Does anyone on this forum have an interest in or have any knowledge about astronomy? My twin brother will not shut up about it. :pan: I told him I would try to read up on it over the summer just so I can know what he is talking about, but I just couldn't get myself in to it. My vision is just not as good as his, so I wouldn't be able to see everything he can anyways. My dad recently bought the 1.5k Orion XT10 go-to motorized telescope for him. We invite our neighbors over occasionally to view things in it including the soon-to-fade Great Red Spot and the Rings of Saturn. Now he wants a Camera for capturing high-quality photos so that might be another $500. Since he hasn't even started studying to get his permit I will be the one driving him to dark-sky places (once I get my license) and as a roadgeek I do not mind this.
My school had an Astronomy course up until my 8th grade year, so I missed it by one year. I may put some of his photos here later.
I love astronomy too. Few things are better than a nice, dark, clear night sky.
Quote from: ozarkman417 on September 21, 2019, 08:32:24 PM
including the soon-to-fade Great Red Spot
We still don't know for sure what will happen to it.
Quote from: the article belowScientists are hesitant to predict what will happen to the Great Red Spot in the coming years. The storm may continue to contract. It could also rebound and swell.
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/04/jupiter-shrinking-great-red-spot/557456/
Used to be into Astronomy as a kid but it was one of many hobbies I didn't keep up with after leaving the Mid-West. I would imagine some of the night skies in the Sierras or Mojave Desert would have some kick ass clear views.
Been interested in astronomy since about 8 years old.
Went to the Richmond Astronomical Society skywatch Friday. Jupiter and Saturn were the main attractions. The ISS flew over at about 8:00 pm, and that is always a great sight, it is about as bright as Jupiter.
Astronomy was always my favorite science. Can't see many stars at home any more due to all the light pollution (we can see Orion at the correct time of year and not a whole lot else). It made our trip out west in 2015 a real treat when we stayed at a B&B in Utah's Valley of the Gods–an isolated area with very dark skies and no other buildings for a good 14 miles–on the night of a total lunar eclipse. It had been probably 30 years since I'd seen anywhere near that many stars plus the Milky Way.
My high school had a planetarium and the astronomy course was held there. I liked it a lot both because I got a good grade and because it was one of the very few air-conditioned rooms in the school.
Quote from: ozarkman417 on September 21, 2019, 08:32:24 PM
Does anyone on this forum have an interest in or have any knowledge about astronomy? My twin brother will not shut up about it. :pan:
Be enthusiastic about it! Tell him you love astronomy and that you're a Scorpio
Quote from: kurumi on September 22, 2019, 12:24:46 PM
Quote from: ozarkman417 on September 21, 2019, 08:32:24 PM
Does anyone on this forum have an interest in or have any knowledge about astronomy? My twin brother will not shut up about it. :pan:
Be enthusiastic about it! Tell him you love astronomy and that you're a Scorpio
Libra*
I was really into astronomy a lot when I was younger. In college I was a member of a club that included weekly trips out the the campus observatory. Given that Clarkson is in a small town in the North Country, and the observatory was at the edge of town near the small airport, there was a good view with a lot less light pollution than I'm used to. Highlights of what we would see include Jupiter, Saturn, the Orion Nebula, the Andromeda Galaxy, and Alberio. We also looked up close at the Moon a couple times. One time we even caught a faint glimpse of the northern lights!
One of the things I do is substitute teach at local area middle schools and high schools. I'm currently teaching Earth and space science in a planetarium classroom at a nearby middle school. I use a lot of the pics and videos I've collected over the years. The planetarium dome gives me the largest screen in the school. Of course, teaching in the planetarium automatically makes me one of the "cool teachers."
Got to watch the space station pass overhead just after sunset a few nights ago and explain it to the kids the next day.
I had an interest in astronomy and stargazing when I was younger, but I still like to explore more of the night sky, a window to the universe with our telescopes to see more of it (galaxies, nebulas, pulsars, etc).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY7h4VEd_Wk
"Astronomy" rocks!
Rick
Quote from: kurumi on September 22, 2019, 12:24:46 PM
Quote from: ozarkman417 on September 21, 2019, 08:32:24 PM
Does anyone on this forum have an interest in or have any knowledge about astronomy? My twin brother will not shut up about it. :pan:
Be enthusiastic about it! Tell him you love astronomy and that you're a Scorpio
If somebody is actually interested in astronomy, talking about star signs is the fastest way to make them hate you.
