Acey
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Chinese lanterns possibly ?
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Natural phenomenon you have witnessed?
- Thread starter Howardh
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Peter Mugridge
Veteran Member
Interesting... I'm wondering about something to do with Oldbury Power Station; that was still operating at the time wasn't it? Roughly in the right direction?
Pete_uk
Established Member
A bit north of Oldbury and a little bit north of Barkley power plant too.
Peter Mugridge
Veteran Member
Berkeley was decomissioned in 1989, though? Long before you saw this orange glow?
Pete_uk
Established Member
Correct.
Most of my life I have lived in places that have a much better view of the western horizon than the eastern horizon. So I have seen lots of sunsets but not many sunrises.
This morning I made the early morning effort to be in a place where I could see the sunrise, and I watched the sun set less than an hour ago.
I'm used to the sun looking very big as it sinks below the horizon at sunset, much like the full moon when it is low in the sky in summer. But, to my surprise, the same didn't happen this morning as the sun rose above the horizon, the sun just looked "normal size". That was a phenomenon that I didn't expect.
This morning I made the early morning effort to be in a place where I could see the sunrise, and I watched the sun set less than an hour ago.
I'm used to the sun looking very big as it sinks below the horizon at sunset, much like the full moon when it is low in the sky in summer. But, to my surprise, the same didn't happen this morning as the sun rose above the horizon, the sun just looked "normal size". That was a phenomenon that I didn't expect.
Peter Mugridge
Veteran Member
If you have a completely clear horizon, the optical illusion of greater size is diminished - it works because the brain is unconsciously comparing it with foreground objects. Even some wispy clouds are enough to trigger the effect.
Was your sunrise view "cleaner" than your sunset view?
Was your sunrise view "cleaner" than your sunset view?
In respect of cloud cover, it was the other way round, with more wispy clouds this morning than this evening.
But the view to the south east had less foreground clutter, with the sun emerging from behind a hill more than 5 minutes after the "official" sunrise time. In contrast the view to the south west is almost flat but with trees and buildings between my vantage point and the horizon.
I was hoping to see Venus, Mercury and the thin crescent Moon forming a smallish triangle this morning at dawn. Although the sky was clear I could only see Venus (at the apex) as the SE horizon was obstructed by roof tops.
The moon is passing by Jupiter this evening, just now the gap is about 3 moon widths.
Furthermore the moon is at first quarter, so almost exactly half and half illuminated and unilluminated. Jupiter is almost on an imaginary line drawn down from the lit/unlit boundary, so I'm hoping to be able to detect the moon moving past Jupiter before bedtime.
Furthermore the moon is at first quarter, so almost exactly half and half illuminated and unilluminated. Jupiter is almost on an imaginary line drawn down from the lit/unlit boundary, so I'm hoping to be able to detect the moon moving past Jupiter before bedtime.
Very good, I don't have the eyesight or equipment for that.
But I can see that the moon has carried my imaginary line a long way past Jupiter since my last message.
Peter Mugridge
Veteran Member
I have just spotted Jupiter, with the naked eye, at 16.07... sun still above the horizon... using the Moon as a marker.
Anyone wanting to try this right now, remember that the Moon is 15° further east than it was yesterday, so look about a fist's width ( at arm's length ) away to the right of the Moon.
Anyone wanting to try this right now, remember that the Moon is 15° further east than it was yesterday, so look about a fist's width ( at arm's length ) away to the right of the Moon.
Managed to pick out Mercury this evening low and to the right of Jupiter. It has just reached greatest eastern elongation from the sun, but due to weather conditions this is my first sighting during it’s current apparition. Failed to find Pons-Brook which is still a binocular object, but by mid April the comet will be brighter and easier to locate (near Jupiter).
Howardh
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Wonder if anyone has managed to see Ceres, think it's the largest asteroid and dwarf planet, with binoculars? What doesn't help is it's a very dark surface!
GRALISTAIR
Established Member
I am in the USA but not quite in the path of Totality for the April 8th Total Solar Eclipse
Peter Mugridge
Veteran Member
It'll be well worth making a journey into the path of totality - trust me.
GRALISTAIR
Established Member
I did get a special train from Crewe to Plymouth in 1999 to see totality in Cornwall. Saw it from Plymouth Hoe
I did too. Experienced totality on Plymouth Hoe but unfortunately heavy cloud blocked out the sun throughout the entire eclipse, from first contact to last. Very frustrating because apart from Devon and Cornwall the rest of the country was basked in sunshine. Just for the record I was on the 21:00 overnight Crewe-Plymouth special hauled by 66013.
GRALISTAIR
Established Member
so was I. The Eclipse Venturer - but I will have to check my records when I am back in the USA because I thought it was 67013 not 66013.
EDIT - double checked you are correct. 66013 throughout.
I have never observed any asteroids, using binoculars, not even Vesta which can be just visible to the naked eye. You would have to know exactly where to look, and use image stabilising binoculars to succeed. Uranus which is similarly at the limit of naked eye vision, is also a difficult object to find with binoculars.
stephen rp
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A pink rainbow from the M57
Yes it was sunshine here in the Fens for the 1999 eclipse, where I think the eclipse was about 90 per cent. I wanted to experience what it was like at home. The effect on the intensity of the light and heat from the sun was definitely noticeable, but it is nowhere near the same experience as totality.
Well given that the sun radiates IR which at ground level perpendicular to it equates to nearly 700W/m^2, that dropping to about 1/10th of that would be felt very quickly.
kristiang85
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I'm heading there especially for the eclipse. Going with a specialist weather company so hopefully I should be guaranteed a view if there's clear skies somewhere, and then we have a week of storm chasing. Two of my life ambitions in one go!
I've tried to see two eclipses previously (UK 1999 and Australia 2012) but both times was thwarted by clouds. However, being in totality is an amazing experience, even with the clouds. However I'm desperate to see the corona.
Where in the US are you heading? weather looks ok…
kristiang85
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Meeting in Oklahoma City, will go wherever the favourable weather is from there.
Long range is still very unsettled, will be interesting...
It wasn't where I was! I was in the Hungerford area at the time of the eclipse and it was cloudy.
The effect was to make the light 'dimmer' so it felt like 3pm on a November afternoon rather than midday in August.
Yes. In the 1999 eclipse I was working outdoors a little bit north of Berkshire, in the quaint market town of Bellshill near Motherwell. The effect I saw was dimness and a change in the quality of the light whereby the contrast was reduced and everything looked flat (like an underexposed video shot in log). All the birds went silent too if I recall correctly.