Monthly Archives: March 2012

Astronomy for Lunch

Posted on March 28, 2012 by astronomersden

The warmth of the lunchtime Sun and a cup of tea. Hasn’t the weather been kind? If you are a UK based astronomer the last fortnight has been the stuff of dreams, in fact weather has almost paid back the … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Atmosphere, Conjunction, Jupiter, Mars, Moon, The Astronomer's Den, Venus, Weather | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hanging out in Regent’s Park

Posted on March 22, 2012 by astronomersden

One hour of Radio 4 in the car while I crawl along 7 miles of the A40. All the while in my mirrors I can see Venus and Jupiter just to the left of my daughters empty car seat. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Baker Street Irregular Astronomers, Binoculars, Conjunction, Jupiter, M42, Mars, Orion, Saturn, Sodium Lights, The Astronomer's Den, Venus | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Destination Gliese 445

Posted on March 20, 2012 by astronomersden

I don’t like the word ‘unremarkable’ when talking about stars. Billions of tons of material coalescing, compressing and fusing to make huge quantities of energy is never ‘unremarkable’ But Gliese 445 is not exactly a show stopper. It is not … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Extraterrestrial life, Gliese 445, The Astronomer's Den, Voyager | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

It’s all in the perspective

Posted on March 13, 2012 by astronomersden

As I write this the sky is showing off. We are witnessing the coming together in our sky of our two brightest planets – Jupiter and Venus. They have been moving closer all winter and now on a cool, early spring … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Conjunction, Europa, Jupiter, Mars, The Astronomer's Den, Venus | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Because I am 8

Posted on March 8, 2012 by astronomersden

It was silly really. It was just a crater. The Moon is, after all, covered in them; they are difficult to miss. But then there was that time when you saw lunar craters with your own eyes for the first time.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Binoculars, Moon, Pencil, The Astronomer's Den | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Toxic Love Affair

Posted on March 6, 2012 by astronomersden

Since last Summer the King has been holding court. High, bright and demanding tribute, Jove has sat on his throne and looked down on us. Millions have looked up, stared, wondered and admired. But Jupiter is being been usurped. A … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Atmosphere, Jupiter, The Astronomer's Den, Venus | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Giving scale to the Moon

Posted on March 4, 2012 by astronomersden

3 miles deep. That’s the average of the Pacific Ocean. 53 miles wide. That’s as wide as the Bering Strait, or Lake Ontario. 108 Million years old. It’s formation was watched by the dinosaurs. And in lunar terms that’s young. … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Moon, The Astronomer's Den | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment