h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Can I have a go at Cygnus? (It's chosen for soppy personal reasons; don't ask )
My amateur astronomy is a bit rusty (telescope packed away in loft, awaiting the day when the kids show interest - the skies are a bit murky and light-polluted round here anyway), but it would be really nice to contribute to this. A great idea and a very worthwhile one.
I'll try find out about the clusters and objects - if I struggle I'll ask for help. On the stars, etc, I already have access to plenty.
That OK then? I should have a draft posted in about 2-3 weeks...soon enough?
Pin

> Can I have a go at Cygnus? (It's chosen for
> soppy personal reasons; don't ask [blush])

Fallen in love under Cygnus? Oh no, I didn't ask!

> My amateur astronomy is a bit rusty (telescope
> packed away in loft, awaiting the day when the
> kids show interest - the skies are a bit murky
> and light-polluted round here anyway),

You describe my hometown minus the fact that it's Europe's rain pit.

> but it would be really nice to contribute to
> this. [...] I'll try find out about the
> clusters and objects - if I struggle I'll ask
> for help.

I would recommend the following ones: M39, NGC6992/6960 (Cirrus Nebula), NGC7000 (North America) + IC5067 (Pelican).

Please mention the Cygnids meteor shower.

> On the stars, etc, I already have access to
> plenty. That OK then?

Wonderful. Please give me the link to your entry here after you've begun. You may link to http://pp3.sf.net/h2g2/cyg.png

Good luck!

Hi Cefpret,

There's enough of a working draft to take a look at now.
What do you think? A949241

The reason for choosing Cygnus : now that I've got this far I don't mind telling. The lady who's now my wife and I had pet names for each other at Uni. I called her Swansdown and she called me Starlight (told you this was soppy...). When we were married a good friend gave us a present - a slate plaque with the word "Cygnus" engraved on it - because it combined these two names. So Cygnus is now the name of our home!

...You can't possibly criticise too much after such a heart-warming story

No, seriously, criticism is welcome because it must be right. One other thing, though - once finished, I hope that a link to a good photo of the Veil Nebula will be OK by you. I'd forgotten it was in Cygnus, and it really is beautiful.

Pin

Thank you, it looks very good and detailed. (You set the standard very high for us ordinary writers.)

Some little remaks:

You write about its 'cross-like pattern'. Actually the swan is also albeit rarely called Northern Cross.

My sources say that Deneb is even brighter. The program 'Celestia' says that Deneb is 3230ly away, which means -8.7M. Other sources are in this vicinity, but you may recheck that for yourself.

Are you sure that that part of the Milky Way is called coalsack? I know a coalsack in the southern cross.

Please mention both parts of Pelican in the table, because I will use 5070 on the map because it's the larger part.

Thank you for contributing!

Gotcha. Will check these and re-post

I now found out that Celestia's distances are very inaccurate. So you may leave the distance of Deneb as it is, unless you find other values.

Hi Cefpret
I've updated the piece with your suggestions (except leaving Deneb's absolute magnitude as it was - most sources seem to confirm this value).
I'm not sure about linking images so I'd like to leave that to you, if that's all right.
You said to choose BBC sources where possible, but I can find none for the Veil. Here's one a friend suggested, though, and it does look very beautiful :
http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/AAO/images/image/int008.jpg
OK?
Pin

Please send the GuideML code to me. As far as I can see, there's nothing to change. You may add your link before, but maybe it'll be replaced eventually.

Thank you very much!

Hi Cefpret
The Entry at A949241 now has you as a co-editor, so you can take the GuideML from there.
I also put in the two picture-links, one to the star chart you identified, one to the photo of the Veil that I mentioned.
I've enjoyed doing this, so thanks - and of course good luck with the project.
I'd be happy to do more if you could use the help, but for now there's lots to write back here on earth, so this is the Seal saying Over and Out!
Yours,
Pin

No, I can't get the GuideML code from there, sorry.

Are you sure? You appear in the "written by" box, so if you click on "Edit Entry" it should open up. From there you can cut and paste.

No?

Hang on, I'll go ask a guru...

Pin

I see no 'edit' button. I think h2g2 wants to avoid two people having control of one entry. Maybe you can change it to 'text' mode (instead GuideML)?

You're right!
I was just shown the trick by the Gurus.
Here we go then :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/brunel/test949241

Pin