APOD: The Summer Triangle Over Catalonia (2011 Aug 10)

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APOD: The Summer Triangle Over Catalonia (2011 Aug 10)

Post by APOD Robot » Wed Aug 10, 2011 4:06 am

Image The Summer Triangle Over Catalonia

Explanation: Can you find the Summer Triangle? It's not hard to find this famous triangle of stars this time of year from northern locations. Just look straight up after sunset and find three of the brightest stars in the sky that nearly form a triangle. Then compare these stars to sky images like the one shown above, or hold up a smart phone running a good sky labelling application. The three stars that form the vertexes of the Summer Triangle are Vega, Deneb, and Altair. Pictured above is a 360 degree full sky projection framing not only the Summer Triangle but the great arch of our Milky Way Galaxy. The image was taken last week in front of a small river that encircles the historic town of Sant Llorenç de la Muga in Catalonia, northeastern Spain.

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Re: APOD: The Summer Triangle Over Catalonia (2011 Aug 10)

Post by Beyond » Wed Aug 10, 2011 5:27 am

I like the smart phone, but it looks a bit complicated. I also wonder just whose pocket it would fit in??
To find the Truth, you must go Beyond.

Dr Jimbo

Re: APOD: The Summer Triangle Over Catalonia (2011 Aug 10)

Post by Dr Jimbo » Wed Aug 10, 2011 8:46 am

To be picky - any three points that aren't in a straight line form a triangle.

Gerald Higgins

Re: APOD: The Summer Triangle Over Catalonia (2011 Aug 10)

Post by Gerald Higgins » Wed Aug 10, 2011 10:03 am

Dr Jimbo - yes, that's what I was going to say.

Can anyone find three stars that DON'T form a triangle ?

The actual text says that they "nearly form a triangle"
In what way does the shape they form fall short of a triangle ?

Pedantic I know, sorry :D

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Re: APOD: The Summer Triangle Over Catalonia (2011 Aug 10)

Post by neufer » Wed Aug 10, 2011 10:52 am

Gerald Higgins wrote:
Can anyone find three stars that DON'T form a triangle ?
Image
Gerald Higgins wrote:
The actual text says that they "nearly form a triangle"
In what way does the shape they form fall short of a triangle ?
One does have to first 'connect the dots'
(after which they "nearly form a right triangle").
Art Neuendorffer

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Re: APOD: The Summer Triangle Over Catalonia (2011 Aug 10)

Post by Magellan Starswarm » Wed Aug 10, 2011 10:55 am

Worst APOD ever.

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Re: APOD: The Summer Triangle Over Catalonia (2011 Aug 10)

Post by owlice » Wed Aug 10, 2011 11:09 am

Magellan Starswarm wrote:Worst APOD ever.
What, it's missing Joni Mitchell?
A closed mouth gathers no foot.

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Re: APOD: The Summer Triangle Over Catalonia (2011 Aug 10)

Post by biddie67 » Wed Aug 10, 2011 11:20 am

I have such a difficulty in picking out the stars - really appreciate the annotated copy!

Is that part of an old aquaduct on the other side of the river?

The picture is an interesting distortion. Camera lens can do such unexpected perspectives - I'd like to see a series of flat pictures so I can tell what that area (with the land and sky) really looks like ....

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Re: APOD: The Summer Triangle Over Catalonia (2011 Aug 10)

Post by biddie67 » Wed Aug 10, 2011 11:36 am

neufer wrote:One does have to first 'connect the dots'
(after which they "nearly form a right triangle").
To the neufer :: Thanks for making the missed implicit clearly explicit !!!

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Re: APOD: The Summer Triangle Over Catalonia (2011 Aug 10)

Post by orin stepanek » Wed Aug 10, 2011 12:04 pm

I don't understand the purpose of the foliage at the top of the picture; but it does make it interesting. 8-)
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Re: APOD: The Summer Triangle Over Catalonia (2011 Aug 10)

Post by Ann » Wed Aug 10, 2011 12:17 pm

It is a very beautiful image. It is artistic and evocative rather than "scientific", but what the heck - we sure need those APODs, too! 8-) Like Biddie67, I appreciate the annotated version.

