Starship Asterisk*

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap081206.html

Why was astronomer-artist Deirdre Kelleghan recorded observations in sketches of the celestial event. from Greystones, County Wicklow, Ireland, showing the crescent upside down from from my observation in central USA?

gat001 wrote:Why was astronomer-artist Deirdre Kelleghan recorded observations in sketches of the celestial event. from Greystones, County Wicklow, Ireland, showing the crescent upside down from from my observation in central USA?

Probably because she was observing it through a telescope and you weren't:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Tele ... ematic.png

What the?? I love APOD but that one just... Are we into abstract art now? Is Ms. Kelleghan someone's girlfriend?

adastra wrote:What the?? I love APOD but that one just... Are we into abstract art now? Is Ms. Kelleghan someone's girlfriend?

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap081206.html

Well, the web site is "Astronomy Picture of the Day", not "Astronomy Photo of the Day".

I can see where looking at art might be a challenge, but try. And why shouldn't Ms. Kelleghan be someone's girlfriend? My own mother was once someone's girlfriend, as was my grandmother before her.

neufer wrote:Probably because she was observing it through a telescope and you weren't:

True, without the correcting eyepiece, the view through a telescope is reversed

The image you see through a telescope depends on the type of telescope (reflecting - Newtonian vs. Cassegrainian; refracting - Galilean vs. modern; catadoptric; etc.), and its lens, mirror, or prism arrangement. The resulting image may be upright, inverted (mirrored), or rotated without inversion. If your telescope is one kind and your finder scope is another, you know the extra twist your brain has to do to come out straight. (You already do one twist from scope to sky, so why not another?)

apodman wrote:

adastra wrote:What the?? I love APOD but that one just... Are we into abstract art now? Is Ms. Kelleghan someone's girlfriend?

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap081206.html
Well, the web site is "Astronomy Picture of the Day", not "Astronomy Photo of the Day".

I can see where looking at art might be a challenge, but try.

I beg your pardon

apodman wrote: And why shouldn't Ms. Kelleghan be someone's girlfriend? My own mother was once someone's girlfriend, as was my grandmother before her.

http://www.deirdrekelleghan.com/16001.html
The Irish Astronomical Society is over 70 years in existence.
2008 will bring me [Deirdre Kelleghan] up to a third year as president.


A happy group of members taking a rest after a night of sharing the stars at Sandymount, Dublin 4. Pictured (left to right) are Deirdre Kelleghan, Robin Moore, John Murphy, Val Dunne and Patricia Carroll. Also a considerable sum was donated to UNICEF. All of this despite the indifferent weather.
http://www.irishastrosoc.org/
Venus Occultation Egress Sketch by Deirdre Kelleghan. Meade LX90 telescope at 57x.
Dec 1st 2008 at Greystones, Co Wicklow. Freezing. Pastels/Conte on FineArt

neufer wrote:

apodman wrote:I can see where looking at art might be a challenge, but try.

I beg your pardon

I said "looking at art" - not "looking at Art". Sorry for any confusion.

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And see how there are no stars in the background of the IAS photo? An astronomical society, and no stars - makes me kinda suspicious. It looks like the lunar conspiracy has extended itself to this photographic "evidence" of life on Earth. Seriously, it's the same lesson in exposure.

apodman wrote:And see how there are no stars in the background of the IAS photo? An astronomical society, and no stars - makes me kinda suspicious. It looks like the lunar conspiracy has extended itself to this photographic "evidence" of life on Earth. Seriously, it's the same lesson in exposure.

Are lunar conspirators officially called lunatics?

bystander wrote:Are lunar conspirators officially called lunatics?

I guess that depends on who you ask. In my book, the lunar conspiracy theorists are called lunatics.

APOD always surprises, and I found this painting to be one of the best. That someone spent a long while and in chilly conditions to paint such a fine depiction of an astronomical event speaks to me of real interest, love and enjoyment of the night sky. That's what it's all about, isn't it? And this isn't the first illustration in APOD.

Thanks everyone. I thought she should be looking at the same moon as I was, I just forgot about the upside down lens effect.

gat001 wrote:Thanks everyone. I thought she should be looking at the same moon as I was, I just forgot about the upside down lens effect.

Actually, in a simple telescope there is a full 180º rotation and one could simply have rotated the drawing/painting before signing it.

But Deirdre was apparently using an 8-inch Meade LX90 Telescope with a 1-1/4 inch diagonal prism in front of the eyepiece which should then make things right side up but still leave left & right reversed. I can't, myself, tell from her drawing whether there is a full 180º rotation or just the left & right are reversed. Can anyone else tell

The observation and drawing depict just how bright Venus is since it was seen as standing out like a "diamond" next to the bright surface of the Moon. The surface brightness of Venus is noteably brighter than the surface brightness of the Moon.