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[tomlee]

I don't recall seeing the below info here on this board, did anyone know about this?

From Space.com:-

The unusual month-long convergence of four planets in the pre-dawn sky is nearing an end, as the planets begin separating from each other and going their separate ways. But one final series of meetings is on tap for this Memorial Day weekend.

Between Sunday and Tuesday (May 29 and 31), the planets Jupiter, Venus, Mars and Mercury will appear in a grouping with a bonus visitor: the moon. Weather permitting, skywatchers can look low to the east-northeast horizon about a half hour before sunrise and see the four planets arrayed in a line.

The sky map of the four planets here shows how they will appear from mid-northern latitudes in North America on Monday (May 30).


www.space.com/11812-memorial-day-planet-alignment-moon-skywatching.html

Man! I miss a great astro shoot w/o need of a scope of four planets that comes with the moon. Who knows when they will line up again!?

[patrickm]

Well, you definitely didn't read about it here:
astronomer.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=NightSky&action=display&thread=3108

and most certainly not here:
astronomer.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=NightSky&action=display&thread=3134

So I am sorry you missed it!

If you wanna get up super early, shoot Andromeda or something. The ISS is passing over in very early morning/late night right now. I hear Jupiter alone may be a pretty good target also.

[tomlee]

Patrick,

Thanks so much for the info. I wasn't really reading the new posts back then (April) because I never really know about the "new topic" button and always just scan down on the home page to find posts that interest me. They aren't sorted the same way so I just don't see them sometimes. Another reason is that I was doing an art show for my paintings which started on Apr 28 (it's over now it was at an restaurant in Downers Grove). And boy, was I busy getting those together!? Sixteen of them framed and mounted.

The Jupiter, you heard!? Don't you do Jupiter ?! ;D The ISS would just zoom by, wouldn't it? Anyways, I will be out there more and more.

[Paulie pchris00]

The four planets were closest together I think May 11-13, but it was cloudy when I checked those mornings. In fact, every morning I checked it was cloudy, except for May 22. I was out at Conway all night, and was waiting for these four planets to rise. Jupiter and Venus were visible naked eye (there was some haze to the east). Mars and Mercury were not even visible through the finder scope of my Dobsonian. I found them both by studying their positions relative to Venus, and was able to find them in the eyepiece. It was a little disappointing after all the hype, but it's always cool to see that many planets in a matter of minutes.

I had really wanted to see Neptune and Uranus that same night, but by the time I was ready to search for them, the sky was brightening with morning twilight.

Jupiter is rising earlier every morning, and is starting to show some detail now just before sunrise. The SEB is back at full strength.

I've caught International Space Station three times this past week (twice Tuesday morning). Tuesday's second ISS pass included a look at Space Shuttle Endeavour undocked, and leading ISS by about 30 seconds. This was my first time seeing Endeavour undocked from Station, and as it turned out, it was the final time it crossed my sky right enough to be seen.

[patrickm]

Nice, Paulie!

On Endeavor, these early morning passes get the benefit of your night owl employment schedule for sure! Wish I'd caught it, but no luck for me on ANY of the above.

Hadn't hear about the SEB. Thanks or that report! Welcome back SEB!
p

[Paulie pchris00]

Jun 6, 2011 10:53:03 GMT -6 patrickm said:

Nice, Paulie!

On Endeavor, these early morning passes get the benefit of your night owl employment schedule for sure! Wish I'd caught it, but no luck for me on ANY of the above.

Hadn't hear about the SEB. Thanks or that report! Welcome back SEB!
p

The employment schedule only works out for me AT MOST two nights a week, and any times I miss out on early evening observing because I'm sleeping. But it is nice to stay out all night without throwing my body out of sync. Basically, I'm never in sync, because at any given hour of the day, there is a strong possibility that am awake at least twice in a given week. But I digress...


Endeavour was all luck, I just happened to look up ISS times. I didn't even know it was undocked. Heavens-above said that it was still docked to Station, but Joe informed me via Facebook to look for the shuttle. It was the last chance I ever had to see Endeavour by itself. I was going to attempt at least crude imaging, but ran into unexpected snafu, and had to settle for just looking and waving. Each of the remaining three shuttles I have seen on orbit, by itself, one time per shuttle, each on their last respective flight (although I have one more flight to catch Atlantis again).


pchris00pnc.blogspot.com/2010/05/space-shuttle-atlantis-iss.html

My first sighting of a space shuttle on orbit.


Late last year there were reports that the SEB revival was underway, but there was no sign of it with just my 6". Last Tuesday, even in the bad seeing of thick atmosphere, my 6" was showing strong signs that the SEB had returned. Saturday morning at Conway, it was clearly back, and had my first GRS sighting of 2011. I can't wait for good looks at Jupiter later in the season, with proper filtering. I definitely have caught aperture fever...