Backyard Observatory

Sunspot and Numbers!

cjonesrocks10@hotmail.com (John) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:01:00 +0000

Hi, Yesterday I posted on my blog that I took some images of sunspot 1035. Well I was wrong. A nice person on CN ( Cloudynights) informed me that they don't give individual sunspots numbers. They give the local activity area numbers, and they are called AR ( Active Regions). And these numbers are assigned by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA). So Yesterday what i observed and imaged was AR 11035 or NOAA 11035 and not sunspot 1035! yes it still was a sunspot but it wasn't sunspot 1035 it was AR 11035.

OK?!

CS!

Correction AR 11035

cjonesrocks10@hotmail.com (John) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:53:00 +0000

Got some images of the sunspot today. posted them in my astro photos blog.

CS!

Astronomy and Cold

cjonesrocks10@hotmail.com (John) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:03:00 +0000

Its been getting colder and colder! and i haven't been out observing for awhile, but i want to so badly get some images of Mars! so hopefully the next time its clear i will be going out and battling the cold!

I will post my results, hopefully they will be good! I haven't tried taking image of Mars, so this will be my first attempt!! we'll see how it goes, i guess!

Clear skies everyone!!!

GEMINID METEOR SHOWER

cjonesrocks10@hotmail.com (John) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:14:00 +0000

GEMINID METEOR SHOWER will peak Dec. 13th and 14th. some are saying this could be the best year yet. They are predicting about 140+ meteors per hour. Get away from the city lights and go out around midnight to see the show! Oh and it will be a new moon on those nights, so that will be great!

click image to enlarge

CS!

LEONID METEOR SHOWER

cjonesrocks10@hotmail.com (John) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:57:00 +0000

don't forget about the LEONID METEOR SHOWER tonight and tomorrow night. Thats the early morning of the 17th and the early morning of the 18th. Those will be the best dates to see the meteors. Look Northeast, East to the Leo constellation. The best time to go out is 4am thats when Leo will be high enough in the sky.

In North America they are reporting about 20-30mph (meteors per hour). Asia however will get the best show of about 300 or so meteors per hour.

So get out to a nice dark location and get ready for some action!!!!

hope all of you will have clear skies!

click image to enlarge

12,000

cjonesrocks10@hotmail.com (John) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:54:00 +0000

Hey! The blog just got 12,000 unique hits! thanks everyone who has stopped by and read my ramble! I really appreciate it!

CS!

John D.

Bright Object ( Aliens up there?)

cjonesrocks10@hotmail.com (John) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:30:00 +0000

I was Outside playing lazer tag with my little brothers tonight. While playing we saw a very bright object going across the sky, it was around 6:18pm. We all thought it was a big plane until it started to fade away. I went inside and checked the Satellite tracker to see if any bright satellites were flying over. Well sure enough the ISS (International space station) was flying over. It was incredible how bright it was. I really thought it was a plane until it started to fade away. It was brighter than Jupiter.

Really cool!

CS!

Night Reports

cjonesrocks10@hotmail.com (John) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:29:00 +0000

I deleted the "night report" blog because i wasn't really posting any reports. I will just write them here if i do write any.

CS!

Pictures Moon & Jupiter

cjonesrocks10@hotmail.com (John) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:09:00 +0000

Got some images last night of The moon and Jupiter. The Jupiter pictures weren't to good. Posted them in my photo section.

sunspot 1029

cjonesrocks10@hotmail.com (John) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:40:00 +0000

sunspot 1029 is just about to go off the edge of the sun. The last day to see it is 10/29/09 . hey look at that! Sunspot 1029 is leaving us on 10/29! This has been the most active sunspot this year!

CS!

Sunspot

cjonesrocks10@hotmail.com (John) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:56:00 +0000

big sunspot out right now. its almost near the eastern edge so you only have about a day or two left to catch it. To bad its cloudy here. This has been the most active sunspot of the year so far. And i can't view it!!!!

Photo credit: SOHO/MDI

Monday Moon!

cjonesrocks10@hotmail.com (John) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:42:00 +0000

Monday evening October 26th the Moon and Jupiter will be side my side! So Monday look to the south around 6:30pm.

click image to enlarge

CS!