Quote from: US 89 on October 13, 2019, 09:55:37 PM
Quote from: kurumi on September 22, 2019, 12:24:46 PM
Be enthusiastic about it! Tell him you love astronomy and that you're a Scorpio
If somebody is actually interested in astronomy, talking about star signs is the fastest way to make them hate you.
Astrology and astronomy are two very-similar sounding words, but refer to entirely different things.
Astronomy is my backup passion behind meteorology. Love learning about space
Quote from: nexus73 on October 13, 2019, 09:44:45 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY7h4VEd_Wk
"Astronomy" rocks!
Rick
Gag. That remake is awful. The original is much better, as is the live version from the 1970s.
And this cover isn't too shabby either.
For two interesting near-daily updated astronomy sites, Google NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) and Phil Plait's Bad Astronomy.
Quote from: Beltway on October 13, 2019, 10:03:35 PMAstrology and astronomy are two very-similar sounding words, but refer to entirely different things.
They aren't entirely different - in fact they used to be part of the exact same thing (hence the similar words) that we split into two.
You have beginner level grunt work: 'star arranging', looking at where the stars (and planets, etc) move in relation to each other. This was (and still is) pretty pointless without 'star study' asking "why" and "so what" questions.
For some reason* 'star study' is a dirty word among those who do it (do it using modern methodologies and the like), so they don't use it - leaving it for the quacks to own, and keeping life in the nonsense of stars aligning and Jupiter falling in Aquarius and the like.
*other fields don't do this. We don't reject the word science because mainstream science in Europe for a few hundred years ending ~1600 was basically just study of Aristotle and nothing more than slight adjustments of his thought - eg there's 5 senses (we know there's more, they knew in Aristotle's day there's more, but as the Greek guy said that the number of senses match the number of elements, and that there are 4 elements so 4 senses (with aether and taste added later on)). Perhaps it is because the Greek guy (despite being the root of most medieval stuff we point and laugh at) is treated as merely outdated, but the Babylonian/Egyptian/etc roots of astrology as a field discredits it as they are barbarian cultures - despite them both being people spouting nonsense.
Quote from: english si on October 15, 2019, 12:07:44 PM
Quote from: Beltway on October 13, 2019, 10:03:35 PMAstrology and astronomy are two very-similar sounding words, but refer to entirely different things.
They aren't entirely different - in fact they used to be part of the exact same thing (hence the similar words) that we split into two.
Well, no, they come from antiquity and from entirely different concepts. Astronomy is scientific and astrology is a religion.
Per Wikipedia --
Astronomy (from Greek: ἀστρονομία) is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, galaxies, and comets. Relevant phenomena include supernova explosions, gamma ray bursts, quasars, blazars, pulsars, and cosmic microwave background radiation. More generally, astronomy studies everything that originates outside Earth's atmosphere.
Astrology is a pseudoscience that claims to divine information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the movements and relative positions of celestial objects. Western astrology, one of the oldest astrological systems still in use, can trace its roots to 19th—17th century BCE Mesopotamia, from which it spread to Ancient Greece, Rome, the Arab world and eventually Central and Western Europe. Contemporary Western astrology is often associated with systems of horoscopes that purport to explain aspects of a person's personality and predict significant events in their lives based on the positions of celestial objects; the majority of professional astrologers rely on such systems.
The word astrology comes from the early Latin word astrologia, which derives from the Greek ἀστρολογία–from ἄστρον astron ("star") and -λογία -logia, ("study of"–"account of the stars"). Astrologia later passed into meaning 'star-divination' with astronomia used for the scientific term.Divination is an occultic religion.
Quote from: Beltway on October 15, 2019, 12:33:07 PMWell, no, they come from antiquity and from entirely different concepts. Astronomy is scientific and astrology is a religion.
Astronomy in antiquity was astrology. The idea that they are different things is something we made up when we changed the methodology we did astrology by to the modern scientific method.
The issue here is unlike biology, physics, etc, we didn't keep the name of the academic field - instead picking up the name of the grunt work and using that to describe the new field. Pretty much all science did literally used to be applied ancient philosophy (normally pretending the world matches the philosophy - eg we have the same number of senses as there are elements and ignore/conflate other senses to get that number) and the problem is that Astrology used Babylonian philosophy rather than Aristotelian.
Quote from: english si on October 15, 2019, 01:00:58 PM
The idea that they are different things is something we made up when we changed the methodology we did astrology by to the modern scientific method.
It must be tough to publish horoscopes each day when you have to get peer review.
