Starship Asterisk*

[quote="caramel1982"]Was it only happening in New Mexico or it also happened to other places? [/quote]
Only in New Mexico.

[b] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970204.html[/b]

Former resident of Las Cruces & White Sands, Sp4 Art Neuendorffer

Seems the theme parks are branching out :lol:

http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=15067#p98663
http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=15067#p98666
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap081215.html

[quote="WyStarwatcher"]Hi Folks,

I believe the "water tower" referred to in the description is actually the upper tube assembly and the trusses of a Dobsonian-mounted reflector telescope. :)

Love APOD - been watching it for several years now. Thanks for your efforts![/quote]
D'oh! Maybe I don't win anything.

But if it's a scope, what are the odds it's even vertical to begin with?

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2008 December 16: I checked the APOD again. The reference to the object in question has been removed. It was fun while it lasted.

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But stop looking at what's on the ground and look what's in the sky!

The Big Dipper is easy to find, and from there it's easy to find Leo. Leo is in the zodiacal light, which makes sense for a constellation of the zodiac. But wait - doesn't Leo's toe look a little bright to you?

[img]http://j3000.com/x/apod/dipper_leo.jpg[/img]

Let's look at the larger image.

[img]http://j3000.com/x/apod/sigma_leonis.jpg[/img]

I'm thinking this photo might have been taken during the Saturn-sigma Leonis conjunction this November 2.

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Saturn has been hanging out around Leo a lot the past couple of years. Just look at these eight APODs:

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search?leo+planet

This one is an animation that shows Saturn doing three retrograde loops near Leo the past three years:

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070407.html

Hi Folks,

I believe the "water tower" referred to in the description is actually the upper tube assembly and the trusses of a Dobsonian-mounted reflector telescope. :)

Love APOD - been watching it for several years now. Thanks for your efforts!

Thanks neufer and apodman. The APOD has now had "water tower" added after the "nearby". I prefer my drinks straight though, not slanting! :)

[quote="apodman"]I must back up David here. I also saw the explanation before it was edited to insert "water tower". No scrolling could have helped. But I did [i]guess[/i] "water tower". What do I win?[/quote]
[img]http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/images/tx/TXGROleaning_brown.jpg[/img]
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/1266
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Scallop,_Maggi_Hambling,_Aldeburgh.jpg

I must back up David here. I also saw the explanation before it was edited to insert "water tower". No scrolling could have helped. But I did [i]guess[/i] "water tower". What do I win?

In http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap081207.html

or http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000515.html ...

[img]http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0005/moonhalo_casado.jpg[/img]

... it's not the water tower but the planter that's having trouble with "vertical".

[quote="DavidLeodis"]In the explanation to the APOD of December 14 2008 it (currently at least) states "Curvature by the wide-angle lens makes foreground trees and a nearby less vertical than they really are". Something seems to be missing after the "nearby"! I guess it is the structure on the right, but you never know! :) [url]http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap081214.html[/url][/quote]
Your screen probably has to be scrolled to the right to see: a nearby "[b]water tower[/b]."

In the explanation to the APOD of December 14 2008 it (currently at least) states "Curvature by the wide-angle lens makes foreground trees and a nearby less vertical than they really are". Something seems to be missing after the "nearby"! I guess it is the structure on the right, but you never know! :) [url]http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap081214.html[/url]