The Dogmother Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Ahhh, I see. What a pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dippy bird Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Frosty here in Macclesfield - hope it stays cold and dry now, none of this mild flu and bug spreading weather here here spoke to soon! I feel really rough today! Sore throat, runny nose and a rotten headache. I was only saying the other week that I haven't had a cold for about two years.Me and my big mouth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Winter has well and truely landed here today. It's bitter, glad I shut the chooks up last night. I was a bit worried because i knew I was working all day today and I was sure that I would forget to open them up, but I didn't Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 Sleet last night here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 And here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 Pah! No snow here yet, although yesterday I did have to s"Ooops, word censored!"e the inside of the windscreen, and drove to work with little bits of frost floating around me in the car until it all melted I know winter is here when I can see Orion in the night sky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 I'd spotted 'The Big Man' too Claire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 I keep wondering if Betelgeuse is still there or are we looking at the shadow of a former star, as it is so far away. I know it applies to all stars but there's just something about the stars in Orion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 The whole concept is truly mind-boggling, isn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted December 3, 2009 Author Share Posted December 3, 2009 Orion is best seen during the winter in the Northern Hemisphere, and during the summer in the Southern Hemisphere. Orion looks very much like a person. Orion's Belt is made of three bright stars in a straight line. One of Orion's legs is represented by the bright star Rigel, one of the brightest stars in the night sky. His two shoulders are made of the stars Bellatrix and Betelgeuse. You can see Betelgeuse's reddish color without a telescope. Other bright stars make up the two arms, one which holds a shield, and another that carries a club. Many different civilizations saw this constellation in the sky. The most famous stories come from Greek and Roman myths. Orion was a famed hunter, and in one story boasted that no creature could kill him. Hera then sent a scorpion to sting the hunter. Orion smashed the animal with his club, but not before he was poisoned. Both are now on opposite sides of the sky. They cannot be seen at the same time. A different story tells of the love between Orion and the goddess, Artemis. One day, Orion was swimming out in the sea. Apollo, who very much disliked the man, bet his sister that she couldn't hit the object in the sea with her bow. Artemis didn't realize it was her lover, and shot Orion with an arrow. When she later found out what she had done, she honored the hunter by putting him in the sky. There are several clusters and nebulae to view in this awesome constellation. The famous Orion Nebula is located in Orion's sword, which hangs from the belt. It is so bright, that even the naked eye can see the fuzzy patch. It looks spectacular even with a small telescope or binoculars. There are numerous other objects in Orion, so scan the constellation with a telescope or binoculars on a clear night! You can do a little simple star hopping here http://www.astrocentral.co.uk/starting.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted December 4, 2009 Share Posted December 4, 2009 Just been looking at your photo's - lovely views peeps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted December 4, 2009 Share Posted December 4, 2009 I think it was a picture of the Horsehead Nebula, which my mum must have stuck on my bedroom wall when I was little, that started my interest in astronomy. Thankfully, I was able to spend a lot of time stargazing during family holidays in North Yorkshire, where there was almost no light pollution Unfortunately, everything here takes on a nasty orange glow in the winter, due to the horrid street lights Looks like the whole city has been tango'd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
