Top Ten Astronomy Pictures of 2009

[pokerfan]

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/12/15/top-ten-astronomy-pictures-of-2009">

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/12/15/top-ten-astronomy-pictures-of-2009

[Buzz Clik]

1. Excellent. Thanks.

[Richardo]

2. I'm only up to #7 but thanks....

...fantastic pics, and narrative :thumbsup:

Now: back to the show...

On edit: hilarious Spinal Tap reference in #3:

I normally wouldn’t associate Easter Island with astronomy. Of course, the skies there must be incredibly dark; located about 3000 km west of Chile in the Pacific Ocean, you might wonder how much more black the nights could be, and of course the answer is none. None more black.

:D

[pokerfan]

4. Blackest skies I've ever seen

Was on a canoe trip in British Columbia. We were up there to watch the Perseid meteor shower which was expected to be particularly good. We were probably 100 miles from civilization...



The trouble was the damned northern lights came out and "ruined" the meteor show. It looked something like this only it filled the sky from horizon to horizon, even to the south!



Stupid aurora borealis.

[Richardo]

5. I'd love to see the Aurora Borealis someday

The farthest north I've been was to Prince George, BC, but it was overcast the one night I was there.

[pokerfan]

6. It comes pretty far south at times

It's even been seen from Mexico. But unfortunately, right now we're in a deep solar minimum.

Thanks to the NOAA-18 satellite, you can monitor the auroral oval here: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/pmap



You can sign up for email alerts when it does become active and then check out the link above to see if it's going to extend far enough south for you. Everyone should see it at least once.

[nilram]

8. oh, damn, I'd hate that. I'd just have gone to bed.

Actually, I think I would have just peed myself. Saw them once on a camping trip in NE Washington, an amazing bit of this planet.

[Tansy_Gold]

3. I love this stuff!

Thanks!

[midnight]

7. Beautiful pictures.

[Surya Gayatri]

9. Thanks so much for posting this, pokerfan...

What marvels the universe offers to us--literally breathtaking. SG