Quote from: english si on October 15, 2019, 01:00:58 PM
Quote from: Beltway on October 15, 2019, 12:33:07 PMWell, no, they come from antiquity and from entirely different concepts. Astronomy is scientific and astrology is a religion.
Astronomy in antiquity was astrology. The idea that they are different things is something we made up when we changed the methodology we did astrology by to the modern scientific method.
I quoted the Greek reference, and that is from the ancient Greek language, and this -is- in the time of antiquity.
In early historic times, astronomy only consisted of the observation and predictions of the motions of objects visible to the naked eye. People have always watched the sky and noted the various planets and bright stars, the Moon, the Sun, comets, etc., irrespective of any religious import thereof.
Astrology has never been a science, it is a subset of occult religious practices.
Quote from: english si on October 15, 2019, 01:00:58 PM
Astronomy in antiquity was astrology. The idea that they are different things is something we made up when we changed the methodology we did astrology by to the modern scientific method.
The idea that the physical reality of how things in space work is a different concept from trying to tell fortunes based on them isn't "made up" - it's fact that in antiquity we hadn't necessarily figured out yet.
I'm more interested in our own ball of rock than the uninhabitable ones millions of miles away.
Quote from: thspfc on October 19, 2019, 09:59:01 AM
I'm more interested in our own ball of rock than the uninhabitable ones millions of miles away.
I was at an astronomical skywatch event yesterday, and the main attractions to the visitors were Saturn and Jupiter.
One of the amateur astronomers commented to me that he thinks there are over 100 advanced civilizations in our galaxy, but we both agreed that they are too far away for Earth to ever be able to make contact with.
Our galaxy the Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy with a diameter between 150,000 and 200,000 light-years. It is estimated to contain 100—400 billion stars and more than 100 billion planets.
Quote from: english si on October 15, 2019, 12:07:44 PM
They aren't entirely different - in fact they used to be part of the exact same thing (hence the similar words) that we split into two.
Well, you tried. It's weird how resistant some people are to this idea. To offer a different Wikipedia cite:
"Astrology and astronomy were archaically treated together (Latin: astrologia), and were only gradually separated in Western 17th century philosophy (the "Age of Reason") with the rejection of astrology. During the later part of the medieval period, astronomy was treated as the foundation upon which astrology could operate. Since the 18th century they have come to be regarded as completely separate disciplines."
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on October 19, 2019, 03:36:48 PM
Well, you tried. It's weird how resistant some people are to this idea. To offer a different Wikipedia cite:
"Astrology and astronomy were archaically treated together (Latin: astrologia), and were only gradually separated in Western 17th century philosophy (the "Age of Reason") with the rejection of astrology. During the later part of the medieval period, astronomy was treated as the foundation upon which astrology could operate. Since the 18th century they have come to be regarded as completely separate disciplines."
Well, that is what happens when Wikipedia is used as a source. It can be hit-or-miss especially on something that is controversial.
There never has been any "rejection of astrology", it is and always has been an occultic art, and the occult including astrology (use of horoscopes, etc.) has proliferated in the world in the last century.
Astrology is an ancient system in which the positions of the planets and stars are used for prophecy and divination. Of all the occult arts, astrology is the most enduringly popular, despite attempts by scientists to discredit it.http://occult-world.com/menu-divinations/astrology/
A prophecy is a message that is claimed by a prophet to have been communicated to them by a deity.
Divination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic, standardized process or ritual.
The discipline of the occult would be in the humanities, not in the sciences, as it is not scientific, it deals with the supernatural.
Quote from: Beltway on October 19, 2019, 08:55:22 PM
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on October 19, 2019, 03:36:48 PM
Well, you tried. It's weird how resistant some people are to this idea. To offer a different Wikipedia cite:
"Astrology and astronomy were archaically treated together (Latin: astrologia), and were only gradually separated in Western 17th century philosophy (the "Age of Reason") with the rejection of astrology. During the later part of the medieval period, astronomy was treated as the foundation upon which astrology could operate. Since the 18th century they have come to be regarded as completely separate disciplines."
Well, that is what happens when Wikipedia is used as a source. It can be hit-or-miss especially on something that is controversial.
Astrology isn't controversial. It's pretty much universally regarded as being fake.
Quote from: 1 on October 19, 2019, 09:01:20 PM
Astrology isn't controversial. It's pretty much universally regarded as being fake.
It is, with intelligent people. The problem is the universality of intelligence...
