe 8" to 10" are the ideal beginner telescope on a Dobsonian mount. You can see a ton of the stars this way for the price between $400 to $700)
Smaller Newtonians are useless
3) SCHMIDT-CASSEGRAINS - are about half the length of a Newtonian so much more portable. Combines aspects of the Refractors and reflectors. Is the most popular amongst amataur astronomers (Celestron and Meade are the most popular brands - 8" with a tripod goes form $2000 to $3000).
4) MAKSUTOV-CASSEGRAIN - Meade ETX 90 mm = $600; but also have 105 mm and 125 mm)

Accessories:
1) Solar filter: $50 to $200 - reduces solar radiation to view the sun directly
2) Erecting prism: to get the image right side up when it is inverted in the telescope. This is almost never bought because it reduces the light captured.
3) Eyepiece filter: $20 - The only one really needed is a 'Lunar Filter'. All the rest are subjective to have and basically its a comfort thing via trial and error.
4) Nebula filter: $90 - blocks interfering glow from city lights to view nebulas better
5) Telecompressor $130 - widens field of view for Schmidt- Cassegrains - helps for photography
6) Dewcap: helps reduce Dew formation, alternatively you can use a hairdryer
7) Photographic accessories: wait a bit to buy adapters, webcams, off-axis guiders, dual-axis, slow motion motors. Try chapter 11 techniques first
8) Telrad and Motorized focuser - not really useful

Eyepieces (aka oculars):
- 0.965" are outdated technology. Standard now is 1.25" eyepieces.
- zoom eyepieces are also not ideal
*** - Modern Wide-Field - Recommend Panoptic by Tele Vue premium entry level with superb low-power definition. Should have at least one of these.
- Huygenian / Ramsden - too old to be any good usually 0.965"
- Kellner - narrow field of view is the main con. acceptable for low and medium power; relatively low priced
- Orthoscopic - slightly wider field of view than a Kellner eyepiece - $60 and up
*** - Plossl - superior to all the above, 4 element design with again wider FOV than Orthoscopic. Very versatile; can be used in low, medium, high power. Price ranges widely. These are good for planets / moon.
- Erfle - 5 element design, better to get "wide-field" design
- Wide-field - 6 or 7 elements ; can be very expensive. Panoptic by teleview is a good entry level eyepiece. see page 77
- Nagler series - among the finest and high power eyepieces available.
- Ultrawide Angle by Meade - $200
- MAGNIFICATION = Focal length of scope / Focal length of eyepiece (ex. 2000 mm / 25 mm = 80 x magnification)
low power: 40 mm to 20 mm
medium power: 19mm to 13mm
high power: 12 mm to 4 mm
***recommends one of each
- Barlow - a middle piece between eyepiece and the scope - doubles magnification. important to invest in a decent one because can effect optics. Costs about as much as a good quality eyepiece.
- 2" diameter eyepiece - much wider FOV but more expensive. Scmidt-Cassegrains need to be upgraded.
*** Eyepiece collection = 1/3 cost of the telescope as rule of thumb. They hold their value quite well and can be interchangeable on all other telescopes so they are long run investments.

List of good eyepieces:
Tele Vue: 27 mm Panoptic (2" barrel), 24 mm and 19 mm Panoptic (both 1.25")
Meade: 26mm and 20 mm Series 5000 Plossls
Celestron: 8 mm by Celestron
Meade: 6.7 mm and 4.7 mm Series 5000 Ultra Wides (Nagler Type)
Celestron: 2x Ultima Barlow
Tele Vue: 3x Barlow
Edmund's RKE line: Excellent budget series
Any brand of Plossl is usually good: probably good to get something with a 25 mm, 20 mm and 15 mm with a Barlow included. (as this provides 6 different magnifications).

