Forty Rod SASS 3935 Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 I went out last night about 9:30 to let the dog drain her pipes and there was a beautiful near-full moon, very bright and with every detail visible to the naked eye, and a very clear dark sapphire blue sky.......with only ONE STAR visible. Anywhere. The North Star was about 60 degrees ( just a guess) above the horizon, shining like a beacon and was so clear that I watched to make sure it wasn't a plane. It didn't move. I took a half dozen pictures with my cell phone and got nothing at all worth showing off. It was one of the most beautiful skies I have ever seen. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michigan Slim Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 We had a clear sky here too. I looked at the moon through a twelve power rifle scope. Purty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forty Rod SASS 3935 Posted May 15 Author Share Posted May 15 (edited) But where were the stars?????????????????? Edited May 15 by Forty Rod SASS 3935 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rip Snorter Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 13 minutes ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said: Bur where were the stars?????????????????? The moon is so bright, you can't see them - alternatively the Deity tucked them away for the evening. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Riot, SASS #13748 Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 Uh Oh…it means “they” are coming… Oh wait, never mind. It’s just light pollution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widder, SASS #59054 Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 I 'think' last nights moon was called a blue moon and a rare 'rainbow' moon. I ain't one of them star gazers but I have slept at a Holiday Inn and I have been mooned before. ..........Widder 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 29 minutes ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said: Bur where were the stars?????????????????? 16 minutes ago, Rip Snorter said: The moon is so bright, you can't see them - alternatively the Deity tucked them away for the evening. Alternative: He needs his long distance glasses instead of his reading glasses. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crooked River Pete, SASS 43485 Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 I once read that planets were the brightest thing in the night sky after the moon. So that first star you see at night is probably a planet. That's why that " star light star bright " thing usually doesn't work, you are wishing on a planet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bad Bascomb, SASS # 47,494 Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 Be sure to look tonight. Supposed to be a 'blood red' moon/eclipse beginning around midnight eastern time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Bob #35998 Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 (edited) Venus is generally the first bright object visible in the evening sky. Best way to tell if it’s Polaris is to look for one of the Dippers. It’s the last one in the Little Dipper handle. The Big Dipper points to it. Edited May 15 by Utah Bob #35998 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forty Rod SASS 3935 Posted May 15 Author Share Posted May 15 Okay, there is very little light pollution where I live, it was more than an hour and a half after sundown, the moon was bright, but I've never seen it so bright that even stars positioned well away from the moon were effected, and if you can't see any stars at all (save the one mentioned) how do you find the big and little dippers? I'm 80 years old and have spent a good deal of that time out of doors all over the world except for the western part of upper Asia and neither polar regions. I no longer drink, have never used "recreational" drugs, and have not had any head injuries in nearly 30 years. I have been successfully hypnotized once many years, but only once. Didn't do what I was there for. I have had two vision quests and they were interesting, but didn't solve the problem I was there for. "They" are coming? Really! Do you believe in aliens cruising around around our skies? Little gray or green men? Balderdash! And besides, we.... uh.... they ....they don't look like that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619 Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 Maybe it's begun: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeaconKC Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 27 minutes ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said: "They" are coming? Really! Do you believe in aliens cruising around around our skies? Little gray or green men? Balderdash! And besides, we.... uh.... they ....they don't look like that. If they are watching our tv, I bet aliens lock their doors as they fly by here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muleshoe Bill SASS #67022 Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 (edited) The latitude of Prescott is 34.54 degrees so the "North Star" would be no higher than about 36 degrees. If you have a compass you can set your magnetic points from a fixed location in your yard and make the adjustment for magnetic declination which in Prescott is about 10.5 degrees east of true north. So if your compass is pointing at magnetic north, you would correct east by 10 degrees and be fairly spot on. You can also use compass to estimate elevation from horizon in degrees. Set the north arrow at the baseline on the backing card. Sight along the top of the (generally plastic base) to the horizon, then keep the compass body locked on the horizon and rotate the base upwards. When the base lines up with the object you are looking for elevation, you can then read it off the side of the compass body. If you keep the compass body locked in right hand the degrees are direct, if you lock in left hand, then you will have to convert to correct degrees. i.e. the object reads at 300 degrees, that then would be 60 degrees above horizon Edited May 15 by Muleshoe Bill SASS #67022 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Father Kit Cool Gun Garth Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 2 hours ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said: But where were the stars?????????????????? @Rip Snorter was correct, and here is why: Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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