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Re: APOD: The Summer Triangle Over Catalonia (2011 Aug 10)

Post by moonstruck » Wed Aug 10, 2011 1:17 pm

Very beautiful scene even without the triangle. Thanks Juan.

RickM

Re: APOD: The Summer Triangle Over Catalonia (2011 Aug 10)

Post by RickM » Wed Aug 10, 2011 2:11 pm

orin stepanek wrote:I don't understand the purpose of the foliage at the top of the picture; but it does make it interesting. 8-)
It's a 360-degree image (see http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090213.html for a clearer example). Apparently in this case the camera is not pointing straight up, so the trees on the other side of the river are not as distorted... but the foliage at the top of the picture is treetops behind the viewer. Bend over backwards in a cleaering in the woods and you'll see something similar.

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Re: APOD: The Summer Triangle Over Catalonia (2011 Aug 10)

Post by Beyond » Wed Aug 10, 2011 2:21 pm

neufer wrote:
Gerald Higgins wrote:
Can anyone find three stars that DON'T form a triangle ?
Image
Gerald Higgins wrote:
The actual text says that they "nearly form a triangle"
In what way does the shape they form fall short of a triangle ?
One does have to first 'connect the dots'
(after which they "nearly form a right triangle").
However, in neufer's star pictorial, one of the stars lines is not straight, but rather Curly :!:
To find the Truth, you must go Beyond.

Blaise

Re: APOD: The Summer Triangle Over Catalonia (2011 Aug 10)

Post by Blaise » Wed Aug 10, 2011 2:34 pm

Love the smart link behind the words "smart phone" :D

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Re: APOD: The Summer Triangle Over Catalonia (2011 Aug 10)

Post by zbvhs » Wed Aug 10, 2011 2:48 pm

Please excuse the quibble but it's vertices, not vertexes.
Virgil H. Soule

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Re: APOD: The Summer Triangle Over Catalonia (2011 Aug 10)

Post by Chris Peterson » Wed Aug 10, 2011 3:13 pm

zbvhs wrote:Please excuse the quibble but it's vertices, not vertexes.
Either is acceptable; most dictionaries show them as equivalent.
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Re: APOD: The Summer Triangle Over Catalonia (2011 Aug 10)

Post by saturn2 » Thu Aug 11, 2011 12:26 am

Catalonia The Great, Spain.
This image is very good.
Summer Tiangle are Vega, Deneb and Altair.
The Milky Way Galaxy is very handsome.

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Re: APOD: The Summer Triangle Over Catalonia (2011 Aug 10)

Post by nstahl » Thu Aug 11, 2011 1:21 am

I have always been a loyal resident of the Milky Way. Long may she shine!

bto

Re: APOD: The Summer Triangle Over Catalonia (2011 Aug 10)

Post by bto » Thu Aug 11, 2011 3:28 am

Oh my, pictures fresh from Mars-and we get this useless picture.
B O R I N G :!: :!: :!:

Mactavish

Re: APOD: The Summer Triangle Over Catalonia (2011 Aug 10)

Post by Mactavish » Thu Aug 11, 2011 4:33 am

Gee. I ran into the woods, found a clearing, and bent over backwards. I fell on my ass!

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Re: APOD: The Summer Triangle Over Catalonia (2011 Aug 10)

Post by Beyond » Thu Aug 11, 2011 4:39 am

Mactavish wrote:Gee. I ran into the woods, found a clearing, and bent over backwards. I fell on my ass!
Well.... You DID discover the Gravity of the situation, didn't you :?:
To find the Truth, you must go Beyond.

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Re: APOD: The Summer Triangle Over Catalonia (2011 Aug 10)

Post by mtbdudex » Thu Aug 11, 2011 4:33 pm

wow, tough crowd for this pict.
I liked it, and for the less technical people who subscribe to APOD and get it onto their iPhone/iPad/whatever devices, they can learn 1 thing/day new is a success for APOD.

gigo

Re: APOD: The Summer Triangle Over Catalonia (2011 Aug 10)

Post by gigo » Fri Aug 12, 2011 1:59 pm

This phot has been overphotoshopped. It would make an amusing sarcastic print = a van Gogh counter point. But to understand the summer triangle clearly just go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_Triangle. 8-)

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