CHAPTER 6:
- About 10,000 double star systems are available to a 6" telescope. Approximately 80% of all stars in the Milky Way belong to double or multiple star systems. (Rotate around each other).
- Charts at the end of this chapter have a list of all the main double / multiple star systems that can be viewed through binoculars or telescope.
- optical doubles are fake doubles (just appear to be aligned)
- Also magnitudes (brightness of each star) is included in the charts
- Can practice attributing light magnitudes of stars by knowing others in advance and adjusting accordingly (see Observers handbook at the end).
- VARIABLE STARS: vary in brightness up to a factor of 15,000 x in one year. These are stars that are being destroyed (can give clues to star evolution).
(a) Cepheid variables - highly regular pulsating stars used to navigate (pg 89)
(b) Eclipsing variables - binary systems that don't really actually fluctuate in brightness. But appear to do so because they are orbiting around each other. (example the star Algor in Perseus does this).
*** (c) Long period variables - start off as red giants like Betelgeuse and Anteres, then can change by 10 magnitude factors in a single year. Usually favorites among amateur astronomers.
(d) irregular variables - oscillating in brightness. Betelgeuse is part of this.
(e) novas - a star blowing up increases magnitude by 10 to 15 times. Can occur with a period of hours or days. These are extremely rare in the sky and occur only one or two times a decade.
(f) supernova - sudden explosive death of a massive star. Can be brighter than a galaxy when this occurs and stays in the sky for about a year. Occurs because the central fuel source of the star runs out but the heat generated by the star collapsing on itself causes it to explode. Rigel in Orion is a candidate for a future supernova. If it did, it would 100 times brighter than the moon with the naked eye because it is one of the closer stars to Earth. Johannes Kepler saw one in 1604; the only known supernova in the Milky Way. (was as large as Jupiter).

STAR CLUSTERS:
example) Second star from the end of the handle of the big dipper is a double star cluster; The trapezium at the heart of the Orion Nebula very famous star cluster.
examples) Plaiedes and Hyades that are part of Taurus).
- At least 20 star clusters can be seen with binoculars. (ex. M7 in scorpius; Perseus' double star cluster; Beehive M44 in Cancer
- 7 stars of Pleiades according to folklore were there cuz they were being pursued by bears. Read Celestial Handbook by Robert Burnham - will include more stories about the history of constellations and their names. during the age of the dinosaurs this star cluster was not even born yet; obviously very young.
- Big dipper is nearest star cluster; these 7 stars + 30 others; Ursa Major which this is called will approach Daneb millions of years in the future.

NEBULAS:
- Are where stars are born, atoms and matter get trapped in a pocket of gas and the gravitational forces have a feedback loop that keep attracting matter (the gas acts as a glue to keep everything together). Over tens of thousands of years, the temperature can go from -250 C to +15 million C; the ignition point for fusion reactions; a star is born. The process is still relatively unknown because the birth of the star is hidden from the naked eye by the gases that cover it. It almost symbolizes a womb where the star is born; the womb fades due to radiation from the new born star; actually, often star clusters are born. This is currently happening in the Orion Nebula.
- Orion Nebula only visible nebula to the unaided eye. Looks like cotton. Theta Orionis is the star at the center of this nebula. (further zoom of Theta shows that it is actually 4 stars; called the trapezium).
*** - always start by viewing nebulas with low power.
*** - Averted vision; take the target to the edge of the FOV; because peripheral vision can see things that the centered vision can not.

GLOBULAR CLUSTERS:
*** - Omega Centauri can be seen in the southern hemisphere; look for this if you go to South America.
- At least 150 Globular clusters surround the Milky Way; about 50 of these can be seen through everyday telescopes.
*** - M13 in Hercules and M22 in Sagittarius can be seen through binoculars. (Chart 6 on 105 for Hercules; late spring and early summer viewing)
- Definitely use Averted Vision when viewing these through a telescope greater than 4"
- These objects are by far the most senstive to telescope aperture; most other objects in the sky are not as sensitive to aperture.

