… and the spectacular celestial conjuction continues. Today, on 18th April 2018, the young Moon appeared closer to the Aldebaran and Hyades star cluster, while bright Venus and Pleiades were their beautiful accompanions in the dusk show. I was watching the phenomenon through the glassed wall of seminar room in upper deck of brand new…
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In late evening of 17 April, 2018, rare celestial conjunction occured over Garching bei München, Germany. The crescent Moon was followed by brilliant “evening-star” Venus, and star clusters Pleiades and Hyades. The phenomenon was even more unique as supernova appeared in the view. Well, not in the sky this time. The building you see in…
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Over the horizon of ESO Paranal Observatory platform, located in altitude of 2635 metres, the bright Moon 3 days after new-moon phase is close by Saturn (left up) and Mercury (more distant left bottom). Colors of dusk are still prominent but the zodiacal light visibly appears. The whole scene is horizontaly split bit by brightest…
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No rivers in the Atacama Desert? Not exactly true! Well, if you like a metaphors, of course. On the ground, very old trough leads in the “Mars” wasteland, not so far away from the ESO Paranal Observatory. The desert is really dry so the astronomers there have to live with very limited sources and, of…
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Each of us was sometimes dreaming about how it would be within reach with the Milky Way. There are many ancient legends speaking about Milky Way as a sky part of river on the Earth, smoke of souls moving towards a gods or even bride’s veil. Along the cultures, the Milky Way was such a…
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When you travel from south to San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, the highway leads you across the mountainous part of the Atacama desert. Staying about 55 km (32 miles) south from Chajnantor Plaetau, home of the ALMA observatory, you can spot the summit of the volcano Miñiques. Surrounded by very slightly illuminated clouds by the…
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In late March 2016, the green comet 252P LINEAR and its fragment P/2016 BA14 made fifth closest approach to Earth of all comets in history. Even if the comet itself was not such bright to make the people easily enjoy it – due to its nucleus’ diameter – it brought a wonderful composition with the…
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