Subaru and California

[pokerfan]

Credit & Copyright: Rogelio Bernal Andreo (Deep Sky Colors)

Explanation: On the upper right, dressed in blue, is the Pleiades. Also known as the Seven Sisters and M45, the Pleiades is one of the brightest and most easily visible open clusters on the sky. The Pleiades contains over 3,000 stars, is about 400 light years away, and only 13 light years across. Surrounding the stars is a spectacular blue reflection nebula made of fine dust. A common legend is that one of the brighter stars faded since the cluster was named. On the lower left, shining in red, is the California Nebula. Named for its shape, the California Nebula is much dimmer and hence harder to see than the Pleiades. Also known as NGC 1499, this mass of red glowing hydrogen gas is about 1,500 light years away. Although about 25 full moons could fit between them, the above wide angle, deep field image composite has captured them both.

Go http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap091103.html">here to get the embiggened version.

Note: In Japan, the Pleiades are known as 昴 (Subaru).

[imdjh]

1. How did Subaru become the official car of hippies and aging flower children?

[NOW tense]

2. When you live in CO

Subaru is the best alternative to a huge SUV, all wheel drive and decent gas mileage. Plus, it looks good with a bike or ski rack.

[BrklynLiberal]

4. I have loved the Subaru Outback from the first day I ever saw it...

[BrklynLiberal]

3. Thank you so much. This is gorgeous!!!

I have spent many an August evening...first week or so..watching the Pleiades Meteor showers.
I was once lucky enough to have been out on Fire Island during that week..There are no street lights there..It was MAGNIFICENT. No ambient light to interfere. We laid on our backs on the beach and just watched the shooting stars..one after the other...something I will always treasure.




Subaru Logo: "SUBARU" is a Japanese word meaning "unite." It is also a term identifying the Pleiades star cluster in the constellation Taurus that includes six stars visible to the average eye. According to Greek mythology, Atlas' daughters turned into this group of stars.

[pokerfan]

5. Are you thinking of the Perseid shower?

The Pleiades cluster really isn't visible during August, rising just before dawn. The only shower I can think of that could be associated with the Pleiades are the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taurids">Taurids. The big shower this month are the Leonids which are expected to put on http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33589356/ns/technology_and_science-science/">a good show this year.

Keep looking up! :hi:

[BrklynLiberal]

6. You are right. It IS the Perseids that I was thinking of...

and I do recall it being breathtakingly awesome.

The Perseids Meteor Shower

The Perseids shower beings on July 17th and ends on August 24th, peaking on August 12th. The Perseids are definitely one of the most popular meteor showers that occur. The Perseids radiant is in the constellation of Perseus, and the celestial body that creates them is the Comet Swift-Tuttle. The rate of meteors during the Perseids shower is quite high, and in optimum viewing conditions, between 60-90 meteors per hour can be seen during its peak.

http://www.helium.com/items/544406-understanding-meteor-showers-the-pleiades-the-perseid-and-more?page=2

[pokerfan]

7. Now is a good time of year to see the Pleiades

Well, maybe not right now because the full moon is up all night but in once the moon is out of the way in a few days....



Try viewing it through binoculars.

Carl Sagan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffo_rhWPoWc">talks about the Pleiades in Cosmos.

[BrklynLiberal]

8. Thank you.. Will have to wait for that full moon to stop blinding me to the stars..

:D

I can always spot Orion the Hunter...Betelgeuse..so I just have to move my eyes a bit to the West?

[pokerfan]

9. West and up

In fact, Moon is almost right on top of it tonight:



http://www.skymaps.com/downloads.html">Skymaps.com publishes a nice monthly skymap along with a calendar of events for that month:

[BrklynLiberal]

10. Thank you!!!!