Legolas Research and Fan Club Thread Page #3-4
Discussion
on Stargazing
From Ithildin
Re: Many Thanks
quote:
Originally posted by Morgan
He can find this Elf in her local apple tree at dusk, watching Aldebaran rise
over the sea.
You live close to the sea? *sigh* How special...
As to the red star rising, could you perhaps mean Arcturus instead of
Aldebaran? Aldebaran is already past the meridian (that is west of due south)
at sunset this time of year, and at your latitude Arcturus would be high enough
in the east to see during twilight...
Didn't know if you were just being poetic or if you really get to watch the
stars rise over the sea... *sigh again*
Just for fun here's a link for Elvish names of celestial objects -
http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/md_astro.html
Cuio mae,
Ithildin,
amateur astronomer Elf with perpetual sea longing...
From Morgan
Re: Re: Many Thanks
Ithildin,
You're an Elf after my own heart. You are right on both
counts. I was trying to be poetic, because astrologically Alderbaran
corresponds to the exact day of my birth and has a much more fluid sound than
Arcturus. I really do live by the sea, and sit in an apple tree at dusk
(weather permitting) watching Venus and Arcturus rise over the ocean.
Perhaps you can help with a personal question here. At what time of the year
could one witness (if one were in the Northern Hemisphere and on a ship in the
middle of the Atlantic) both Vulpecula and
Lupus sharing the sky. Is this possible? I am guessing close to April would be
the most likely.
BTW,Thankyou for the link. I had wondered if such a thing existed.
Blessings,
Morgan, Fading Elf inflicted with sea-longing. FoL, EM.
__________________
"We must be willing to relinquish the life we planned, so as to have the
life that is waiting for us."
From Ithildin
Re: Re: Re: Many Thanks
Suilad
(greetings) Morgan,
indeed we do have much in common! For me, it’s a huge Magnolia tree and I can
watch the sun set over the mountains…
The name Aldebaran (Sindarin: Borgil) does have a nice flow to it – and
beautiful Saturn (Q: Lumbar ) is quite near it right now while bright Jupiter
(Q: Alcarinque) is high overhead! This is a great time of year for skywataching
– the bright winter stars are up when it first gets dark - my favorites are
Orion’s red Betelgeuse, white Rigel and three stunning belt stars, along with
brilliant, blue-white Sirius (S: Helluin).
As to Venus (Quenya: Earendil) rising at dusk, hmmm… Since Venus is closer to
the sun that we are, it never gets all that far from the sun’s position in the
sky. So, if the sun is setting, then Venus will be in the west (appearing as
the “evening star”) when it is “trailing” behind the sun from earth’s point of
view. When it is “leading” the sun it will rise in the east before the sun does
(as the “morning star”). Right now Venus is visible in the west just before
sunset. If you are seeing a bright white star rising in the east about the same
time as Arcturus (Q: Morwinyon), it is probably Spica. If you draw an imaginary
line through the stars in the handle of the Big Dipper and continue that line
east and then south at the same angle, it will pass through both Arcturus and
Spica – you could say “Arc to Arcturus and Spike to Spica!”
As to the constellation question – Lupus rides pretty low in the sky for
Northern Hemisphere viewers – its highest elevation occurs at midnight around the middle of
May (progressively earlier each night back to dusk around early July). It would
be due south (on the meridian) and would be skimming the horizon from my
latitude (35°N).
*oops-correction - actually - Further north it would be even lower and
only a few of its stars would even be visible from near the latitude of 50°N.
Vulpecula is a small, arrow-shaped constellation located in the “summer
triangle” asterism made up of Vega, Deneb and Altair – the three brightest
summer stars. It rides high in the summer skies and would also be well placed
for viewing around midnight in May. (An asterism is a pattern of stars that is either only a part
of a constellation or made up of parts of more than one constellation. The Big
Dipper (S: Edegil) is a well-known asterism made up of part of the
constellation Ursa Majoris.)
What does all this have to do with Legolas? Well, being a well-educated
Sindarin Prince it is knowledge he would have had and appreciated – I am simply
sharing it with fellow Elves and Elf-friends! He would surely approve!
Elen sila lúmenn’ omentielvo
(a star shines on the hour of our meeting)
hope I got it all right this time...
From Morgan
Re: Re: Re: Re: Many Thanks
Ithildin,
This is wonderful. I have a fellow Elf to ask about the stars. My love for them
is very deep and has been since childhood, but I am no astronomer. More of a
dabbling astrologist. What I am actually seeing as the first stars of the
evening are Alcarinque, and what I believed to be Earendil with Morwinyon in a
direct line below. The stars closer to the ocean's horizon are too faint to
view with the often clouded skies here, so the three I mentioned above are the
first I see over water. Hope that makes my imagery a little clearer. The celestial Quenya is
so beautiful. Thankyou for guiding me in that direction.
quote:
As
to the constellation question – Lupus rides pretty low in the sky for Northern
Hemisphere viewers – its highest elevation occurs at midnight around the middle of
May (progressively earlier each night back to dusk around early July). It would
be due south (on the meridian) and would be skimming the horizon from my
latitude (35°N).
*oops-correction - actually - Further north it would be even lower and
only a few of its stars would even be visible from near the latitude of 50°N.
