A Conversation for H2G2 Astronomy Society Home Page
Please can I join
Reality Manipulator Started conversation Jan 9, 2004
Please can I join the h2g2 astronomy society. I got a new telescope for Christmas and I would like to start 
gazing. I have seen some spectacular 
s recently where the moon has looked very big and very orange, even at day and night.
Could you please tell me why is it sometimes that the 
looks very big and at other times it looks very small?
Kat
Please can I join
Tango Posted Jan 9, 2004
Anyone with an interest can join, so you'll probably be added to the membership list soon.
The moon never actually changes size, if you hold a ruler at arms length up to a full moon (or any other phase) it will always be the same size. The reason it looks bigger is because it is lower down, so it is easier to compare it to ground based object, which you know the size of. It is just an optical illusion.
It looks red because when it is low down in the sky the light has to pass through more atmosphere, and this has the effect of making it look redder. This is the same reason for why sunsets look red.
Hope that's clear enough.
Tango
Please can I join
turvy (Fetch me my trousers Geoffrey...) Posted Jan 10, 2004
Hi Kat
The person responsible for membership of the society is Yeliab Salohcin (U32373), who seems to be very busy in RL these days.
He checks in now and then so hang in there.
What sort of telescope did you get and have you got a dark site to observe from?
turvy
Please can I join
turvy (Fetch me my trousers Geoffrey...) Posted Jan 10, 2004
Oh yes, I almost forgot.
Speaking of the moon, I live in North Wales and drive to and from work along the coast on the A55 every day. The moon rises over the sea and the Clwydian Hills behind of an evening and just lately it has looked outstanding!
The sight of the moon casting a shimmering silver path across the sea is so distracting that I have nearly come unstuck on the road twice now!
turvy
Please can I join
Reality Manipulator Posted Jan 10, 2004
Turvy I have a 20x 40x 40mm magnification telescope and I do not have a special room/site to view it from. I can only see the moon from the front room and the best place to see the stars is from the kitchen with the light off.
Kat
Please can I join
turvy (Fetch me my trousers Geoffrey...) Posted Jan 11, 2004
If you can get away from Sodium street lights (the bain of astronomers everywhere) you will be astounded at just how much you can see.
I'll cross my fingers for you.
turvy
Key: Complain about this post
Please can I join
- 1: Reality Manipulator (Jan 9, 2004)
- 2: Tango (Jan 9, 2004)
- 3: Reality Manipulator (Jan 9, 2004)
- 4: turvy (Fetch me my trousers Geoffrey...) (Jan 10, 2004)
- 5: turvy (Fetch me my trousers Geoffrey...) (Jan 10, 2004)
- 6: Reality Manipulator (Jan 10, 2004)
- 7: turvy (Fetch me my trousers Geoffrey...) (Jan 11, 2004)
More Conversations for H2G2 Astronomy Society Home Page
Write an Entry
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a wholly remarkable book. It has been compiled and recompiled many times and under many different editorships. It contains contributions from countless numbers of travellers and researchers."