Open Thread -- Super moon #3

Submitted by QMS on Tue, 12/13/2016 - 5:00am

This being the third "super moon" of the year, thought a bit of star gazing is in order. The Geminids meteor shower peaks tonight, though the full moon will reduce some of the spectaculars. No matter, if you are lucky enough to have a clear sky, there is much to see.

full moon.jpg

And some moonie music to go with it.

I'm empty of political comment this go around.

And some Ella feeling blue about the moon.

The sky is the limit. Please feel free to enlighten us with your collective cosmic wisdom. Much appreciated.

Tags:

Open Thread

Full Moon

Vote

Comments

Submitted by duckpin on Tue, 12/13/2016 - 6:33am

Captain Beefheart - "Moonlight On Vermont"

The years I lived in the Fancy Gap postal zone at 3000 feet I enjoyed the dark skies. I built a 50'X50' outdoor open garden ringed by eastern hemlocks so that if anyone drove by on the dirt road, not common, my night vision would not be hurt by the headlights. I used to go out with 15X50 binocs and scan the skies(I once found a nova next to Deneb that I reported but was not the first) and watch for meteors. I seldom missed a shower if the sky was clear(not all that common) and enjoyed looking for the October fireballs. I was able to identify 4 asteroids.

I lived at 7200 feet in SW Colorado and the skies were exceptionally clear and dark. Like at Fancy Gap, I had a clear view of the whole skydome.

A lawn chair and warm clothes is all the equipment you really need to see some exceptional things like the Zodiacal light and the northern lights(which aren't nearly as good as they are much farther north but are welcome when they appear).

—

"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"

Submitted by QMS on Tue, 12/13/2016 - 7:24am

I'm with you there

The most spectacular skies I've seen were in Prescott, AZ. 5200 feet elevation, dry and clear air. Could read newspaper print by star light alone. Milky way was like a carnival. Great place to learn celestial navigation, learning the Arab named stars in their respective constellations.

—

question everything

Submitted by skod on Tue, 12/13/2016 - 9:33am

Yup. For 12 years we had a ranch

out on the Palmer Divide at 6700 feet, well south of Denver and away from the lights. The seeing was fantastic every night, and we had an unimpeded view from Pikes Peak to Mount Evans. But that went away with the great recession, so now we live in a little rental in town, and see less than 1/4 what we could then. Oh, well- we traded our solitude and dark skies for better access to music and culture, not to mention the avoidance of bankruptcy. And a great life lesson learned: it'll be a cold day in hell before I spend a freakin' dime on real estate again.

Submitted by QMS on Tue, 12/13/2016 - 8:42am

Yup, can't own it

only pay for it..

—

question everything

Submitted by riverlover on Tue, 12/13/2016 - 9:40am

Like the boat ownership thing. A container to pour money into,

over and over, until it dies.

But I think stewarding my land is good. There is a 5' long box sitting in the plowed snowbank by my driveway. I can't fit it in the car, without seat dropping and I can't remember how to do that. Besides it only has to travel maybe 300 ' to its planting location, as the ground freezes. Tick, tick. Tools to tree, not the reverse.

—

Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.

Submitted by duckpin on Tue, 12/13/2016 - 9:47am

I agree. Even humidity cuts down the star light - Prescott

had to have been a fine place for sky watching just like the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and SW Utah.

—

"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"

Submitted by QMS on Tue, 12/13/2016 - 8:39am

wild video

he's a nut!

—

question everything

Submitted by duckpin on Tue, 12/13/2016 - 9:45am

Trout Mask Replica is still my favorite album and it still

sounds avant-garde today(at least to my ears). The Captain was the real thing and one of a kind.

—

"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"

Submitted by riverlover on Tue, 12/13/2016 - 7:02am

Clear nights? Uncommon here.

But moonbeams through clouds this morning, western exposure. Any sort of solar storm seems to call in the clouds.

—

Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.

Submitted by QMS on Tue, 12/13/2016 - 7:49am

sea level

does not afford the views of higher elevations in the night skies. Using a hand held scope, one could see the rings of Saturn from a mountain perspective. Like your cloud calling analogy. And the aurora borealis magnificence in Iceland. Wow!

—

question everything

Submitted by riverlover on Tue, 12/13/2016 - 8:03am

Iceland is on my bucket list of places to go

that I have only seen from the air. I am a window seat person.

—

Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.

Submitted by Carol Joy on Tue, 12/13/2016 - 4:07pm

We moved to the lower shoulder of

Mt Konocti here in Northern Calif back in October 2006. The elevation was 3700 feet where we were, and my Goddess! it was a fabulous view.

So for the first six months in the new house, it would take me twenty minutes to go from the car door to the house door, as I was aghast at all of the splendors of the sky. Hard to believe it was the same sky that shone over the Bay Area - it had a gazillion more planets and stars and whatevers.

—

Believing in the improbable can make your life a miracle.

Submitted by QMS on Tue, 12/13/2016 - 8:12am

Paint the Sky with Stars

Hope you can experience Iceland. It's like the earth recently born.

—

question everything

Submitted by Lookout on Tue, 12/13/2016 - 8:14am

An accidental moon

...from the Olympics a few years back. Kinda like the wardrobe malfunction at the stupidbowl I guess. From the celestial to the silly.

moon at olympics.jpg

All downhill from there...

Have a good day all you c99ers!

—

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Submitted by QMS on Tue, 12/13/2016 - 8:32am

That's too funny

side splitting seams

—

question everything

Submitted by Bisbonian on Tue, 12/13/2016 - 8:21am

All that you see...

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZtfsfoKSB0]

—

"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X

Submitted by QMS on Tue, 12/13/2016 - 8:28am

and all you create

great tune

—

question everything

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Tue, 12/13/2016 - 10:28am

Thanks, QMS.

—

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Submitted by riverlover on Tue, 12/13/2016 - 10:41am

My sale of cottage went through on Friday. Too late to put it in

the bank. Done yesterday. A partial payment to me (other is held up with bizarre Ontario accounting stuff). Got a call from the bank in Canada that said I could not use funds until 12/20. Nice float, HSBC. I am still not sure that I can transfer a lump sum of more than $5K. Unless I appear in person to close the account and repatriate $$CDN to $$US. I know just enough about international banking to know that fees are everywhere. Bastards.

—

Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.

Submitted by Mark from Queens on Tue, 12/13/2016 - 11:29am