Dec's Guide to the Night Sky for Amateur Astromomers - including Melbourne weather

Oh sheesh - my stars moved a bit

@outlander

What some people hear call the Saucepan is part of a much much bigger constellation called Orion and I will try and find a pic of that - perhaps tomorrow

The other two "saucepans" the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper move around the North Pole just as the Southern Cross moves around the South Pole - both also called the Circum-Polar Stars because mariners used them to navigate in the old days before all the great equipment that was necessary and happened. And the stars were what led the mariners at night as the sun did at night

And I love this stuff and feel endlessly patient talkling about it

Dec

Hello thought it would be good for you to share such knowledge

good for you sharing your interest, a change in your routine

good for us we have an opportunity to learn something

only problem for me I am drained tonight

something to look forward to on other nights though

keep it up dec

is brilliant xx

I have total cloud cover over my sky tonight @Owlunar, very disappointing. I will draw your diagram onto paper and take it out with me as soon as I get a clear night! And you've taught me something already, what I've been calling the 'saucepan' is Orions belt and sword (that's so cool!) When I saw it the other night, I must have seen Sirius and now I know to look just below the handle and a little to the right 🙂

Thank you! 🙂 😄

I'm heading off to bed soon, Good night Dec, sleep well and peace be with you 🙂 Niqua.

I am so thrilled with every one so interested in this

Okay - I went outside not long ago and I could see Jupiter near the moon and another star called Spica - all close together

Then I could see Antares further to the east but it was a bit cloudy and I could not see the stars in the constellation Scorpio - too misty. I will get some pics of all of this up when I get the chance

And following that further east is Saturn - very clear tonight

And in the early hours Venus will rise and if the sky is clear it will be clearly visible - and Mercury toward dawn - but I have't seen it yet this time it is in the eastern sky

Mars is the other planet but it is too hard to see near the horizon in the light after sunset and it is a long way from us on its elliptical orbit

@outlander - you don't need binoculars or a telescope to see what I am describing - I have some binoculars - but I find that just know when and where to look and using the moon as a guide I know where to look for something that is really pretty clear

And we are all beginners in this exciting quest - how I would love to be on the Enterprise with Captain Picard and Data and all his crew in Star-Trek - The Next Generation - I would love that

Dec

And now - would you believe - after that clear sky short time back - it's raining

a pic of the dipper

@Owlunar hope you dont mind me putting this here