Jan 24, 2000 14:38
Keith
astrokeith@yahoo.com
This is a tough one. I think I'll have to choose more than one event. It seems like every observing session is memorable.
My first memorable event was seeing comet Hyakutake through binoculars a few weeks before it made it's closest approach to the earth. That was one of my first attempts at using a star map to find something. I went into my front yard and looked in the southeast and there it was.
A few weeks later we went to a dark site to look at the comet. I took my family and met some friends in the mountains. I guess I would put that at the top of my list. We attempted to go the night before but didn't make it because it was cloudy. We almost didn't go that night because it was a Sunday and we had to go to work to next day. I am so glad we did it. That was the most spectacular site I had ever seen. The comet stretched from the east all the way to the south. I'll never forget the feeling of seeing such a beautiful object. The next day at work I was running all over the place telling people how great it was. I managed to talk a few of my coworkers into going up there that night to see it again. Unfortunately the moon had moved closer to the comet and had brightened, plus the sky was very hazy, so we couldn't see much. We were blessed with one good night to see comet Hyakutake. A night I will never forget.
Feb 29, 2000 19:31
Bridget DeMeis
MJDEMEIS
It was a summer night when I saw the little dipper and the north star.I was 9 and a half.Now i'm 9 and 3 quarters.Anyway I was sitting outside near our bomfire pit when we were having a bomfire.I was jumping on my trampoline and looked up and there it was!That is the story on how I saw the little dipper and the north star.
Feb 29, 2000 20:07
Keith
That's a perfect entry. Thanks Bridget!
Mar 9, 2000 20:23
jason
jlyman@texas.net
One night about 3 or 4 years ago, I was headed home from work. I saw what I thought was a really large meteorite flying down. The tail was extremely long and wide. Usually, a meteorite trail disappears very quickly - this one did not. I drove on and the trail was still visible. I began to get worried that we were actually being invaded! I got home and turned on CNN just in time to see.... "Space Shuttle ?? has just touched down in Florida". I thought about it and the trail was headed east towards Florida. I saw the space shuttle coming from it's mission. Cool huh?
May 3, 2000 14:28
Keith
Just checking to see if this still works. Hello out there.
Jul 3, 2000 23:26
A.Mathes
astronomylover@email.com
The moment I knew without a doubt that I wanted to become a professional
astronomer occurred last October when I was 16. I and two other members
of my high school astronomy club had attended a public star party held
by the city's astronomy club. With us was our club's 4.5" Edmund Scientific
Astroscan 2001 telescope (which I affectionately call "tubby"). The
members of the city astronomy club had set up several telescopes for the
public and among the sights we saw that night were Jupiter, Saturn, Mars,
even the Veil Nebula. But the most spectacular sight came from our
simple but incredible little telescope. After seeing all that there was
to see, we moved off out of the way a bit and sat down on the ground with
"Tubby". With the low power, wide field lens I began to simply aim the
scope at a part of the sky and wander through the stars, not even
knowing what part of the sky I was curiously gazing at. Not long after,
there it was. M31. For the first time with my own eyes I was looking at
a whole other galaxy. Now, at any chance I get while stargazing, I
always take a minute to gaze at the Andromeda Galaxy whether with
binoculars or telescope. I'll never forget the moment I knew I was hooked.
Aug 3, 2000 23:40
Mitchell
Hello. I like your site a lot!!! My most memorable astronomy experience was when I got my first telescope. A 3-inch. Now I'm close to getting my own 10-inch Dobsonian.
Aug 6, 2000 04:49
Mark Guo
markguo0225@pchome.com.tw
I am 16 boy from Taiwan and I am extremely interested in astronomy.
I love to look up informations from the web and I happen to visit yours. It is so useful for me because I am considered a beginner of astrophotography. Thanks after all! If you update this webite, would you please informme of this? Thanks!
Aug 7, 2000 21:54
Anthony Montesion
eikert@hotmail.com
My most memorable expeirance is seeing Saturn through a 8-inch Newtonian reflector on a Dobsonian mount....It was a beautiful purplish blueish color....And the Cassini Division perfectly visible.....I loved it.
Aug 12, 2000 08:43
Keith
astrokeith@yahoo.com
Forget the Persieds! That Aurora was spectacular! If you saw it, go to my 'plan your observing session' page and click on 'the aurora observation network' to report it, but leave a message here too. Thanks!
Aug 21, 2000 02:39
Lukas G
zibi@shockware.com
Sorry to say I missed the Spectacular Aurora :-( But I have some good news. I took this picture of the solar eclipse on July 30, 2000: And it will be in the Nov/Dec Edition of SkyNews Magazine! My first picture in a magazine, and im only 16! I'm so excited! If the picture did not work then here is the address: http://www.angelfire.com/mn/eclipses/Sunset.jpg Clear Skies
Aug 22, 2000 22:10
Keith C.
krcool@hiwaay.net
Keith,
Great pictures from the Aug. 12th aurora. I got up around 4:30 a.m. and was able to catch the
the end of both the meteor shower and aurora just before local sunrise. Wish I had gotten my self
up a little earlier. Take care.