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on October 19, 2019, 09:13:52 PM
Quote from: 1 on October 19, 2019, 09:01:20 PM
Astrology isn't controversial. It's pretty much universally regarded as being fake.
It is, with intelligent people. The problem is the universality of intelligence...
The occult is a branch of religion, false religion IMHO.
Nevertheless, many people practice the occult (and astrology is an occultic practice).
Quote from: 1 on October 19, 2019, 09:01:20 PM
Astrology isn't controversial. It's pretty much universally regarded as being fake.
There's also no doubt that astrology and astronomy were two sides of the same coin until fairly recently. Yet, here we are.
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on October 19, 2019, 10:08:32 PM
There's also no doubt that astrology and astronomy were two sides of the same coin until fairly recently. Yet, here we are.
Astrology has always been an occultic practice, dealing with the supernatural, trying to get information from occultic sources (which are from demons).
Astronomy is a branch of science which deals with celestial objects, space, and the physical universe as a whole; the study of the physical characteristic of those bodies.
Quote from: Beltway on October 19, 2019, 10:23:12 PM
Astrology has always been an occultic practice, dealing with the supernatural, trying to get information from occultic sources (which are from demons).
Astronomy is a branch of science which deals with celestial objects, space, and the physical universe as a whole; the study of the physical characteristic of those bodies.
You really seem to have difficulty understanding that the scope of various fields, and the lines between them, change over time. What you say is true in the present, but it was not true in the past.
Quote from: Beltway on October 19, 2019, 10:23:12 PM
occultic sources (which are from demons).
Cool, you mean I can summon a demon by reading horoscopes? Badass.
Quote from: Duke87 on October 19, 2019, 11:11:23 PM
Quote from: Beltway on October 19, 2019, 10:23:12 PM
occultic sources (which are from demons).
Cool, you mean I can summon a demon by reading horoscopes? Badass.
Shit, I need to start buying a newspaper then. I have a few people that need a good demon infestation.
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on October 19, 2019, 11:16:42 PM
Quote from: Duke87 on October 19, 2019, 11:11:23 PM
Quote from: Beltway on October 19, 2019, 10:23:12 PM
occultic sources (which are from demons).
Cool, you mean I can summon a demon by reading horoscopes? Badass.
Shit, I need to start buying a newspaper then. I have a few people that need a good demon infestation.
I make money exorcising demons. Infest away.
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on October 19, 2019, 10:27:01 PM
Quote from: Beltway on October 19, 2019, 10:23:12 PM
Astrology has always been an occultic practice, dealing with the supernatural, trying to get information from occultic sources (which are from demons).
Astronomy is a branch of science which deals with celestial objects, space, and the physical universe as a whole; the study of the physical characteristic of those bodies.
You really seem to have difficulty understanding that the scope of various fields, and the lines between them, change over time. What you say is true in the present, but it was not true in the past.
I already provided documentation to the contrary.
Are you and the others that are taking that position somehow trying to legitimize astrology as being more than the occultic activity that it is?
Quote from: Beltway on October 19, 2019, 11:21:49 PM
Are you and the others that are taking that position somehow trying to legitimize astrology as being more than the occultic activity that it is?
Are you taking that position that you can't read?
Quote from: Duke87 on October 19, 2019, 11:11:23 PM
Quote from: Beltway on October 19, 2019, 10:23:12 PM
occultic sources (which are from demons).
Cool, you mean I can summon a demon by reading horoscopes? Badass.
You can get demonized by practicing astrology.
But not by looking thru your telescope at the sky.
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on October 19, 2019, 11:22:40 PM
Quote from: Beltway on October 19, 2019, 11:21:49 PM
Are you and the others that are taking that position somehow trying to legitimize astrology as being more than the occultic activity that it is?
Are you taking that position that you can't read?
I am looking at background motives that may not yet been specifically articulated.
Quote from: Beltway on October 19, 2019, 11:25:01 PM
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on October 19, 2019, 11:22:40 PM
Quote from: Beltway on October 19, 2019, 11:21:49 PM
Are you and the others that are taking that position somehow trying to legitimize astrology as being more than the occultic activity that it is?
Are you taking that position that you can't read?
I am looking at background motives that may not yet been specifically articulated.
Shit, you caught us! This forum is full of secret devil-worshipping astrologers. You probably shouldn't post here anymore to save your soul.
Quote from: corco on October 19, 2019, 11:51:49 PM
Quote from: Beltway on October 19, 2019, 11:25:01 PM
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on October 19, 2019, 11:22:40 PM
Quote from: Beltway on October 19, 2019, 11:21:49 PM
Are you and the others that are taking that position somehow trying to legitimize astrology as being more than the occultic activity that it is?