GALAXIES:
(a) Spiral - similar to the Milky Way; Average size is about the same size as the Milky Way; twirling arms
(b) Elliptical - featureless spherical systems that can range from few million stars to 100 trillion. These are the largest objects that can be seen through a telescope.
- nearest galaxy is the Andromeda (remember Cassiopaia points to it). It is the furthest object in the sky that the unaided eye can see. This object doesn't look that nice in a telescope because you need a wider FOV. (larger binoculars are ideal).

CHAPTER 7:
*** Planets do not twinkle - as they don't pass through riffles in the sky. So do not flicker to the naked eye.
- Mercury - very difficult to spot; always in the suns glare. Best to see at sunrise or sunset.
*** - Venus is the brightest Planet and visible for 6 months of the year at night. Mayans had a 584 day calendar based on Venus coming back to its original place in the sky. When Venus would disappear from the sky; the Mayans would offer their enemies' blood as sacrifice. It is roughly the same size as the earth and is often called the 'earth gone wrong'. 90x more atmospheric density that causes a huge greenhouse effect = 460 C. It is almost all CO2. Will look like a crescent at sunset through a telescope.
- Pluto can't be seen except through a 6" telescope or larger
- Mars (half the size of Earth) - fluctuates in brightness more than any other because the distance fluctuates so far. Takes 1 year to travel half the sky for Mars. The Mariner Valley is 5 times deeper and 100 times longer than the Grand Canyon. Some of the volcanoes are way larger than Everest. Difficult to see except during oppositions (the point when Earth surpasses Mars on its orbit around the sun). The details are visible in a telescope during these times; Syrtis Major, Acidalium, and the polar caps. Phobos and Deimos are the 2 moons of Mars. but can't be seen with regular telescopes; Mars rotation is 40 minutes slower than Earths so during the oppositions; you have to see it 40 minutes later than the next day if u want the same view of Mars.
1976 - first photos of Mars
Dates of Mars Oppositions: January 29th, 2010, March 3, 2012, April 8, 2014, May 22, 2016
*** - Jupiter (12 earth years to orbit the sun) - brighter than any star, but less than Venus. Has 4 moons (actually 16, but only 4 are visible); one of the top targets to see through a telescope. Huge asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. You can see 4 moons through binoculars but must be mounted on a tripod. It is almost like a miniature solar system (2 days for one of the moons, 17 days for the furthest). WIth a 100x you can see Jupiter's moon cast a shadow. One of the top sites. "Observers Handbook" states when to see the shadow cast on the planet. By far the largest planet in a telescope. You can see some of the equatorial clouds.
- Saturn (29.5 earth years to orbit the sun) most mistakenly gets confused with a star, since it is similar brightness as other stars. Moonlets ranging from a spec of dust to a boulder the size of a house orbit saturn in its ring. 1/3 the width of Jupiter through a telescope; pale yellow. Has 18 moons, the largest the size of Mercury; loops around Saturn in 16 days.

CHAPTER 8: MOON AND THE SUN
*** Look at page 140 and 141 for a great reference of what to view on the moon
- The terminator line is where the illuminated and un-illuminated portions of the moon are separated and the most detail can be seen.
*** - You should even through binoculars be able to see 12 craters. Actually the 1/4 (7 days) and 3/4 (22 days) are the best times to view it because the of the 'sharp relief effect' by the shadows (assumes new is the 1st day and full moon is the 14th or 15th day). A full moon is actually NOT ideal to view because the craters look like splashes of white light.
*** 6 to 9 days: - each of the craters are named after scientists and the dark plains are called seas (or mare in latin), because they were initially thought to be bodies of water. (Sea of Tranquility is where they landed on the moon; "Tranquility Base here.... the Eagle has landed").
- Most impressive crater is Theophilus (biggest); then Cyrillus and Catharina.
-9 to 11 days: Clavius crater becomes visible and so does the rugged section of the moon; can easily see this crater with binoculars
- we never see the other side of the moon. (Dark side of the moon).
To view the SUN:
- need a full-aperture solar filter, reduces the suns light by a factor of 100,000
*** THe moon illusion; objects on a horizon will always appear larger than those right above you. It happens in nature; on the horizon or in a dark room.

