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Old 29-07-2022, 20:41   #1
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The Stars, a ramble.

Circumstantially, our driveway is at the same angle as our boat slip.

In February I’ll sometimes look at the Big Dipper and, wiping snow from my face, think of sitting in the cockpit at an amazingly late 11pm, looking at that same star system.

Tonight we can see so many constellations. On a good night we can see the Milky Way. And behind it all, a haze.

But on remote Pacific islands there is no haze. Those are STARS! And one can see millions of stars. The sky is lit not by nearby towns, but by millions of sharp tiny stars.

Near urban light pollution it’s easy to see the few dozen stars as a delight. In the Pacific, I realize we’re one one of many, very many. It’s humbling.

I wish our skies looked like Pacific skies. Maybe we’d all be happier.
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Old 29-07-2022, 21:34   #2
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Re: The Stars, a ramble.

My Sport Hobby for decades has been scuba diving. In 1998 I witness the Sydney to Horvatt race you don’t want to look up then headed up to Cairns for a bit to teach scuba on a boat called The Atlantic Clipper of all things. 140’ steel and we had some nice pin locations. One night off gassing in the hot tub the visiting Canadian NAUI instructor begged the captain to turn off the lights just for a minute. He did the champ. Absolutely amazing.
As a young boy our scout leader took us out on a flat bed boat. We lied down and watched the astroid shooting star event we pass through every August.
Last summer my grandson and I used Jupiter to navigate on a night move.
Night sky without light pollution is one of the pleasures of boating
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Old 30-07-2022, 16:09   #3
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Re: The Stars, a ramble.

Just think, skies all over the world were mostly pretty clear, prior to industrialization. Fires and volcanoes were just about the only haze causers. Not only are the South Pacific night skies wondrous, but I really like dark at night, not street lights, and all the rest. It is super to look out the forehatch and see the stars brightly.

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Old 30-07-2022, 16:34   #4
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Re: The Stars, a ramble.

People look at me strangely when I tell them how much I love ocean sailing at night.
Until I take them out and they see for themselves.
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Old 30-07-2022, 17:30   #5
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Re: The Stars, a ramble.

A college friend of mine, a physics Nobel winner, spent the last 20 years working on the Webb telescope. He's 76 now, at the twilight of his career, and can you imagine the joy he is experiencing as those photographs come in? Not just stars, but galaxies forming 13 billion years ago. Awesome!
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Old 30-07-2022, 18:35   #6
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pirate Re: The Stars, a ramble.

They're pretty cool in the mountains as well..
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Old 30-07-2022, 18:53   #7
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Re: The Stars, a ramble.

Stellarium

This is a great site for star, planet, Milky Way, etc. location/identification anywhere in the world.

If interested just take a bit of time to figure out how to set it up for your area and you will be richly rewarded

Among other things you can adjust time so you can see later at night. I always try and see Orion rising here when I wake up this time of year around 3:30 - 4:00am when at anchor. As we get into Fall etc he rises earlier and earlier.

Back in the day he would rise at about 6 pm in Winter and be totally on his side as I was headed due East from Mobile to Pensacola, FL on I-10.

He was huge and just above the horizon.

You can also click on stars etc to check their distance in light years

https://stellarium-web.org/
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Old 30-07-2022, 18:59   #8
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Re: The Stars, a ramble.

Thanks Tetepare for the imagery and reminding us of one of the many reasons we are in love with being out there...
and how about those nights when the sea is so calm the sky of stars is reflected in the sea?
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Old 30-07-2022, 20:37   #9
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Re: The Stars, a ramble.

On our trips from Adelaide South Australia to Hobart TAS ,generally in late January ,once clear of Cape Jervis we head south,past the Pages until off soundings ,then either bear off,or tack for S S West Cape Tasmania once clear of the land we sail by the stars ,where possible ,the night sky out there is magic true deep sea ,going to the wooden boat festival.⛵️⚓️
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Old 30-07-2022, 21:22   #10
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Re: The Stars, a ramble.

It was always one of my pleasures.
The Sky at night on the ocean. Still is on the rare occasion I can see it well.
I live in a rural area so getting away from light pollution not so hard.
I recently got myself a nice telescope. Wouldn’t work to well on a boat but it’s fun to see things I’d never seen before.
In the past I was limited to what I could see with a good pair of binos.
Now I can see the rings of Saturn the moons of Jupiter and the Andromeda Galaxie.
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Old 30-07-2022, 23:29   #11
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Re: The Stars, a ramble.

Reminds me of one magical night crossing from Bahia Concepcion to Guaymas. It was an absolutely windless night with really still water. I was on watch while my buddy was down below sleeping. A slight breeze came over the stern and i decided to unroll the 120 and shut the engine down. The sound was a slight ripple from the bow. The auto pilot guided the boat and I went forward to enjoy the silence. I stood inside the bow pulpit and gazed out. What I saw was magical. There was no moon or city light to obstruct the view of the stars. That's when I noticed that the great mass of the stars reflected it's image in the water and created the illusion of being a body traveling through space. It was an amazing sensation.
That's what I love about sailing...the fact that these gifts present themselves when you least expect it. You just have to show up.
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Old 31-07-2022, 00:31   #12
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Re: The Stars, a ramble.

Quote:
Originally Posted by tkeithlu View Post
A college friend of mine, a physics Nobel winner, spent the last 20 years working on the Webb telescope. He's 76 now, at the twilight of his career, and can you imagine the joy he is experiencing as those photographs come in? Not just stars, but galaxies forming 13 billion years ago. Awesome!
Light travels at the speed of light and time stands still at the speed of light, then the photons that left those galaxies 13 billion years ago took 13 billion years to get here from our perspective but are simultaneously at the galaxy and on the reflectors of his telescope from the photons perspective - no time passed. But that galaxy is not there anymore, it is travelling away from us at the speed of light.

So the photon was simultaneously at the galaxy and at the telescope 13 billion years before the telescope was made.

Or so they say 🙂
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