Vulpecula is a small, arrow-shaped constellation located in the “summer
triangle” asterism made up of Vega, Deneb and Altair – the three brightest
summer stars. It rides high in the summer skies and would also be well placed
for viewing around midnight in May. (An asterism is a pattern of stars that is either only a part
of a constellation or made up of parts of more than one constellation. The Big
Dipper (S: Edegil) is a well-known asterism made up of part of the
constellation Ursa Majoris.)
So it may be possible to view Vulpecula and Lupus sharing the mid-late may sky
around midnight? (about the time your
Magnolia is in bloom ) I have also heard
Vulpecula called the Fox and the Goose, (though the goose has now fled) and far
less romantically, the "coat hanger. " Wasn't it Helvelius that named
the constellation originally? I might have to put an arrow through the person
that labelled this trine a coat hanger!
quote:
What
does all this have to do with Legolas? Well, being a well-educated Sindarin
Prince it is knowledge he would have had and appreciated – I am simply sharing
it with fellow Elves and Elf-friends! He would surely approve!
Elen sila lúmenn’ omentielvo
(a star shines on the hour of our meeting)
Speaking from the heart here. I believe an Elf can live without the sun, but
not without Starlight. The stars are the road home. I am confident our Elven
Prince would graciously allow us the opportunity in this thread to explore the
wonders born before his making.
Blessings,
Morgan
__________________
"We must be willing to relinquish the life we planned, so as to have the
life that is waiting for us."
From Ithildin
quote:
Originally posted by Morgan
What I am actually seeing as the first stars of the evening are Alcarinque, and
what I believed to be Earendil with Morwinyon in a direct line below. The stars
closer to the ocean's horizon are too faint to view with the often clouded
skies here, so the three I mentioned above are the first I see over water.
I must admit, I'm confused! I'm not sure what you are seeing. Try this link to
the Sky and Telescope site. Set it for your location and time zone - maybe you
can recognize the stars you are seeing from the chart. Hope this helps!
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/skychart/
quote:
So
it may be possible to view Vulpecula and Lupus sharing the mid-late may sky
around midnight?
Depends on your latitude - you would need to come south at least as far as 35°N
latitude (South Carolina) before the whole constellation of Lupus would even be
above the horizon and that low all but the top of it would probably get lost in
the murk at the horizon. From the latitude of the northern US border, it is almost
entirely below the horizon.
quote:
I
have also heard Vulpecula called the Fox and the Goose, (though the goose has
now fled) and far less romantically, the "coat hanger. " Wasn't it
Helvelius that named the constellation originally?
True! Vulpecula is called The Fox, was formerly known as the Fox and the Goose,
and was so named by Johannes Hevelius in 1690.
I must apologize, I mistakenly identified it as the arrow shaped constellation,
but that would be the bordering constellation, Sagitta, The Arrow. Sorry!
Vulpecula is between Sagitta and Cygnus (The Swan - also known as the Northern
Cross). I've never heard Vulpecula called The Coathanger, but there is a
small star cluster in that area that is called by that name, because
that is exactly what it looks like!
quote:
from Sky & Telescope
Eight degrees south of Albireo, the head of Cygnus, the Swan, lies an open
cluster known as the Coathanger (Collinder 399). Its brightest stars test the
limits of naked-eye visibility. Through small binoculars this is a striking
group. Its 10 brightest stars are arranged in a pattern that resembles an
old-fashioned coathanger with a curved wooden bar and a metal hook. Six stars
form the bar and four more to the south make the hook.
Cuio mae
__________________
“Well, I am going back into the open air, to see what the wind and sky are
doing,” said Legolas. TTT
From Morgan
Starlight
quote:
Originally posted by Ithildin
I must admit, I'm confused! I'm not sure what you are seeing. Try this link
to the Sky and Telescope site. Set it for your location and time zone - maybe
you can recognize the stars you are seeing from the chart. Hope this helps!
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/skychart/
I am taking the word of a friend who I deem astonomically educated, that I am
seeing what I have mentioned in my previous post. But I shall explore
your link and see what else may apply.
quote:
Depends
on your latitude - you would need to come south at least as far as 35°N
latitude (South Carolina) before the whole constellation of Lupus would even be
above the horizon and that low all but the top of it would probably get lost in
the murk at the horizon. From the latitude of the northern US border, it is
almost entirely below the horizon.
Thankyou, this really helps. It was a speculative research question. So the
further south I go, the easier Lupus will be to see?
*If anyone is finding this topic bothersome in this thread, please advise and
it will be moved elsewhere accordingly.
Blessings,
Morgan FoL, EM.
__________________
"We must be willing to relinquish the life we planned, so as to have the
life that is waiting for us."
From Ithildin
Re: Starlight
quote:
Originally posted by Morgan
Thankyou, this really helps. It was a speculative research question. So the
further south I go, the easier Lupus will be to see?
Yes, you can try changing your "location" on the interactive star
chart to see how it would appear at different latitudes.
Got any suggestions for a club motto?
Cuio mae
Ithildin
FoL, EM
__________________
“Well, I am going back into the open air, to see what the wind and sky are
doing,” said Legolas. TTT
From Luthien Undomiel
quote:
Originally posted by Morgan:
*If anyone is finding this topic bothersome in this thread, please advise and
it will be moved elsewhere accordingly.
Not at all. I found the interactive skychart intriguing! But then again, I'm
just a little old Elf Member.
__________________
Nai hiruvalyë Valimar.
Nai elyë hiruva.
