Anyone who likes astronomy...

[stuba]

ah NOW, you see the beauty of all that is it!

just wait till it all lines up in about 3 years! ..such a ride!

PS such an opportunity! 

ah ha. you surprise me. 21 dec 2012. the exact centre of the galaxy. the end of the mayan calendar....

[pinnies4me]

I was just talking to nug about that post. Fascinating stuff! 

[stuba]

I find it really interesting and according to some theories it will be a time of massive change. I should say I don't have any firm opinion, I prefer to believe in good things happening as opposed to the end of days theories. Lots of sites about it - google Ian lundgold or search youtube for him. There is one theory that we will reach a technological level where we will be welcomed into the galactic council..another that we will get wiped out by a comet, another that the LHC particle accelerator will finally discover the higgs particle and will simultaneoulsy open a black hole (in the UK) 

What trips me out is how the hell the mayans were able to figure out a galactic calendar thousands of years ago (supposedly long before telescopes). By way of quick explanation the mayans used the solar calendar as well (365.25 days) but they also figured out a galactic calendar which is based around 260 day cycles (20 x 13). This calendar looks like a pyramid that has been running since the big bang and the absolute peak occurs 21/12/2012. maybe rack your credit card that month just in case. 

Here are another couple of pictures from Darren:




For those interested they have meetings/weekends called starfest's where they go camping in a new moon and set up all their telescopes (many which run through laptops). everybody welcome regadless of whether or not you have a scope. I've never been but darren raves about it.

[ktm450]

Great shots Stuba! Amazing stuff! 
It would be great to own a good telescope

[pinnies4me]

Another of my (lame) photos.... need a telescope like Stuba's mate, the bastard....! :)

This was a similar event, but just the moon and Venus, I took back on 7 September 2005

[wingtipvortex]

Those shots are fantastic! Still cant get my head around 1 light year,  let alone millions from one end of a nebular to another     Another space sim is this one> http://orbit.medphys.ucl.ac.uk/
You can go for a tour of the planets, watch eclipses, even go back and watch Haleys comet fly by.

Then if you feel adventureous, why not take the shuttle for a spin.  Launch from Canaveral, through the atmosphere, jettison all SRB and main tank, do a repair on hubble, establish a geo-stationary orbit, prepare for re entry, re enter(manualy ) and wait for the sonic booms, then land.

Cant be that hard , can it?

Bit of a long vid, but its pretty cool>>

[pinball god]

Just to get off the subject a tad, if the mayan's were pretty up on this stuff, anyone of you entertain the thought that maybe they had pinballs and arcades?? There maybe a Pin2000 buried deep in the jungle somewhere. Now that would be creepy!!!

Thanks for the link wingtipvortex, will give it a try

And thanks for more great shots and info on the mayans Also sorry for being stupid too as I just noticed this section isn't for pinball humour.

[Creech]

LOL! That's funny.

[stuba]

Just to get off the subject a tad, if the mayan's were pretty up on this stuff, anyone of you entertain the thought that maybe they had pinballs and arcades?? There maybe a Pin2000 buried deep in the jungle somewhere. Now that would be creepy!!!

Thanks for the link wingtipvortex, will give it a try

And thanks for more great shots and info on the mayans Also sorry for being stupid too as I just noticed this section isn't for pinball humour.

thats just silly, the transistor was 'discovered' right after roswell. therefore they couldn't have had P2K. they probably had EM's..
 

[Marty Machine]

hehehehe smalll world indeedy.

I took a few pics of "simley" too, i guess when u see 1, you've seen them all, so i wont post it ;-)

Stuba :
What setup is Darren using?, especially interested in what he used (scope/magnification) for that moon shot.
I'm yet to add a digicam onto my scope, but enjoying the moon and planets with the naked eye, good enough for now.

I have a 12" Dobsonian Telescope in the back of my car most of the time ready for a clear night's viewing. (unless it's full of pins in the back).
Anyone who's seen my car with a "hot water service" sitting in the back will know what i mean 

Marty.