Jupiter images

cjonesrocks10@hotmail.com (John) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:41:00 +0000

Just got some new Jupiter images from last night 10/21/09. posted in the photo section

Moon mission

cjonesrocks10@hotmail.com (John) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:33:00 +0000

Well, everyone was wondering why there wasn't a plume after LCROSS smashed into the moon. Well The LCROSS team has just come out and said there was indeed a plume, and they have some pictures of it

When the Centaur hit the moon it caused a plume about 4 miles wide. Here is a picture the LCROSS spacecraft took 15 seconds after Centaur hit the moon. you can see a plume.

The had Nine cameras and spectrometers on LCROSS captured every second of the Centaur's impact.

The LCROSS teams hasn't yet determined if there is any water on the moon. It could take weeks going through all the data before knowing.
The LCROSS team is calling this "a smashing success."

This whole thing is quite fascinating. Well done LCROSS Science team!!

Here is more information from NASA

moon mission

cjonesrocks10@hotmail.com (John) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:40:00 +0000

This is a animated video of what it will look like.
video

CS!

moon mission update

cjonesrocks10@hotmail.com (John) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:27:00 +0000

On October 9th 7:30am (est) You will be able to watch the LCROSS lunar impact on NASA.tv LIVE.
I can't wait, it looks like its going to be cloudy here. Glad NASA will be broadcasting it!

CS!

moon mission

cjonesrocks10@hotmail.com (John) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:12:00 +0000

Friday October 9th around 7:30am (EST) LCROSS will crash into the moons southern pole. why? to analyze the presence of any water and hydrocarbons. And you might be able to view it with your telescope.

Where exactly will this happen? Its going to collide in the Cabeus crater in the southern pole. it will be hard to locate, so you might want to try finding it now, before it happens. When it happens there will be a cloud coming from Cabeus, thats how you will know you found it. The mission scientist say the cloud of debris could be 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) over the rim of Cabeus. that's pretty high! Here are some images of the crash site here to help you locate the site.

Another satellite (LRO) will be orbiting the moon at low altitude about 31 miles examining the crash. For about a year.

so get your telescope ready!

location of the moon Oct. 9th 7:30 Virginia.

the impact site (image from NASA)

Taking a break.

cjonesrocks10@hotmail.com (John) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 23:50:00 +0000

You might have noticed i haven't posted much. I'm taking a break from Observing. I don't think i will be posting much if anything on the blog.

I will return!

CS!

The sun is having some activity. two sunspots have popped up.

Photo credit: SOHO/MDI

hubble telescope images.

cjonesrocks10@hotmail.com (John) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 23:54:00 +0000

Nasa has released some really awesome images from their Hubble telescope and wow they are stunning.

you can view these images here

number 3 looks soo cool!

Big bright moon.

cjonesrocks10@hotmail.com (John) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 14:36:00 +0000

wow was the moon bright last night. i did get a chance to take some images. images

Jupiter impact

cjonesrocks10@hotmail.com (John) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 23:54:00 +0000

Some more news on Jupiter's impact. The impact site is not just growing larger, but it also seems to be developing two lobes.

spaceweather.com has had continues updates about this. to read more go to spaceweather.com

and to find when you will be able to view the impact--> "The cloud is located near Jupiter's System II longitude 210°. For the predicted times when it will cross the planet's central meridian, add 2 hours and 6 minutes to Sky and Telescope's predicted transit times for Jupiter's Great Red Spot." quoted from Spaceweather.com

New toy!

cjonesrocks10@hotmail.com (John) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 23:53:00 +0000

find out what! my equipment !!

Jupiter 7/24/09

cjonesrocks10@hotmail.com (John) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 20:37:00 +0000

have some new photo of jupiter from last night in my photo section.

didn't get the impact site. maybe some other time.

NASA confirms something hit jupiter.

cjonesrocks10@hotmail.com (John) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 15:22:00 +0000

NASA has confirmed something hit jupiter. the hit is located at the south polar region of the planet. exactly 15 years ago Jupiter was impacted by a comet Shoemaker-Levy 9.

for more about this NASA

Image credit: NASA/JPL/Infrared Telescope Facility

IMPACT ON JUPITER

cjonesrocks10@hotmail.com (John) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 01:24:00 +0000

Some amateur astronomers have notices a black area on jupiters clouds. it was discovered On July 19th. It looks pretty cool. if you have a telescope and its clear check it out. its on the top of the planet.

here is a link to the picture from spaceweather

as soon as it clears i will see if i can get some images.

CS!