Let me go back to the topic of distant galaxies like GN-z11, the farthest one ever observed. How is it possible to see a galaxy that is currently some 32 billion LY away from us when the universe itself is only 13.8 billion years old??? I guess it depends on what your definition of "is" is. Where have we heard that before?

As far as GN-z11 is concerned, we are seeing light that was emitted by the galaxy 13.39 billion years ago. Thus we "see" the galaxy as it was 13.39 billion years ago. It is no longer 13.39 billion LY away from us. Back some 13.39 billion years ago, the universe was only about 1/12 the age it is now. If the expansion of the universe was linear, it would have expanded by a factor of 12 and GN-z11 would be about 161 billion LY away and receding from us at more than eleven times the speed of light.

 

BUT... the universe does not expand in a linear fashion. Gravity has tried to slow it down while dark energy has tried to speed it up. As a result of the combination of these effects, the expansion has actually slowed since GN-z11 was 13.39 billion LY away from us. A rather detailed calculation shows that the far-away galaxy is "only" about 32 billion LY years away and is receding away from us at something MORE than the speed of light!!! Yep, that's what I said. Any way you want to think about it, the fact remains that GN-z11 left our observable universe quite a long time ago. If we were to watch an echo of where it was for billions of years, it would eventually red shift into invisibility. Wrap your head around that !!!

Carina, Carina ...

 

I love this nebula. In one of the brightest parts of Milky Way lies a nebula where some of the oddest things occur. NGC 3372, known as the Great Nebula in Carina, is home to massive stars and changing nebulas. The Keyhole Nebula (NGC 3324), the bright structure just to the right of the image center, houses several of these massive stars and has itself changed its appearance. The entire Carina Nebula, captured here in this image , spans over 300 light years and lies about 7,500 light-years away in the constellation of Carina. Eta Carinae, the most energetic star in the nebula, was one of the brightest stars in the sky in the 1830s, but then faded dramatically. While Eta Carinae itself maybe on the verge of a supernova explosion, X-ray images indicate that much of the Great Nebula in Carina has been a veritable supernova factory.

 

Mercury over Chile...

 

If we were talking food, this wouldn't be very appetizing. But since we are talking about the celestial body and the South American country, this image is exquisite. Captured in January of this year, we see Mercury appearing over the Chilean Andes. Breathtaking....

 

Venus, my love, make up your mind.... Evening Gown or Morning Gown ???

 

The Earth and Venus orbit the sun counterclockwise as seen from earthly north. When Venus is to the east (left) of the Earth-sun line, we see Venus as an evening “star” in the west after sunset. After Venus reaches its inferior conjunction, Venus then moves to the west (right) of the Earth-sun line, appearing as a morning “star” in the east before sunrise.

 

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The brightest planets in the September sky...

 

Two of the five bright planets – Jupiter and Saturn – appear in the evening sky in September 2017. Meanwhile, the other three bright planets – Venus, Mars and Mercury – all adorn the September morning sky. Bright Jupiter is the first “star” to pop into view at dusk, but follows the sun beneath the horizon at very early evening, especially as viewed from northerly latitudes. Golden Saturn is highest up at nightfall and stays out until late night. Brilliant Venus rises before the sun and helps to guide your eye to the two less-prominent morning planets, Mars and Mercury, with Mercury being the brighter of these two worlds. Rather faint Mars is climbing out of the glare of sunrise all month long. It’ll likely become visible in the morning sky around mid-September 2017.

Tips for viewing Jupiter this month:

 

Jupiter--- brightest “star” in evening sky. We passed between the sun and Jupiter on April 7, bringing Jupiter to a point in our sky called opposition by guys like me. Thus Jupiter shone at its brightest and best in April, and yet, even now, it’s still brightest starlike object in your evening sky! Overall, Jupiter beams as the fourth-brightest celestial body, after the sun, moon and Venus. In September, Jupiter shines in the sunset direction at dusk and evening; meanwhile, Venus appears only in the sunrise direction before sunup.

 

From our perspective here in the Northern Hemisphere, Jupiter appears low in the southwest to west as darkness falls; from the Southern Hemisphere, Jupiter appears higher up in the sky after sunset. From all of Earth, though, Jupiter sinks in a westerly direction throughout the evening, as Earth spins under the sky. In early September, at mid-northern latitudes, Jupiter sets in the west around nightfall (about one and one-half hours after sunset); and by the month’s end, Jupiter sets before nightfall (roughly an hour after sundown).