CHAPTER 9: COMETS, METEORS and AURORAS
- IF you are one of the first 2 to notify the International Astronomical Union's headquarters you can have a comet named after you.
- Comets are large pieces of ice floating in space; they eventually melt as they come across the sun and then forms gases and small debris. Some turn into meteors some get pulled toward the planets and other objects as the gravitational force brings them in.
- meteor is the small streak of light that occurs as the debris is burned up in the earth's atmosphere.
- meteoroid is a chunk of matter in space that can become a meteor
- meteorite is when a meteor hits the earth. (most don't because they get burned up in the process).
- Asteroids are matter that orbit around the sun, usually between Jupiter and Mars
- See chart on page 161 for times of the year where meteor showers occur and which constellation they will be near; they always occur in the same year because the debris is usually in the same place in space.
- Auroras occur because of the electromagnetic pull at the poles from small particles that come into the earth's atmosphere through attracted by earth's gravitational field. The gases end up at the poles (much like a television collecting static electricity and there's more color).
- oxygen emits greenish white light or a red hue; nitrogen emits bluish light.

CHAPTER 10: ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY
- Canons take the best pictures on long exposures; 20Da (specifically for astrophotographers); exposures take half as long because it is more sensitive to red light for nebulas.

Frequent Notes:
Look at the checklist on page 98 and the legend guide to the charts on page 97.
For sketches try and find a notebook with lined paper on one side and blank on the back for sketches and notes.; Record dates; time; place; instruments used and objects seen and conditions.
Images are always upside down when viewing through the scope
Moon maps on page 140 and 141 (lookup where they landed on the moon in 1969; easy to spot; called the Sea of Tranquility)
Windows always cause distortion. You need to freeze outside.
Rings of Saturn can be seen with any telescope 30x or more
Numbered dials on the mount are pretty inaccurate
Polar axis of mount aimed at Polaris; Crucial for astrophotography!
Focal Ratios: unlike in photography does not matter as much; Focal Length divided by diamater. F6 to F8 ideal. Schmitt Cassegrains have about F10. THe Maks range from F7 to F16.
Keeping glasses on does not effect the image.

CHAPTER 13: RESOURCES:
*** - "Burnham's Celestial Handbook" (must have!), 2100 page 3 volume set that took decades to prepare.
- "Bright Star Atlas" by Wil Tirion (all stars that are brightness 6.5 are shown)
- "Atlas of the Night Sky" by Dunlop, Tirion and Rukl goes to 7.5 magnitude
- "Sky Atlas of 2000" by Wil Tirion (is detailed 8th magnitude atlas with large uncluttered charts.
- Uranometria 2000 (willmann-Bell) - is a 9th magnitude atlas.
- "Atlas of the Moon" by Rukl is by far the best for viewing the moon
- Sky and Telescope magazine (check chapters)
- Astronomy magazine
- SKy News
- Join the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, they publish annually the "Observers Handbook"
- "Explore the Universe" by Astronomy magazine and "SkyWatch" by SKy and Telescope are annual productions as well available in Autumn of every year.
- SOFTWARE: planetarium type - Starry Night for PCs and Macs (www.starrynight.com). The Sky for PCs (website www.bisque.com). Nova Astronomics' Earth Centered Universe (www.nova-astro.com)
- Big telescope facilities; Tuscon Arizona, San Diego and Hawaii.
-
www.cleardarksky.com
antwerp.gsfc.nasa/apod/astropix.html
spaceweather.com
www.jpl.nasa.gov/news
oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/Latest.html - latest Hubble Space Telescope photographs
www.heavens-above.com
www.universetoday.com




Check if the Meade 150 Mak has a good mount
Read about how hot the Meade Make becomes after short usage
Check if the Nexstar SE and Meade can both take 2" eyepieces
Check if the Meade has a Goto system and read about it.