Aug 26, 2000 14:26
Phil Rich
richphilip@Hotmail.com
I have not been interested in astronomy for that long only about 18 months but I woukd just like to say how good your site is for beginners and hopefully now that I have my own telescope, camera etc I shall be able to show some pictures as they come about,
Many thanks,
Phil.
Aug 29, 2000 00:17
Gregg Roberts
croberts@sault.com
Most memorable telescope experience... the first time I saw Jupiter with the four galilean satellites. I had a very cheap, 4in reflector that I had purchased at a Wal-Mart. The mount was flimsy and the lenses were cheap (0.965in). The plastic finder scope was a joke....however it got me started in astronomy and afforded me some pretty exciting views of jupiter & saturn! I had really no idea of what I was looking at and thought I had some water on my eyepiece(the blurry images of some of jupiter's moons). As I adjusted the focus better the image clarified and the color bands on jupiter became apparent as did the 4, perfectly lined up, galilean moons. I'll never forget my feeling of excitement and discovery. I now own a Meade lx-10 deluxe 8in sct and have just begun to dabble in astrophotography. I picked up a used Olympus om-1 camera and purchased an off-axis guider and illuminated reticle eyepiece. I have yet to have any film developed. I still am thankful for the start I got in amateur astronomy with that first "trash scope" from Wal-Mart, it helped start a fire that will burn for many years to come. Gregg Roberts, Sault Ste Marie, Michigan
Sep 29, 2000 16:55
Fedor Zarhin
fedorz2@yahoo.com
Well, I saw a bear walking on the sidewalk in front of our house at 2
in the morning, and afterwards I got my little 5cm refractor out
and looked at tons of new stuff. That was the first night I saw saturn
s rings which completely astounded me. (I was 12 years old at the
time). After that I conted meteors from 3 o'clock to 4 o'clock and
then from 5 o'clock to 6 o'clock. First I counted 18 meteors and
in the second hour I counted 20 meteors. I went to bed at 7 o'clock.
Sep 30, 2000 13:09
Lukas Gornisiewicz
zibi@shockware.com
Hello Keith!
Did u c the aurora last night? It was incredible! It was the best one I ever seen. I was in my light polluted backyard at about 11 pm , and the aurora was low, and in 2 bands. I waited patiently. FINALLY! It happened. At about 2 am - 3am the aurora was so beautiful! I couldn't believe my eyes. It was just about 360 degrees aurora in my light polluted backyard. Curtains, and title waves!
My favorite part was the speed of the aurora. It was moving so fast. It was almost as if the aurora had wings. The aurora was also flooding the consilation orion. I must of takin over 2 rolls of film.
It could be good tonight like this. I can't wait, and I thank God for giving my clear skies and watching this storm since my last which was July 27, 2000. Keith email me and take a look tonight!
-Lukas
Oct 13, 2000 16:33
Hello Keith!!
I wanted to write you and let you know I got a 10" newtonian reflector this summer. I've already seen so much; I'm truly amazed. And I have you and your site to thank for it. This site really turned my attention to the deep dark skys. It's amazing out there.
So... the first time I saw the rings of Saturn??? That was just last week!! The first time I saw Jupiter close enough to see the colored bands wraping around that huge planet?? That was just last week!! And it's AMAZING when you see it for yourself through the lense, rather than in a picture. It's so different. It's so much more real.
If any of you want to see Saturn or Jupiter this fall, you have to wake up early in the morning, or stay up late at night. Last week, I got up at about 4AM and Saturn and Jupiter were almost overhead (more to the south east) -- right next to Orion the hunter. I know, it's wierd talking about Orion in early October, but you can see it if you get up early enough.
Thanks again Keith. I recently bought some new lenses, and they've opened up a whole new world for me. I'm now looking at getting some photo equipment. I'll keep you posted as I make more progress.
Daniel
Oct 13, 2000 16:35
Daniel Ball
danielball@hotmail.com
Sorry, I forgot to leave my last name and email address so that you would remember which "Daniel" I was.
Oct 13, 2000 16:45
Daniel Ball
danielball@hotmail.com
Sorry about the triple posts here, but I forgot to add something. Speaking of Orion, I also looked at Orion's nebula for the first time too, and... wow. It's not redish in person as it appears in pictures, but it's greenish and grayish. I looked at it two nights in a row, I was so impressed. Anyone who is reading this should think about what I am saying. I got up *voluntarily* at 4:00AM TWO NIGHTS IN A ROW to see Orion's nebula. *That's* how impressive it is. (Granted, I was looking through a 10" reflector, but...)
Okay, so long for now.
Nov 16, 2000 14:22
zac
carrbgtz@snowcrest.net
I'm a high school senior who is doing my senior project on astrophotography. I plan to go to Chico State and major in professional physics next year. Ilked your site. Thanks Z