Spotting Eta Carinae?

[prof_porn]

Does anyone know if this is possible from Earth?

If it is, any idea where to look, if possible in relation to orion's belt. I use that as my guide as its so easy to identify that.

To the uninformed, I refer to this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eta_Carinae

I'm looking to buy a telescope soon...and if allowed will post pics of my star gazing on here. I've seen Saturn, Mars, Venus and Jupiter.

 

[Boobinator]

i have no idea, but it sounds cool.
a little unsure if it works with ground-based amateur telescopes.

some of the pictures from space look really fantastic, can't believe they are real

 

[prof_porn]

The universe is amazing. It makes me gasp more then Victoria Sin and Melissa Lauren combined (ok, not quite true!). You realize that 'damn, thats another world'-and that realization makes you think Earth is just a big space boulder we happen to live on.

I saw Sirius the other day, SW from OB...

They should teach this in science class, that way the next lot will be in awe of the cosmos too.

 

[Legzman]

The universe is amazing. It makes me gasp more then Victoria Sin and Melissa Lauren combined (ok, not quite true!). You realize that 'damn, thats another world'-and that realization makes you think Earth is just a big space boulder we happen to live on.

You smoke pot? Just asking cause I've found that when I do and wander outside and night and look up I spend the next 3 hours contemplating the cosmos and it completely blows my mind! :thumbsup:

 

[Boobinator]

hey, this is pretty cool
http://images.google.se/images?hl=sv&q=nebula&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

different nebulas, but i think you need a badass telescope to take pictures like that. they look really nice

 

[prof_porn]

You smoke pot? Just asking cause I've found that when I do and wander outside and night and look up I spend the next 3 hours contemplating the cosmos and it completely blows my mind! :thumbsup:

Thankfully not. I'm all about a natural high...

You know the ancient Persians referred to the Andromeda Galaxy as a 'whispy cloud' in the night sky. When I read that, I thought 'damn, if only those guys knew what they had identified was another freaking galaxy!'.

 

[prof_porn]

hey, this is pretty cool
http://images.google.se/images?hl=sv&q=nebula&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

different nebulas, but i think you need a badass telescope to take pictures like that. they look really nice

That's majestic. Thanks dude. I dont have that kind of budget yet....one day, perhaps.

 

[Legzman]

Hmmm....anyone else ever get stoned and contemplate the universe? If not then I recommend it to all the pot smokers on this board...you know who you are!

 

[Boobinator]

Hmmm....anyone else ever get stoned and contemplate the universe? If not then I recommend it to all the pot smokers on this board...you know who you are!

ye it is awesome i often find myself walking with my head turned up after ive been blazing. another really cool thing is watching colorful nature documentaries from the tropics or the sea.

but i think these things are amazing, stoned or not

 

[AFA]

The problem I find with it, is that it's below the horizon all the time according to my star finder. Apparently it's not that hard to see, so it's probably visible other times during the year. You can as you probably know see the nebulosity of Orions belt very easily.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_Nebula

More general information;
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080221085019.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carina_(constellation)

 

[prof_porn]

^

thanks.

 

[prof_porn]

Does anyone know if observatory's are 'open' to the public?

 

[Boobinator]

Does anyone know if observatory's are 'open' to the public?

i was at a special visit to a major observatory on one of the canary islands.
apart from that i have never been to any major ones, but i am sure they accept enthusiasts occassionally. if not officially, but if you slip them something i am sure they enjoy someone who is genuinely interested and not just restless school children who don't understand anyway.

scientific institutions are generally not very hard to gain access to if you just show a little interest.

 

[Legzman]

Guess theres no fucking point in me posting here anymore! My posts get deleted for no reason at all...:cussing:

 

[AFA]

I'm sure they put on events for amatures, or astronomy clubs, you should call or search the web. This is a field where the pros are enthusiasts, like you are.

I'm an amature and realized early on, you have to go megabucks for really good equipment. I'm still in the 900x range and while that's good a couple of times a year, just doesn't look like the Hubble.

 

[prof_porn]

^^

True. Within 'normal people' budgets, there is a pretty low ceiling to the quality of equipment one can afford. I'll try my local area for access to better stuff, if not...I'll just strain my eyes really hard.

 

[Legzman]

For those who've posted in this thread as well as anyone else who may be interested and have Natgeo channel there is a show on tomorrow night about the hubble telescope and all the shit it's shown us! At 10pm.

 

[AFA]

For those who've posted in this thread as well as anyone else who may be interested and have Natgeo channel there is a show on tomorrow night about the hubble telescope and all the shit it's shown us! At 10pm.

I get that, I'll have to remember.

 

[AFA]

^^

True. Within 'normal people' budgets, there is a pretty low ceiling to the quality of equipment one can afford. I'll try my local area for access to better stuff, if not...I'll just strain my eyes really hard.

Well it's not a bad telescope, the problem is, you can never go big enough. I can see Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, but it's difficult. Of course the higher power you go, the larger the image, but the more difficult to find and keep on track. Eta Carinae is supposed to be visible with binoculars, but like I said is below the horizon this time of year unless you are in the Southern hemisphere.

 

[ChefChiTown]

Hmmm....anyone else ever get stoned and contemplate the universe? If not then I recommend it to all the pot smokers on this board...you know who you are!

That's all I did when I used to smoke pot. Well, that and laugh a lot. My friends and I would always contemplate stupid shit though. Like, how weird it is that we go to the bathroom in a toilet. It's like this ceramic bowl that's designated to have poop put inside of it, and then there's this system of pipes that runs all over the country and it carries our poop away to random ass buildings that do nothing but store shit water.