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afghan Group: Members Posts: 145 Joined: July 2004 Posted: Jan. 24 2005, 07:15 a bit of information for anyone who is interested.   (5656) oldfield,the minor planet named in his honor,can be seen again soon its next perihelion passage will occur on 2005 Apr.17.2UT. The orbit is inclined by 4.0 degrees to the ecliptic plane (the plane of the earths orbit about the sun).                     -------------- may you never run aground or fall into the deep deep sound Back to top

moonchildhippy Group: Members Posts: 1807 Joined: Dec. 2004 Posted: Jan. 25 2005, 05:22 Re 5656 Planet Oldfield,  what time's that in UK time please     ??  What direction should I look in ??? -------------- I'm going slightly mad, It finally happened, I'm slightly mad , just very slightly mad If you feel a little glum to Hergest Ridge you should come. I'm challenging  taboos surrounding mental health "Part time hippy" I'M SUPPORTING OUR SOLDIERS BRING OUR TROOPS HOME NOW!! Back to top

Inkanta Group: Admins Posts: 1453 Joined: Feb. 2000 Posted: Jan. 25 2005, 12:05 Quote (moonchildhippy @ Jan. 25 2005, 04:22) Re 5656 Planet Oldfield,  what time's that in UK time please     ??  What direction should I look in ??? Direction: Up.   Time: 2:00 UT (Universal Time, as taken from Greenwich) Seriously (and just having lost everything I had written so I have even less time for this than 15 minutes ago and am now grumpy.....) There are only 2 or 3 asteroids you can see unaided, i.e., without a telescope.   Even if you are using a scope that enables you to punch in the right ascension and declination (sort of like finding a town by plotting latitude and longitude on a map), you will need to spend time observing its motion against the background stars, as with comets. Telescope tirade: If you have not used a telescope before, you won't have very much time to research and buy a suitable one. Don't bother with a cheap scope--you're better off with good binoculars. Some of the inexpensive scopes are downright dangerous, e.g, those that have solar filters that screw into the eyepiece/ocular. Unlike what Mike suggested one time in an interview, you do not need one the size of a house in order to see 5656. It is silly, though, to invest a lot in a scope just to see an asterioid. A much, much better plan.....look up a local astronomical society--there are many in the UK--and have them help you with this project. You have time to get familiar with the night sky, and will learn something about telescopes. You should not wait until the night of April 17th to start tracking. If you're serious about this, start several weeks ahead of time, plotting its course among the background stars. If you are into astronomy in some capacity and already have a decent scope, you might experiment with using a CCD (charged couple device) as an interface between your scope and computer, and plotting the motion of 5656 in comfort.   Here are some links that will help you: Harvard-IAU has a fun site that contains information about 5656, including a link to its ephemeris ("where it is tonight"). Sky & Telescope will give you information on observing asteroids ("Observing" then Celestial Objects then Asteroids), telecopes ("How to"--also includes general observing techniques), and worldwide astronomical organizations/clubs/associations (see under "Resources"). I haven't had time to figure out where 5656 is at perihelion (if it's behind the sun or lost in solar glare, not much help there!, its apparent magnitude, from which hemisphere it is visible, etc. Best wishes! -------------- "No such thing as destiny; only choices exist." From:  Moongarden's "Solaris." Back to top

moonchildhippy Unregistered Posted: Jan. 26 2005, 20:56 Thanks Inkatana for that info, sorry if I appeared ignorant, but I'm quite new to astronomy,  I have some binoculars and a 4 inch reflector telescope .  Unfortunately here in the SE of England there's alot of light pollution which spoils the view of the night sky, it takes on an orange glow . Back to top

Inkanta Group: Admins Posts: 1453 Joined: Feb. 2000 Posted: Feb. 01 2005, 13:47 Hi moonchildhippy, I haven't spent much time tracking asteroids, either. Regarding light pollution-- it is an increasing problem worldwide, and probably has environmental consequences that we're only beginning to understand. Its curtailment is another one of my lost causes. Our local town has installed even more lightning, and none of it is shielded. People increasingly install "insecurity" lights as I call them ("insecurity" because it gives them a false sense of security--criminals can even hide in the glare that the light produces). There is potentially helpful information about light pollution at the International Dark-Sky Association website. Regarding observing asteroids from lighted skies, the Astronomical League has several observing programs, and here is what they say about their asteroid one: "The Asteroid Observers Club's purpose is to encourage amateurs to learn to identify and observe asteroids. While the deep sky objects observable by amateurs remain the same, year after year, the asteroids (like the other planets) are constantly moving against the background of the constellations. By learning to identify asteroids you will greatly enhance your observing skills. Since asteroids appear as points of light, rather than extended objects, they do not suffer from light pollution as much as deep sky objects. Hence an asteroid observing program can be carried out quite successfully from urban or suburban locations." So...you might scope out (no pun intended) their website--in fact, there is a contact person and email address--I imagine he would give you some great pointers (I don't know, for example, what kind of filter might help you). BTW....I have known people to do the Messiers and Herschels (deep sky objects) from urban, light-polluted areas, properly filtered. Well...this may be more information than you ever wanted to know, but there it is, anyway! Now...if those organizations could just do something about the perennially cloudy skies we seem to have in my corner of the world these days... -------------- "No such thing as destiny; only choices exist." From:  Moongarden's "Solaris." Back to top