Are you taking that position that you can't read?
I am looking at background motives that may not yet been specifically articulated.
Shit, you caught us! This forum is full of secret devil-worshipping astrologers. You probably shouldn't post here anymore to save your soul.
No, not at all; it just seems that some posters are overly defensive about the history and practice of astrology.
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on October 19, 2019, 03:36:48 PM
Quote from: english si on October 15, 2019, 12:07:44 PM
They aren't entirely different - in fact they used to be part of the exact same thing (hence the similar words) that we split into two.
Well, you tried.
And I tried too. But now I'm done.
Quote from: Beltway on October 20, 2019, 12:22:24 AM
Quote from: corco on October 19, 2019, 11:51:49 PM
Quote from: Beltway on October 19, 2019, 11:25:01 PM
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on October 19, 2019, 11:22:40 PM
Quote from: Beltway on October 19, 2019, 11:21:49 PM
Are you and the others that are taking that position somehow trying to legitimize astrology as being more than the occultic activity that it is?
Are you taking that position that you can't read?
I am looking at background motives that may not yet been specifically articulated.
Shit, you caught us! This forum is full of secret devil-worshipping astrologers. You probably shouldn't post here anymore to save your soul.
No, not at all; it just seems that some posters are overly defensive about the history and practice of astrology.
Seems that reading comprehension is another failing practice.
Now where's my book of hexes...
Quote from: corco on October 19, 2019, 11:51:49 PM
Quote from: Beltway on October 19, 2019, 11:25:01 PM
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on October 19, 2019, 11:22:40 PM
Quote from: Beltway on October 19, 2019, 11:21:49 PM
Are you and the others that are taking that position somehow trying to legitimize astrology as being more than the occultic activity that it is?
Are you taking that position that you can't read?
I am looking at background motives that may not yet been specifically articulated.
Shit, you caught us! This forum is full of secret devil-worshipping astrologers. You probably shouldn't post here anymore to save your soul.
😈 (https://emojipedia.org/smiling-face-with-horns/)👿
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on October 20, 2019, 01:31:57 AM
Quote from: Beltway on October 20, 2019, 12:22:24 AM
Quote from: corco on October 19, 2019, 11:51:49 PM
Quote from: Beltway on October 19, 2019, 11:25:01 PM
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on October 19, 2019, 11:22:40 PM
Quote from: Beltway on October 19, 2019, 11:21:49 PM
Are you and the others that are taking that position somehow trying to legitimize astrology as being more than the occultic activity that it is?
Are you taking that position that you can't read?
I am looking at background motives that may not yet been specifically articulated.
Shit, you caught us! This forum is full of secret devil-worshipping astrologers. You probably shouldn't post here anymore to save your soul.
No, not at all; it just seems that some posters are overly defensive about the history and practice of astrology.
Seems that reading comprehension is another failing practice.
Have you heard of "reading between the lines"? Several posters are making a big deal about trying to meld the two disciplines from about a couple centuries backward.
Quote from: corco on October 19, 2019, 11:51:49 PM
Quote from: Beltway on October 19, 2019, 11:25:01 PM
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on October 19, 2019, 11:22:40 PM
Quote from: Beltway on October 19, 2019, 11:21:49 PM
Are you and the others that are taking that position somehow trying to legitimize astrology as being more than the occultic activity that it is?
Are you taking that position that you can't read?
I am looking at background motives that may not yet been specifically articulated.
Shit, you caught us! This forum is full of secret devil-worshipping astrologers. You probably shouldn't post here anymore to save your soul.
...and our favorite song is "Highway To Hell"...LOL!
Rick
Without the devil we wouldn't have apple pie.
kills my family
Sorry I can't help that i'm a Gemini!
JUST GET IN THE VAN!
Don't forget to sign your name in the Book of the Beast.
Back to Astronomy, The Orionids meteor shower peaked yesterday. Most of the meteors I saw were to the east.
Quote from: ozarkman417 on October 22, 2019, 02:40:32 PM
Back to Astronomy, The Orionids meteor shower peaked yesterday. Most of the meteors I saw were to the east.
...and with Jupiter ascending, this portends a good day for 1/12th of this planet's population. For the rest it will suck rutabagas...LOL!
Rick
Astrology has one convenient use to astronomers: it's good for knowing which constellations you won't see at night on a particular date!