Planets and Constellations

[chianboon]

Newbie here, just joined the forum today in fact. Has always love stargazing since a kid.

I notice the sky is very clear tonight, so clear in fact it is possible to spot the following constellations and planets, with the help of starmap apps on iPhone.

1) crux (bright cross on the southern sky)
2) Centaurus hanging right above Crux
3) Scorpio on the left of Lupus
4) Libra (right above Scorpio) with Saturn within in
5) Hercules (dim)
6) Virgo (Mars in it)
7) Ursa Major

The viewing is done on the rooftop of a 8 storey high MCP which give a nearly unobstructed view of the southern sky. There are some lightings on the rooftop, but doesn't really affect viewing above 30 degree. I stood there for more than 1 hr enjoying the view (the rooftop is empty of cars).

Ursa Major is seen from my living room window which face the north.

Only pity for the entire night. All the above viewing can only be done with naked eyes. I don't own any telescope, not even a bino.

To the veteran out ther, is such almost cloudless night common or more of an exception? I'm thinking of getting a telescope, probably after joining a sidewalk session.

Clear skies!!!

[Gary]

Hi chianboon. Welcome to the forum!

Congrats on spotting the 7 objects in Singapore. Depending the context, e.g. in a year, completely cloudless nights like this is rare in Singapore. In the context of general stargazing during the "summer" months, may be more common.

You do not need to wait to for the whole sky to be completely clear to start observing. Just observe the patches of very clear or clear enough among the clouds at any moment. Some of the clearest sky may appear temporarily during the monsoon period after heavy raining!

In addition the articles to the FAQ section in this forum, you may find these articles useful in your search to buy your first binocular or telescope:

- http://www.astro.sg/p/buying-telescope.html
- http://www.astro.sg/2013/09/astronomica ... ublic.html

There is a free astronomy talk + stargazing session (weather permitting) on 3 May (Sat) from 7:30pm at Toa Payoh Public Library. Feel free to drop by and have a hands-on session with the telescopes deployed there.

Good luck and hope to observe with you someday!

[chianboon]

Thanks Gary. what time does the session usually ends? I can only make it out after 9pm.

[Gary]

Thanks Gary. what time does the session usually ends? I can only make it out after 9pm.

Depends on the weather. If it's very bad, may end after the talk at 8:30pm. Usually we will hang around at the nearby McDonald's for another hour or two and see if the sky clears up.

If the weather is good, may stretch till 3 am in the morning.

Follow my twitter for the latest updates: http://www.twitter.com/astrosg . Perhaps you can check it at 9pm tonight before making a decision. But still no 100% guarantee by the time you arrive the sky is or will remain clear. This is the nature of our beloved hobby.