hiawatha Group: Members Posts: 2391 Joined: Mar. 2004 Posted: Feb. 01 2005, 21:31 Until the other Oldfield goes on tour, we will have to make do with the tour of this one. 5656 is also much less likely to object when high-powered optics are used to track its every move. I wonder if 5656 is the third one from the left in this shot? asteroid view -------------- "In the land of the Dacotahs, Where the Falls of Minnehaha Flash and gleam among the oak-trees, Laugh and leap into the valley." - Song of Hiawatha Back to top

Ugo Group: Members Posts: 5495 Joined: April 2000 Posted: Feb. 02 2005, 08:57 Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha   -------------- Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian Back to top

Inkanta Group: Admins Posts: 1453 Joined: Feb. 2000 Posted: Mar. 17 2005, 21:35 Quote (hiawatha @ Feb. 01 2005, 20:31) Until the other Oldfield goes on tour, we will have to make do with the tour of this one. 5656 is also much less likely to object when high-powered optics are used to track its every move. Very funny, hiawatha (I would use lots of but there are limits to the number of emoticons....) On a more sirius note....is anyone out there tracking? I may dust off the C8 this weekend and scope it out. This area of observing is not my forte--there have been nights that I've looked for deep sky objects to no avail, then go to sleep and dream I've located them, then wake up for a moment not knowing if I found the things or not. 5656 seems to be a happy little asteroid (Hmmm....maybe Mike could do a humorous song called "The Happy Little Asteroid") in a happy little orbit....good thing, too....we'd not want headlines in a galaxy far, far away to read, "Earth Wiped Out by Mike Oldfield." Well...not that it would....it would be more like this: (exactly.....) -------------- "No such thing as destiny; only choices exist." From:  Moongarden's "Solaris." Back to top

Holger Group: Members Posts: 1506 Joined: Feb. 2003 Posted: Mar. 17 2005, 22:15 Quote (Inkanta @ Mar. 18 2005, 03:35) we'd not want headlines in a galaxy far, far away to read, "Earth Wiped Out by Mike Oldfield." I don't know, I'd like that somehow. It'd make a nice change from the inoffensive fluff he's become known for recently. Back to top

Inkanta Group: Admins Posts: 1453 Joined: Feb. 2000 Posted: Mar. 17 2005, 23:15 Brings a whole new meaning to "the impact of Mike Oldfield." -------------- "No such thing as destiny; only choices exist." From:  Moongarden's "Solaris." Back to top

hiawatha Group: Members Posts: 2391 Joined: Mar. 2004 Posted: Mar. 18 2005, 10:32 Reminds me of when that bald mad scientist threatened the Earth with what I believe was a moon-based destructive laser: "Allow me to demonstrate the awesome power of the Alan Parsons Project!" I wonder if the Alan Parsons Project is powerful enough to stop Mike Oldfield? On a more sirius note... -------------- "In the land of the Dacotahs, Where the Falls of Minnehaha Flash and gleam among the oak-trees, Laugh and leap into the valley." - Song of Hiawatha Back to top

Ugo Group: Members Posts: 5495 Joined: April 2000 Posted: Mar. 18 2005, 18:55 *picks up the guitar and plays the beginning of Sirius...* Thanks for remindin' me, Hiawatha. I think the Alan Parsons Project isn't powerful enough to ultimately stop Mike Oldfield, but they can surely keep him at bay for some time. -------------- Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian Back to top

Inkanta Group: Admins Posts: 1453 Joined: Feb. 2000 Posted: Mar. 20 2005, 22:33 Do you think they are powerful enough to do something about the sirius moonlight? (Hehe) Cloud cover was not the answer!  Whatever was I thinking about observing this weekend??? You'd think I'm neither tuned in to the phase of the moon or to the fact that whenever the mood to observe strikes, generallly so do the clouds. Inkanta, who lives as amusement for the Gods -------------- "No such thing as destiny; only choices exist." From:  Moongarden's "Solaris." Back to top

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