APOD: Crescent Moon Meets Evening Star (2013 Sep 13)

Comments and questions about the APOD on the main view screen.
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Case
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Re: APOD: Crescent Moon Meets Evening Star (2013 Sep 13)

Post by Case » Sat Sep 14, 2013 3:45 pm

To find out the direction of the motion of an occultation, I like to use a simulation program, such as Stellarium.
This occultation did happen on the equator too, but not on land. Suppose you are on a ship in the Pacific, at 0°00'00" N, 145°00'00" W. The local time zone would be UTC -10 hours (HAST, Hawaii time).
Image
From that location, the occultation would look something like this:
Image

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DavidLeodis
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Re: APOD: Crescent Moon Meets Evening Star (2013 Sep 13)

Post by DavidLeodis » Sat Sep 14, 2013 4:46 pm

Thanks Case for that helpful answer. :)

I think my difficulty with picturing the position of such as stars when seen in the northern and the southern hemispheres (such as the often mentioned in APODs the apparent orientation change of Orion) is the impression that is often given for how a view changes being that if I move from North to South the view will suddenly flip, which I always thought did not seem right.

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Chris Peterson
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Re: APOD: Crescent Moon Meets Evening Star (2013 Sep 13)

Post by Chris Peterson » Sun Sep 15, 2013 12:50 am

DavidLeodis wrote:I think my difficulty with picturing the position of such as stars when seen in the northern and the southern hemispheres (such as the often mentioned in APODs the apparent orientation change of Orion) is the impression that is often given for how a view changes being that if I move from North to South the view will suddenly flip, which I always thought did not seem right.
It's true. The view will suddenly flip, if you yourself find it necessary to flip as you cross the equator. People tend to orient themselves with respect to the poles or the equator... especially the latter.

Want to know what the Moon or Orion looks like from the southern hemisphere? Lie on your back with your head facing south. Or if you're flexible, simply face north and tilt your head back until you're looking south of the zenith.
Chris

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geckzilla
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Re: APOD: Crescent Moon Meets Evening Star (2013 Sep 13)

Post by geckzilla » Sun Sep 15, 2013 2:46 am

Chris Peterson wrote: . . . Or if you're flexible, simply face north and tilt your head back until you're looking south of the zenith.
Starship Asterisk* does not take responsibility for injuries incurred while following directions given by one of its crew. :wink:
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Beyond
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Re: APOD: Crescent Moon Meets Evening Star (2013 Sep 13)

Post by Beyond » Sun Sep 15, 2013 3:12 am

I should think that Abominable Snowmen would have thick muscular necks and wouldn't be that flexible. :mrgreen:
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