From both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, Jupiter will disappear from the evening sky in October 2017. Look for the "king of planets" to reappear in the morning sky in November 2017. Then a wonderful event will occur! Be sure to watch for Jupiter to join up with Venus to stage a close conjunction in the morning sky on November 13. The sky’s brightest and second-brightest planet near each other will be amazing! I will remind you guys of the conjunction as November gets closer. It won't quite be the Great American Eclipse, but it will be a great sight to see.

 

Watch for the moon to join up with Jupiter for a few days, on September 21 and September 22. See the above sky chart. Another wonderful sight! These evenings will be your last chance to see the moon and Jupiter together in the evening sky for many months to come.

 

Jupiter shines in front of the constellation Virgo, near Virgo’s sole 1st-magnitude star, called Spica. Spica will also disappear from the evening sky in October but you might be able to catch this star near Venus in early November.

 

If you have binoculars or a telescope, it’s fairly easy to see Jupiter’s four major moons, which look like pinpricks of light all on or near the same plane. They are often called the Galilean moons to honor Galileo, who discovered these great Jovian moons in 1610. In their order from Jupiter, these moons are Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.

 

These moons orbit Jupiter around the Jovian equator. In cycles of six years, we view Jupiter’s equator edge-on. So, in 2015, we were able to view a number of mutual events involving Jupiter’s moons, through high-powered telescopes. Starting in late 2016, Jupiter’s axis began tilting enough toward the sun and Earth so that the farthest of these four moons, Callisto, has not been passing in front of Jupiter or behind Jupiter, as seen from our vantage point. This will continue for a period of about three years, during which time Callisto is perpetually visible to those with telescopes, alternately swinging above and below Jupiter as seen from Earth.

Tips on Viewing the beautiful ringed-world of Saturn this month:

 

Saturn will be out from dusk until late night. Look for Saturn as soon as darkness falls. It’s in the south to southwest sky at dusk or nightfall as seen from Earth’s Northern Hemisphere, and high overhead at early evening as viewed from the Southern Hemisphere. Your best view of Saturn, from either the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, is around nightfall because that’s when Saturn is highest up for the night.

 

Although Saturn has dimmed slightly since August, this world will still be shining at first-magnitude brightness all through September.

 

Be sure to let the moon guide you to Saturn (and the nearby star Antares) for several days, centered on or near September 26.

 

Saturn, the farthest world that you can easily view with the eye alone, appears golden in color. It shines with a steady light.

 

Binoculars don’t reveal Saturn’s gorgeous rings, by the way, although binoculars will enhance Saturn’s color. To see the rings, you need a small telescope. A telescope will also reveal one or more of Saturn’s many moons, most notably Titan.

 

Saturn’s rings are inclined at 27o from edge-on, exhibiting their northern face. In October 2017, the rings open most widely for this year, displaying a maximum inclination.

 

As with so much in space (and on Earth), the appearance of Saturn’s rings from Earth is cyclical. In the year 2025, the rings will appear edge-on as seen from Earth. After that, we’ll begin to see the south side of Saturn’s rings, to increase to a maximum inclination of 27o by May 2032.

Tips for those who want to get lost in Venus' beauty this month:

 

Venus will be brilliant in east at morning dawn this month. Venus is always brilliant and beautiful, the brightest celestial body to light up our sky besides the sun and moon. If you’re an early bird, you can count on Venus to be your morning companion until nearly the end of 2017. I watched Venus for two hours back a few weeks ago while I was viewing Perseid meteors. I finally lost the planet in the morning glow at about 6:32 A.M.

 

Venus reached a milestone as the morning “star” when it swung out to its greatest elongation from the sun on June 3, 2017. At this juncture, Venus was farthest from the sun on our sky’s dome, and the telescope showed Venus as half-illuminated in sunshine, like a first quarter moon. For the rest of the year, Venus will wax toward full phase. Enjoy the picturesque display of the waning crescent moon and Venus in the eastern sky before sunrise on September 17 and September 18.

 

From mid-northern latitudes where most of us reside , Venus rises about two and one-half hours before the sun in early September, and about two hours before sunrise by the month’s end.

Edited September 5, 20179 yr by Science Friction

Tips for viewing the red planet this month:

 

Mars climbs out of the glare of sunrise this month. Mars transitioned out of the evening sky and into the morning sky on July 27, 2017, at which juncture Mars was on the far side of the sun at what astronomers call superior conjunction.

 

Look for Mars to emerge in the east before dawn around mid-September or October 2017. On October 5, 2017, two days after my birthday, the conjunction of Mars and Venus will take place and will likely present the first view of Mars in the morning sky for many of us stargazers.

