Josef Chlachula

I see Northern light even from my backyard, no color though. It could be stronger about midnight see https://services.swpc.noaa.gov/images/aurora-forecast-northern-hemisphere.jpg

Great Trapezium area exposures animation! Basically we can see nebula isophots on each grooving exposure. Thanks for sharing.

Jim, I asked ChatGPT at https://chat.openai.com/chat  “Explain why is ecliptic so high now in Winter” and here is answer:

The ecliptic is the plane in which the Earth and other planets in our solar system orbit around the sun. The tilt of the Earth’s axis causes the seasons, including winter, and determines the angle at which the ecliptic…[Read more]

Well, it is very simple. Mars is in Taurus, an zodiacal constellation, not so far from bright Aldebaran. Ecliptic in this area has high positive declination. Actually, Mars is not too far from ecliptic. Mars has today ecliptical latitude  2°20′, not much.

And Mars is gone behind Moon. It was  awesome!

Astronaut Scott Kelly wrote on November 24, 2022 https://twitter.com/StationCDRKelly/status/1595925959081070592

Ukraine from space yesterday. The dark area above the Black Sea. Among many other things today I’m thankful I have electricity and heat.

Bob, well done images of the 40 Eridani! Thanks for bringing attention to the White Dwarfs – https://rochesterskies.org/40-eridani-b/

I called yesterday Eagle Bluff general number and left message (at I believe option 6) to switch off parking lights. No answer so far 🙁

Public observing night at Elgin I spent a lot of time observing carbon star V Aql. I set my own user object with J2000 coordinates, but I was puzzled, why 10″ SCT with goto Autostar II is always off.  Day later I found that Autostar most likely is using coordinates RA/Decl for current time with current precession. One can find such coordinates a…[Read more]

Bob, this is great picture of Jupiter! You should use club 10″ SCT more often.

Great picture, Bob! Yes, the color is much closer to the visual experience. I put update2 at https://rochesterskies.org/carbon-star-v-aql/. I don’t understand “on the 9-6 picture was used“. 6 pictures was stacked? Or 9?

Astronomer and owner of the small busines astro-gadget.net Plakha Alexander was lucky when Russian shell landed in his front yard, but it did not explode.

See more at article https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/wartime-skygazing-an-amateur-astronomer-in-ukraine/

Unfortunately weather did not change to better, but to worst 🙁

Weather tonight 4/1 will not cooperate, but tomorrow Saturday 4/2 there is at least hope. Cloud cover should be under 20%, see https://www.wunderground.com/forecast/us/mn/lanesboro

ESO launches visitor programme for scientists working in Ukraine. More at https://www.eso.org/public/announcements/ann22005/

There was an open letter of the Russian scientists, I saw it on March 3, now it’s gone, see https://trv-science.ru/en/2022/02/we-are-against-war/ But, hey, it’s archived at Wayback Machine at https://web.archive.org/web/20220309075848/https://trv-science.ru/en/2022/02/we-are-against-war-en/

Nice Saturn, Bob!

Partially eclipsed Sun above Root Rive park horizon after sunrise.