Observation Post- Thanksgiving Break

Date: November 26, 27, 28
Time: 11:00 PM - 1:00 AM (6 hours total)
Place: Sarasota, FL
Sky conditions: Mostly clear, slightly cloudy at times

Instruments used: Sky map app

Bright stars noted: Polaris, Delta Cephei, Mira, Gamma Andromeda

Constellations noted: Pegasus, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Orion, Ursa Minor, Cetus, Andromeda

Notes: Observed the moon in first quarter phase on the 28th

Observation - November 6th

Date: November 6th
Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Place: Sarasota, FL
Sky conditions: Clear

Instruments used: Sky map app

Bright stars noted: Gamma Andromeda, Polaris

Constellations noted: Ursa Minor, Andromeda

Notes: The full moon could be seen very easily since it was so clear.

APOD 2.4

M1 The Crab Nebula: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap141121.html

The Crab Nebula is the first thing on Charles Messier's 18th century list of things that are not comets. The Crab is in fact a supernova remnant, debris from the explosion of a dying star, witnessed by astronomers in 1054. Near the nebula's center is a neutron star spinning 30 times a second called the Crab Pulsar. This nebula looks really cool cause it looks almost electric, as if it's made up of lightning bolts. 

APOD 2.3

Welcome to a Comet: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap141114.html

The Rosetta Mission lander is safely on a comet,C67/P Churyumov-Gerasimenko. In the bottom left, one of Philae's feet can be seen. A surface panorama suggest that the lander is slightly tilted and near a shadowing wall, with the lander's solar panels receiving less light than hoped for. I love this photo cause it's really cool that we have successfully put a lander on a comet and are able to explore it through the images. 

APOD 2.2

Sh2-155: The Cave Nebula: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap141106.html

About 2,400 years away, the Cave Nebula lies along the plane of the Milky Way, near Cepheus. It has formed at the boundary of the Cepheus B molecular cloud and the stars of the Cepheus OB 3 association. The ionization is driven by radiation, which is likely causes new stars to form. This nebula is 10 light years across.

APOD 2.1

October 29th, 2014- Iridescent Cloud Edge Over Colorado: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap141029.html

This image was taken during a partial solar eclipse, which was blocked by clouds for the photographer. Iridescence occurred in a nearby cloud, which is the diffraction of sunlight around a thin layer of nearly equal sized water droplets. Contrails from an airplane are visible on the right side of this photo, too. This photo is very unique because it's very dark with a splash of colors in the center, along with the seemingly blinding white light, which actually is contrails from an airplane.