The Constellations, and Night Sky Observations

[Morpheus]

Since the sky was clear and the stars clarid the other night, I put a seat out to observe.
Just a minute later, a falling star leisurely came down by the tail of Scorpio, at the southern end of the Milky Way.
Then a few minutes later, a bright illumination appeared to the North, a rock apparently heading in my direction. No tail or movement. A bright flash, and it was gone.

Then another few minutes, a satellite appeared overhead, like a bright star moving from North to South. Clouds started moving in from the East, as predicted, curling in from the Gulf to the south. So I went back in.




Prior, the night before,
Got up the around 2 am. House darkened with a nightlight shining here and there.
Not a sound... except the ticking of a clock. Out the window, the Moon's light bore through a cloudy sky. Just visible.

When I opened the door and walked outside, however, I was immediately inundated with sound! A symphony of Crickets in chorus, and chirping songbirds in the dark, chatting about what a nice warm spring evening it is , no doubt.
Their joy, contagious.

"But I am constant as the northern star, Of whose true-fix'd and resting quality.
There is no fellow in the firmament. The skies are painted with unnumber'd sparks..."

From Shakespeare.

An early evening sky...

[Morpheus]

Tonight the Milky Way was bright, especially towards the tail of Scorpio.

I spotted what looked lie a satellite, but it blinked repeatedly on and off. Dim to bright...dim to bright...as it moved across the heavens.

Apparently space debris tumbling in it's orbit, around Earth. First time I'd seen this, but, we are informed that there are a great many debris objects floating out there.

[Morpheus]

Just the other early evening... Colors galore.

[Morpheus]

Last night, wandering out as usual to observe the heavens, I waited for a while... noting the brightness of the Milky Way band.

Just before turning to go back in, a shooting star overhead apeared, large and quick. Like a bullet! Leaveing behined a trail of Light, for just a second.
It must have been rather large, perhaps as large as the wheelbarrow outside on the ground. On the way back in I pondered how something of Nature, so large, could move so fast!
Here and gone, right above us in the atmosphere.

[Morpheus]

Synchronicity Evident. Connectedness of all things...

After posting elsewhere about a tracking site involving space debris falling into the atmosphere, I walked out last night and spotted two "travelling stars" right off, moving from North to South. One following the other about four fingers apart when holding my hand up.
As they flew over, the rear began to drift from the lead object's path, diverting to the west a bit, before they both faded out, losing the Sun's reflection.

Very apparently debris, and not satellites.

http://www.satview.org/decay.php

morpheus

i love watching the sky. in the last year i have seen two fireballs.

have you heard of the 13th constellation-ophiuchus? it is near scorpio. there is a cherokee phophecy about it. i can't remember exactly what now, but it is supposed to be visable now.

[Morpheus]

Yes, thanks Elisi. Opiuchus curiously seems to come up alot lately in various discussions.

[Morpheus]

Amateur scientists revive dormant, "Dead", 36 year old satellite, to set it on a Lunar orbit.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2684345/Zombie-spacecraft-rescued-abyss-fires-thrusters-time-20-years.html

[Morpheus]

This weekend the Perseids Meteor Shower is supposed to take place, but just post Full Moon, it may not be much of an event.

It's interesting to me how many events advertised fall flat, but, on any other given night here, I might see a great show.
I was outside overnight about a week ago, and in just a few minutes I got to see a couple of high velocity shooting stars flying overhead within just a few minutes of each other, as well as the normal looking meteor with a nice glowing residual tail also.
As well as a man made satellite passing by.

All within just a few minutes!

Going out lately, I see the Pleiades high in the Eastern sky, the large constellation of Auriga, and if I go out again later before sunset, Orion is rising over the horizon sideways.
All indications of the end of the warm season approaching.

[Morpheus]

Well, on the night of the SuperMoon, in the early morning hours actually, went out for a few, and gazed.
Got to see some pretty dazzling shooting stars, to the East, despite the brightness of the Moon. Could be compared with the brightness of a welder's arc, I suppose.

Almost looking animated with their residual tail. But only lasting a split second.