Mars - Closest Approach

[vin_petrol]

Yesterday was the closest Mars has come to Earth for something like 60,000 years. 34,646,418 miles you know. I went out to look at it...

I've had had this date in my calendar for weeks. Unfortunately, the Great British Weather looked like it was going to spoil things by being all cloudy. Every so often on Wednesday evening I would look out of the window at the cloudy sky and sigh...

Eventually I decided to go out anyway. I knew gothgrr wanted to go out too, and had mentioned Kirkham Priory, so I went past her place. She expressed a preference for going on my motorbike, so I took her on the back for her first 'proper' ride out on a bike (she had been a few miles on a bike once before). Always fun taking someone unused to a bike on the back. You can feel them squirming a little in the first few corners as they get used to the new experience. Possibly a somewhat cold evening to take someone out for the first time, though!

As we left the flat the sky seemed to be clearing, and some constellations were visible. However, when we got to Kirkham Priory the difference was stunning. The skies were the clearest I have seen them for months. No clouds at all, just a little gentle misty blur to the air. Mars sat clear and scarey to the south. Plenty of constellations were up and visible. The Milky Way was nice and clear. I wibbled away about stuff you could see for quite some time. I seem to recall talking about parallax and cepheid variables - not always a good sign :-) Saw a satellite passing overhead, and tried (but failed) to see an Iridium flare.

I had binoculars and star chart with me, and saw the Andromeda galaxy, which I always like to look at to put things in perspective.

A very mellow night out. If anyone ever wants to go out and look at the skies and wants someone there who knows what's up there, let me know. Just tell me to shut up when you've had enough of me or I'll wibble on forever...

Of course, now I'm wondering about buying a nice big telescope...

Comments

[mister-ed.livejournal.com]

I've been intending to go have a looksy at Mars for a while now.. the weather seems to be defeating me at the moment.

I'm not sure I've ever seen Mars (and recognised it).. is it noticeable orange/red to the naked eye?

[everild.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure I've ever seen Mars (and recognised it).. is it noticeable orange/red to the naked eye?

Yes it is, especially in comparison to other bluey/white stars around it. THrough binoculars it'll look like a litte disk too, which they won't.

[mister-ed.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, I appear to have lost my binoculars (I used to have a wonderful hi-power pair.. much better than any telescope I ever had).

Anyway, Mars isn't going anywhere in a hurry, so no doubt I'll catch it soon enough...

Maybe it would be a good reason to visit my parents, who live on the outskirts of Pickering with a full horizon view and minimal light pollution.....

[mister-ed.livejournal.com]

Which does bring to mind.. just _what_ does the entire Andromeda galaxy put into perspective???? ;p

[vin_petrol]

The vastness of the cosmos and our insignificance within it! It makes me worry a lot less about earthly 'stuff'. It's also the furthest visible object to the naked eye, although I was cheating slightly by using binoculars :-)

[everild.livejournal.com]

If anyone ever wants to go out and look at the skies and wants someone there who knows what's up there, let me know. Just tell me to shut up when you've had enough of me or I'll wibble on forever...

YES!!!! memememe! I can supply my own helmet and leathers too! I don't like the pillion experience on road_runner's bike, so I haven't had the chance to go on one for ages, so that would be an added bonus, and I'm quite happy for you to wibble on forever too :->

[vin_petrol]

I don't like the pillion experience on road_runner's bike

Don't worry. This is a HONDA. The pillion experience is like being wafted gently through the skies on a golden chariot... :-)

My plan now is to just keep my eyes open for clear evenings, and then get in touch with interested people and see what they're doing. So, I'll call you next time I'm off out. Wrap up warm though!

There is a lunar eclipse on 9 November, which *is* a date in my diary.

[mister-ed.livejournal.com]

Is this is just some wierd late-night pulling ploy?

"Come ride my bike into the wilderness and I'll make you see stars..."

;p

[everild.livejournal.com]

Hey- don't knock it, it's worked on me ;->

[vin_petrol]

Is this is just some wierd late-night pulling ploy?