 

Exactly one year after Mars’s superior conjunction on July 27, 2017, Mars will swing to opposition on July 27, 2018. This will be Mars’s best opposition since the historically close opposition on August 28, 2003. In fact, Mars will become the fourth-brightest heavenly body to light up the sky in July 2018, after the sun, moon and the planet Venus. It’s not often that Mars outshines Jupiter, normally the fourth-brightest celestial object. I'll remind you of Mars' close opposition as July of next year approaches.

Tips for viewing Mercury this month:

 

Mercury will appear below Venus and will be visible in the morning sky before sunrise this month. Mercury is tricky. If you look too soon, Mercury will still be under the horizon; if you look too late, it will be obscured by the morning twilight. Watch for Mercury low in the sky, and near the sunrise point on the horizon, being mindful of Mercury’s rising time.

 

Mercury will be a morning object all month long. Seek for Mercury (and the star Regulus) beneath Venus on September 10, and then let the moon and Venus help guide your eye to Mercury (and possibly Mars) on September 16.

 

Before sunrise on September 16, 2017, draw an imaginary line from the waning crescent moon through the dazzling planet Venus to find the planets Mercury and Mars in conjunction near the horizon. Binoculars may come in handy!!!

 

In the next few days following the Mercury/Mars conjunction, watch for the moon to swing quite close to Mercury (and Mars) on the mornings of September 17 and 18.

 

The waning crescent moon and the dazzling planet Venus pair up in the eastern sky before sunrise on September 17 and 18, 2017. Given clear skies, it’ll be hard to miss the brilliant twosome. The moon and Venus rank as the second-brightest and third-brightest celestial bodies, respectively, after the sun. Some sharped-eye people might even see the moon and Venus after sunrise.

 

Yes indeed, The moon and Venus will be spectacular viewing on the mornings of September 17 and 18. Given clear skies and an unobstructed eastern horizon, you may even catch Mercury and Mars beneath the moon and Venus. That’s three planets in one fell swoop! Good luck , BGP stargazers!!!!

A question... How far would you travel to see a total eclipse of the Sun. There will be a total eclipse in July of 2019. South America anyone???

Okay, I'm still all about the eclipse. Once you see a total eclipse, it stays with you. What do you all think about this pic? Any BGP'ers enjoy rock-climbing?

 

What should you do if your rock climbing picture is photobombed by a total eclipse of the Sun? I'd say rejoice -- because your planning paid off. After months of considering different venues, and a week of scouting different locations in Oregon's Smith Rock State Park, a group of photographers and rock climbers led by Ted Hesser, Martina Tibell, and Michael Shainblum settled on picturesque 100-meter tall Monkey Face tower as the dramatic foreground for their images of the pending total solar eclipse. Tension mounted as the eclipse time approached, planned juxtapositions were scrutinized, and the placement of rock climber Tommy Smith was adjusted. Right on schedule, though, the Moon moved in front of the Sun, and Smith moved in front of the Moon, just as planned. The solar eclipse image displayed here actually shows a diamond ring, an eclipse phase when a bit of the distant Sun is still visible beyond the Moon's surface.

 

Active solar day.

 

CME from solar flare from Sunday is expected to hit tonight. So far it has not. Geomagnetic storm expected. Earlier today an X 9.3 (at least) erupted and sent another CME towards Earth.

 

X class flares are the most energetic. X 9 - Extremely energetic.

 

For those with Directv or Dish you can sometimes tell when there is geomagnetic storm because the transmissions on some channels will pixelate badly.

 

 

Links to more news:

 

SpaceWeather.com -- News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroids

 

Space Weather News

 

Radio blackout map from today's flare caused by ionization of the atmosphere:

 

Edited September 6, 20179 yr by Bluegrasscard
Removed communication added blackout map.

Active solar day.

 

CME from solar flare from Sunday is expected to hit tonight. So far it has not. Geomagnetic storm expected. Earlier today an X 9.3 (at least) erupted and sent another CME towards Earth.

 

X class flares are the most energetic. X 9 - Extremely energetic.

 

For those with Directv or Dish you can sometimes tell when there is geomagnetic storm because the transmissions on some channels will pixelate badly.

 

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Links to more news:

 

SpaceWeather.com -- News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroids

 

Space Weather News

 

Radio blackout map from today's flare caused by ionization of the atmosphere:

 

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Damned sun is gonna kill us all one of these days... FOR REAL!

I think I'll designate Bluegrasscard as our official space weather guy to keep us alerted to solar storms & CME's , near-Earth asteroids, etc..... Where the hell is NWO when you need him?