New Planets

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The huge nebula RCW 49 in Centaurus is one of the most prolific star-birth sites in the Milky Way. Largely obscured at visible wavelengths, it stands exposed in superb detail for the first time in this new infrared image from the Lyman Spitzer Space Telescope. At least 300 of its 2,200 young stars show signs of being surrounded by protoplanetary disks. This image is composed of exposures made at four near- and mid-infrared wavelengths: 3.6 microns (shown blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 microns (orange) and 8 microns (red). Courtesy NASA / JPL / Caltech / E. Churchwell.”

“Tilt, my boss is on a 2 month vacation and is sailing his sailboat from Pensacola to the Keys. A couple of days ago he went from Panama City to Tampa by way of going through the Gulf instead of hugging the coast. He said the sky was amazing. Milky Way wasn't just prominent, it was in your face from horizon to horizon. He was just blown away by it. Amazing when you get 50+ miles from ANY light source.”

“It's amazing what you can see when it's REALLY dark out there. Most people have absolutely no idea what they're missing.

I remember when Comet Hyakutake came by (the big fuzzy one just before Hale-Bopp)... People kept saying it was no big deal -- the tail only looked to be few inches long from their perspective. Just 20 minutes away from the streetlights and billboards it stretched halfway across the sky.

Now, if I'd been someplace really dark.... LOL”

“Saving Dark Skies at Sky & Telescope”

“Was that the one visible during the holidays? I might be thinking of Hale-Bopp since this was in the last 6-8 years. I remember seeing that one really well while driving to visit my folks and in-laws (live in same town).

I never got to see the one that was out recently. I was cloudy here when it got to about mag 3+”

“I'm trying to remember what time of year it was --- It was the one that just looked like a big fuzzball.

Yep... I had fairly clear skies near maximum for that last one (NEAT?), but it was just the tiniest smudge in the hiking binocs. I gotta bite the bullet and get some bigger glass!! <GRRRRRRRRRRRR>

C/2001 Q4 (NEAT) Heads North”

“I have some 10x50's that are good for everything BUT hiking. I need to pick up a cheap pair of hiking binocs.”

“I should've latched onto some of those Huge cheap Russian jobs that appeared on the market just after the USSR bit the dust, LOL

Toss 'em into an expedition pack with a sturdy tripod, a couple of beers and a sandwich....”

“I remember seeing those around about 5 years ago when I started looking into buying binocs for astro. I'll bet 10 years ago they were real cheap.”