Comments on: Nova Sagittarius 2008 Is Brightening! http://www.universetoday.com/2008/04/23/nova-sagittarius-2008-is-brightening/ Space and astronomy news Sun, 8 Nov 2009 10:14:11 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: MandyDax http://www.universetoday.com/2008/04/23/nova-sagittarius-2008-is-brightening/comment-page-1/#comment-18937 MandyDax Fri, 25 Apr 2008 01:06:17 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=13836#comment-18937 Our skies here have cleared finally, so I was hoping to take a look for this tonight with my binocs. I was getting a skymap from http://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/Yourtel and noticed that the moon crossed the space at about noon UTC today. At 80+% full, it might wash out the observation, but it's definitely a helpful signpost for finding the nova. Our skies here have cleared finally, so I was hoping to take a look for this tonight with my binocs. I was getting a skymap from http://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/Yourtel and noticed that the moon crossed the space at about noon UTC today. At 80+% full, it might wash out the observation, but it's definitely a helpful signpost for finding the nova.

]]> By: Tammy Plotner http://www.universetoday.com/2008/04/23/nova-sagittarius-2008-is-brightening/comment-page-1/#comment-18901 Tammy Plotner Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:13:28 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=13836#comment-18901 What happens is telescopes that are meant to pick up very faint objects - or stars - will wash out when faced with something very bright. While they could detect it visually, there's little to no chance of photographing it without washing out critical background stars whose patterns we use to verify location. For certain types of telescopes, even the airy disc would blow away neighboring stars on something very bright. No telescope would be blind to the nova - only the user with certain equipment! In this respect, it would be nearly impossible to make an accurate judgment call on exact magnitudes - one of the purposes of AAVSO. Let me put out a call right now and see if we can get an up-to-the-minue image! What happens is telescopes that are meant to pick up very faint objects – or stars – will wash out when faced with something very bright. While they could detect it visually, there's little to no chance of photographing it without washing out critical background stars whose patterns we use to verify location. For certain types of telescopes, even the airy disc would blow away neighboring stars on something very bright.

No telescope would be blind to the nova – only the user with certain equipment! In this respect, it would be nearly impossible to make an accurate judgment call on exact magnitudes – one of the purposes of AAVSO.

Let me put out a call right now and see if we can get an up-to-the-minue image!

]]> By: UNdistinguished http://www.universetoday.com/2008/04/23/nova-sagittarius-2008-is-brightening/comment-page-1/#comment-18894 UNdistinguished Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:29:29 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=13836#comment-18894 Please explain. From the text in this article the impression is that professional telescopes are not capable of observing bright objects. Does this mean that only dim, distant objects can be seen by professional telescopes? There are any number of amateur telescopes of comparable size and sensitivity of professional telescopes, so could an amateur telescope see this brightening object or would it also be blind to the nova? Please explain. Please explain. From the text in this article the impression is that professional telescopes are not capable of observing bright objects. Does this mean that only dim, distant objects can be seen by professional telescopes? There are any number of amateur telescopes of comparable size and sensitivity of professional telescopes, so could an amateur telescope see this brightening object or would it also be blind to the nova? Please explain.

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