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Current Solar X-rays: Current Geomagnetic Field: |
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Telescope Wars: Now that both Moravian College astronomy sections have learned to disassemble and reassemble their telescopes, and have learned the basics of how their hand controllers operate their mounts, it’s time to go outside and find some real stars on the Sky Deck. Note the Vulcan “Live long and prosper” signage, fourth image down, right side. My Monday/Wednesday section is to the left, while right is Tuesday/Thursday. Smartphone images by Gary A. Becker... |
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Carhenge Overview: With no giant slabs of stone present in the Alliance, Nebraska area, designer Jim Reinders, a petroleum engineer, decided on a new medium for his sculpture—cars. They were essentially the same shape as the sarsens at the real Stonehenge, and with wheels, they were truly easy to move around. The original 25 cars were erected during a family reunion in six days and dedicated on the summer solstice of 1987. Image by Gary A. Becker... |
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Carhenge, Looking towards the Heel Stone: Although the construction in this direction looks a little sloppy to me, the summer solstice sun at the real Stonehenge rises over a sarsen called the Heel Stone. This is represented by the distant upright automobile. Along this same corridor, exactly opposite to summer solstice sunrise, the winter solstice sun sets. Photo by Gary A. Becker... |
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Carhenge, Looking towards Winter Solstice Sunrise: I was surprised to be able to view through the outer sarsen circle and through two free-standing trilithons to gain a clear access to the winter solstice sunrise position. Opposite, lies the direction of summer solstice sunset which also would be visible from the center of Carhenge, pending a correct orientation of the monument. Photography by Gary A. Becker... |
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Telescope Wars on the Sky Deck: My Tuesday/Thursday section is to the left, while right are students from my Monday/Wednesday class. Students learn to set up telescopes, line up their scopes to Polaris (North Star), and find and center two alignment and four calibration stars. If done correctly, the computers in the hand controllers will allow hundreds of objects, such as planets and the moon, double stars, open and globular cluster, and even some brighter nebulae to be viewed from light polluted center city Bethlehem. Smartphone images by Gary A. Becker... |
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On the night of the first killing frost, October 25, my Tuesday/Thursday class enjoyed a brisk evening observing session at Shooting Star Farm north of Quakertown, PA. Venus shines in the background of the bottom photo. Digital images by Timothy Murphy, a computer science major with a minor in photography at Moravian College, and a former astronomy student of mine... |
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