Happy winter/summer solstice, everybody!

[freebeard]

If you're out in the country, cows think it's twilight and start running for the barn.

But it's not like twilight, more like a gray filter. The colors don't change.

[Gasoline Fumes]

Hey, where's 2022's snowy Pontiac?

[freebeard]

Will this do?


justacarguy.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-weatherman-says-winter-storm-kade.html

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by Gasoline Fumes

Hey, where's 2022's snowy Pontiac?

Forgot!

(Thanks, freebeard.)


I almost posted a Happy Perihelion message, though.


It's been poor solar observing conditions lately: this morning was the first time I've seen the shiny orb rise free of clouds in about 2 weeks. Unusually grey skies around here so far this winter.


I just read there's a comet in our neighbourhood though... I'll have to aim the new-to-me telescope at it.

On a voyage through the inner Solar System comet 2022 E3 will be at perihelion, its closest to the Sun, in the new year on January 12 and at perigee, its closest to our fair planet, on Feb. 1.


[...]


if we’re lucky the comet will be visible to the naked eye. It will look like a white smudge in the sky north of the Little Dipper, he said.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/othe...ct/ar-AA16avM6





https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2022_E3_(ZTF)


also https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essen...or-binoculars/

[Gasoline Fumes]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

I just read there's a comet in our neighbourhood though... I'll have to aim the new-to-me telescope at it.

Maybe I'll remember to look for it with my camera!

[MetroMPG]

I'm not sure what's going on in this pilfered photo....





I snapped this one yesterday morning. Stonehenge-esque solstice sunrise peeking through a pavilion in my favourite riverside park...





(The far shore is America, FYI. NY State.)



In other celestial trivia ... the waxing moon will be just to the left of bright Jupiter tonight. It appeared on the right side last night.

[freebeard]

I called my son, but I'd forgotten this thread.

You mentioned a total eclipse in 2024. When does that happen?

[MetroMPG]

April 8, 2024 — Great North American Eclipse (Total Solar Eclipse)


The path of totality for this total solar eclipse runs through Mexico, the United States, and Canada.


https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2024-april-8

And there was an annular eclipse visible through south & western parts of the US a couple of months ago. My sister considered travelling to see it, but ultimately didn't.

[freebeard]

Thanx.

I've seen IIRC four so far. The best one was at the Stonehenge replica at Marysville, WA, in 1979. The Druids showed up and banished a big storm cloud [about the size of the Battlestar Galactica] so we could see it.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by freebeard

You mentioned a total eclipse in 2024. When does that happen?

Did anybody else get to see it?


This was my first total eclipse, and it was pretty amazing.



It clouded over in my little city about an hour before totality, so we raced down the freeway (note: very un-hypermiling behavior!) towards blue skies.


We weren't the only ones with that idea: the rest stop where we pulled off was packed. Lots of people had hit the road for a better view.


I was particularly surprised by how bright it stayed out even when only the tiniest sliver of the sun's surface was visible. Darkness fell bizarrely quickly when it came.