Well, I can't sing, so I don't get to use "hi, I'm the lead singer in a band". :-)

[blue-condition.livejournal.com]

"Hello. I'm Jim Bowen".

[vin_petrol]

"Hello. I'm Jim Bowen".

Rather scarily, that's *exactly* what mr_tails said to me at InFest, when we re-met after a gap of *many* years. It's clearly a little too legendary for my liking!

[mister-ed.livejournal.com]

Mrrrrow! :p

[cyberspice.livejournal.com]

You meet the nicest people on a Honda!

[kissmeforlonger.livejournal.com]

The pillion experience is like being wafted gently through the skies on a golden chariot... :-)

That's not quite how I'd have described it! (Not that I have anything to compare it with.) Still grinning though.

[vin_petrol]

road_runner's Suzuki RG400 would be a somewhat difference experience. IIRC, it has no grab rail - I think he just likes women to hang onto him :-) It's a two stroke, so I suspect it accelerates faster than my big heavy four stroke. Plus, the pillion seat is a lot smaller - it's really only there for taking a friend to the shops, whereas the pillion on my VFR is for taking a friend to Scotland on.

Being a two stroke does mean it smells nice though, with a lovely waft of burning two stroke oil following it round.

[road-runner.livejournal.com]

IIRC, it has no grab rail - I think he just likes women to hang onto him :-)

Ahem. I am only human! Although even when I've had a grab rail I find that most people prefer not to use it. I remember Trash and Sara Cook being really rather disparaging about pillions who do use a gradrail.

Personally for my first ride on Vin's old GPz550 I hung on to him like he was the love of my life. I felt alot happier hanging onto the rider than gripping a grab rail. You just can't be British and prudish on a 'bike IMHO, so I found that throwing my arms around Vin and gripping his backside with my thighs was definately the way to go.

The old RG actually has a big squidgy seat, since it's an old '80s machine. However, the bike itself is quite small so taller pillions might struggle. miss_wonderley seemed to enjoy it though. It does sing to you too, in the way that nice modern efficient 4-strokes don't.

Anyone wanting a different pillion experience is welcome to have a go. Perhaps we could have a bikers outing before the summer leaves us entirely?

[kissmeforlonger.livejournal.com]

I found that throwing my arms around Vin and gripping his backside with my thighs was definately the way to go.

I used the grab rail *grin*

[everild.livejournal.com]

Perhaps I should warn you that I don't use grab rails anyway, preferring the octopus approach of wrapping my limbs around the rider... And I'm not sure I want to be wafted on clouds, just zoomed about the place very fast (going round lots of corners preferably)without feeling too big and precarious, which is how I feel on G's bike, sadly. He really needs to get one of those Laurence Fishburne bikes that I can't spell.

[echo-echo.livejournal.com]

I tried but it was 90% overcast. Nothing but a dull sodium haze in the sky.

[cyberspice.livejournal.com]

Possibly a somewhat cold evening to take someone out for the first time, though!

The first time I took out my friend Inky on a ride it was to Kirby Lonsdale over the Penines. The thing was this was February and it had snowed that night. Three jumpers kept most of the cold out and the snow was very light and infrequent (although it did snow while we were having the obligatory burgers at Devil's Bridge - there's a photo to prove it) until we got to the penines on the way back. Then it opened right up and I slowed down to 20mph with one hand acting as a visor wiper while the other controlled the bike. We arrived back home with me having an inch layer of ice down my front. But despite the weather the was a big grin on Inky's face.

Of course, now I'm wondering about buying a nice big telescope

I've wanted a nice telescope ever since I can remember. I would probably keep one at my parents' place as they live out in the Vale of Glamorgan twenty minutes walk away from civilisation with no street lighting. The stars are amazing from there. I even managed to get a photo of Hale-Bopp using a hand held camera with telephoto lens [1]

This is very neat Spinny Mars Thingy

[1] Well actually hand and feet held with me laying on the grass on my back in a weird fetal position with everything locked to reduce camera shake.