Hey all!

I'm going camping this weekend and I'm going to take my old trusty 'Scope with me. Could you reccomend a web site that would be useful to give me the...er... head's up on what coolness I can find this weekend?

I should note that I am particularly intrested in info planets.

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Carl Matherly

Offical Battlestar Galactica Apologist

Named Time Magazine's 2006 "Person of the Year"

If you're up before dawn, check out Venus and Mercury near the eastern horizon.

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Any day you wake up on "the right side of the dirt" is a good day.

T. Anderson

Cool! That's the sort of thing I'm intrested in! I've never seen the phases of those two planets and I'd like to try to see 'em!

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Carl Matherly

Offical Battlestar Galactica Apologist

Named Time Magazine's 2006 "Person of the Year"

I would suggest a visit to your local library or book store, and pick up a copy of "Turn Left at Orion". If it is a recent edition, it will give locations of the planets. And the heart of the book is over 100 of the best things to look at through a small telescope, with wonderful descriptions and useful drawings.

If you really have your heart set on using the Web, [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_razz.gif[/img] there are a number of sites that have online planitarium software. A few of them that you might find useful are:

http://www.wunderground.com/sky/index.asp

http://mystarslive.com/

http://www.intellicast.com/Star/

and of course, Sky Online presents a weekly sky at a glance list of stuff to look for.

http://www.skypub.com/sights/sights.shtml

Thanks aurorae!

Oh yea, Jupiter and Saturn are gonna look COOL!

__________________
Carl Matherly

Offical Battlestar Galactica Apologist

Named Time Magazine's 2006 "Person of the Year"

Bad news! [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_frown.gif[/img] Venus is heading for superior conjunction (it's on the far side of the Sun). Therefore, it is waxing gibbous (not quite round dot) and on the far side of the sun (make that a very small, not round dot). Bummer!

__________________
Any day you wake up on "the right side of the dirt" is a good day.

T. Anderson

{Carl wanders back in from his camping trip muttering something about "^&^#ing overcast skys"}

__________________
Carl Matherly

Offical Battlestar Galactica Apologist

Named Time Magazine's 2006 "Person of the Year"

Too bad about the skies.

What was Ol' Trusty, again?

Oh no!

Unfortunately, that's the one thing that we can't guard against or plan for.

Sorry, Carl