Total Eclipse of the Moon

DanKH · Post by **DanKH** » 04 Mar 2007, 19:08

Garry Russell wrote:it is one of the brighter stars

I might just add that Saturn is not a star but a planet... ;-)

jab · Post by **jab** » 04 Mar 2007, 19:56

Garry Russell wrote: Try and get away from city light pollution.

Garry

My street has street lamps but if its bright then I must have seen it unless thats Venus but I look with some Binocs(I cant spell it you might know what I am on about) Garry the Sun is a Star

Thanks for info
James

petermcleland · Post by **petermcleland** » 04 Mar 2007, 20:00

...the eclipse occurred just below the constellation Leo and just to the right of that was the planet Saturn.

Find Leo the lion and Saturn is at the moment just to the right of the lions head (shaped like a question mark). Saturn is brighter that all the Leo stars and any other nearby stars...A good clue when you look at it through binocs is that it does not "Twinkle" like the nearby stars but the light remains steady as it is a Planet with some dimension rather than an infinitely tiny spec of a Star, enlarged and flashing due to our atmosphere. I also has a good elevation for viewing as it is a bit higher in the sky than the Moon was yesterday. Binocs can only reveal a suggestion of the ring system...You would need a telescope to really see them properly.

Post by **Garry Russell** » 04 Mar 2007, 20:02

Yes Dan

But when you look at the stars Saturn (the planet) is one of the brightest

Planet means wandering star :nahnah:

Garry

Kevin Farnell · Post by **Kevin Farnell** » 05 Mar 2007, 00:40

Garry Russell wrote:
Planet means wandering star :nahnah:

Garry

Not a true definition.

A star is a huge ball of hydrogen gas undergoing nuclear fusion to form higher mass elements. Our Sun (Sol) is a star.
A planet is a body greater than a defined mass (this has recently been updated), in circular orbit around our Sun.
Planets orbiting other stars (suns), are defined as exo-planets.
A moon (satellite) is a body in orbit around a planet.
That which we commonly refer to as a satellite, is infact an artificial satellite.

Confused?

Regards

Kevin

Post by **Garry Russell** » 05 Mar 2007, 01:29

Kevin

I know that all that and have done for about forty years

The word planet means wandering star

A name given before they knew what they were and called them that to mean the wanderers or more specifically the stars that wandered.

It was not a definition of a panet versus a star :huf:

it was the meaning of the word from ancient times

I'm not confused at all

Garry

airboatr · Post by **airboatr** » 05 Mar 2007, 04:36

:think:
It must be the full moon thing ........
:gigle:

Jetset · Post by **Jetset** » 05 Mar 2007, 05:38

Those pictures were fantastic, especially the outlines of the craters. Has anyone got any pictures they have taken of Saturn? I would love to see them.