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[midwest]

Hello All,
New to the board and brand new to astronomy. I can't believe there is such a large group of folks in Chicago- this was an awesome find while searching for more information on astronomy. I am KICKING myself, multiple times, for missing the star gazing party in Winnemac park this week. I could have walked there, dang it, but just saw the posting today. I never would have thought with our light pollution there was this community here. Very cool.
Anyway, I just purchased an Orion xt8. I had it delivered to my wife's families place in northern WI. Set it up and used the included 25mm eyepiece to look around. This was the weekend of April 3. Found Saturn and all I can say is wow! I'm hooked.
I would love to attend a star party and will keep my eyes open here for the next one. I am researching 2" eyepieces and what type of barlow to get for planetary viewing. So much to learn, but that's what makes life fun.
Hope to meet you all soon.
Erik

[-=CROMAN=-]

Welcome to the CA. There are a lot of great folks on this site. Very helpful and always ready to answer a question for you.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Midwest...

Welcome to the Chicago Astronomer crew.

It is a common fallacy that urban astronomy is weak and lame.

Not so.

Practically every major celestial target can be enjoyed under light polluted skies..and we demonstrate this at our observation/star party sessions all the time. Galaxies, star clusters, nebulae and comets are within our reach and enjoyed.

The Orion xt8 is a great Dob, with plenty of aperture to grasp faint fuzzies and kick up magnification. It will be great to have you join us soon and make friends with Chicago Astronomers. Make yourself comfortable here and post often.

And...

I'm thinking about a Sunday evening session, (April 17th), by the Adler - pending on weather.

Stay tuned!

[Paulie pchris00]

Hi Midwest, and welcome. I am not from Chicago, but Valparaiso, Indiana. I have reasonably dark skies at home, but enjoy hanging out with the Chicago Astronomer crew. Being around friends far outweighs the problem of light pollution, at least for me. The astronomers in the city are quite talented, and so far, I have observed with my urban astronomer friends more than any here in NWI. I'm starting to make friends in the Calumet Astronomical Society here in NWI, but for now, if there is a conflict with observing sessions, I would almost certainly rather make the drive to Chicago (although rising gas prices may soon factor into the equation ). Hope to see you at a star party soon, and look forward to reading your posts.

Paulie

[erikruud]

Welcome, from another Erik.

[Centaur]

Welcome to the discussion group, Midwest-Erik. Indeed, that first telescopic view of Saturn's rings can get people hooked. Don't forget the Lyrid Meteor Shower this week; no optical aid required. You may want to take a glance at my website where I graphically prepare fellow amateur astronomers for upcoming astronomical events: www.CurtRenz.com/astronomical

[patrickm]

Saturn gets me every single time! Will always be my favorite.

Welcome!
Patrick

Southern aurora on Saturn [via Cassini?]

Attachments:

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Saturn, if we could find a big enough ocean, would float.

A neat planet indeed.

[Paulie pchris00]

Nothing against Saturn, but take away it's rings, and suddenly it's not so special.

Now Jupiter, on the other hand, take away the Southern Equatorial Belt, and everybody is searching for signs of it's return.

They are both great systems to observe, and one of these days, I will observe Saturn as a system, as I do with Jupiter and the Galilean Moons. Other than Titan, I tend to neglect Saturns moons.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Pishaaaa...

Saturn's got hexagons...

news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/03/070328-saturn-hexagon.html

[patrickm]

Apr 18, 2011 14:31:18 GMT -6 Paulie pchris00 said:

Nothing against Saturn, but take away it's rings, and suddenly it's not so special.

Nothing against Jupiter or the mentally ill, BUT ARE YOU INSANE?

1. You can't "take away Saturn's rings." Inconveniently for you, they live there. And why would you want to?!?
2. As Joe points out, it has A HEXAGON.
3. It has aurora.
4. Have you seen ANY of the Cassini photos?
5. Saturn would float in your large bathtub.
6. Saturn has 48 moons and 12 awaiting status.
7. Saturn 6 visible moons vs. Jupiter's 4.
8. Titan may have an ocean under ice.
9. Saturn has a giant snake storm TEN EARTH'S WIDE.
10. How many people has Jupiter made cry on first viewing?
11. Here's a fun Cloudy Nights debate on the subject.

Bring it!
p

[Paulie pchris00]

Perhaps we should start a new thread, as we are imposing on this nice new astronomer's introduction to our group.

I will address the "giant snake storm TEN EARTH'S WIDE." I have not attenmpted to observe this storm under absolutely ideal conditions, and with Saturn now receding from Earth, I will not be able to observe it at it's absolute best. I have tried observing this storm with a SIXTEEN INCH TELESCOPE, with filtering, at high magnification, knowing the transit time, and did not observe the storm. Therefore, I conclude that for most amateur astronomers, this is not a visually observable feature. Jupiter's Great Red Spot is observable with telescopes as small as 4.5". It takes a trained eye, but is is observable in rather small telescopes.

I'm not saying Saturn isn't an interesting planetary system, but rather that for amateur astronomers with modest equipment, Jupiter has more to offer visually.

And to address one last issue. Yes, I am often accused of being insane, and have spent 52 hours as the "guest" of an institution. The only thing worse that being in a mental institution is being in jail (although I didn't know it at the time).

(I like this debate, but it should have it's own thread. Anybody care to start it?)

[patrickm]

Wholeheartedly agree we should not impose further on this poor person's well-meaning, finely worded, and perfectly placed introduction, so I'll just say...
YOU STARTED IT!

Anyway, welcome Erik. We look forward to seeing you out to observe SATURN, since that's what will be visible for the next few months, and whatever else jumps in front of our scopes. Warmer, clearer days ahead. Unless the sun blows up—which would make things MUCH warmer—we at least know this for certain.

Sorry for our bickering intrusion...

Hope to see you soon and again, welcome.
p

[midwest]

Lol- you guys crack me up. Reminds me of the geocaching forums. Thanks for the warm welcome. Sorry I did not reply earlier- lots of things going on to sidetrack me lately. Looking forward to a star party- sounds like a great time.
Erik (since there is an Erik here already, maybe my handle will be midwest...)

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Uhm....

Midwest, (Erik),

You a Saturn or Jupiter kind of dude?

It's important, as baby kittens and puppies are at stake.

[patrickm]

And just between you and me, best to not mention the geocachers around here, at least until you've been initiated.










_Saturn

#beatdeadhorse#

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Geocaching.

Heh...

I remember back in the old days, when I used to have my rookie students go on hunts in the Woods around Chicago, with written directions, a compass and landmarks.

A lot of fun really, as was capture the flag, taking real prisoners, two-way radios, handcuffs and motorized water weapons with dye.

Good times.

[midwest]

Uh-oh. Looks like I stepped in it I will answer in a political fashion- I have only seen Saturn and not have the pleasure of observing Jupiter so I don't know what kind of dude I am yet (how was that?). I'll leave the geocaching subject alone until I know more. I take it a geocaching meetup at a star party is out of the question, lol?

[RobbW]

What's with the hostility towards geocaching?