50 years ago (12/23/1968)

[Ron Reefman]

 

[Katrina71]

Apollo 8?

 

[Ron Reefman]

Apollo 8?

Exactly!

BTW, here is the link to APOD (Astronomy Picture Of the Day):

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

They post a photo related to space every day and add in lots of links to site that you can learn about space. I look at this site nearly every morning. And they have an archive of all their previous posts as well!

Here is today's info from the APOD site:
About 12 seconds into this video, something unusual happens. The Earth begins to rise. Never seen by humans before, the rise of the Earth over the limb of the Moon occurred 50 years ago tomorrow and surprised and amazed the crew of Apollo 8. The crew immediately scrambled to take still images of the stunning vista caused by Apollo 8's orbit around the Moon. The featured video is a modern reconstruction of the event as it would have looked were it recorded with a modern movie camera. The colorful orb of our Earth stood out as a familiar icon rising above a distant and unfamiliar moonscape, the whole scene the conceptual reverse of a more familiar moonrise as seen from Earth. To many, the scene also spoke about the unity of humanity: that big blue marble -- that's us -- we all live there. The two-minute video is not time-lapse -- this is the real speed of the Earth rising through the windows of Apollo 8. Seven months and three missions later,Apollo 11 astronauts would not only circle Earth's moon, but land on it.

 

[Katrina71]

There is a NASA channel on Roku...

 

[Katrina71]

I think I may have just gotten my girl card revoked.

 

[Captain Quint]

@Ron Reefman beautiful man. I remember it but never saw your posted video. Thank you for sharing it.

Anyone here who keeps up with viewing the International Space Station? It is a sight to see.

My videos are a bit shaky when I record it. lol

 

[Ron Reefman]

Captain Quint, very cool video!

Some years ago we were at a gathering of friend the evening before Christmas Eve day. I happened to know the exact time that the ISS with the Shuttle attached was going to go almost directly overhead. So I asked everybody to go outside because I knew that Santa was taking his reindeer and sleigh out for a test run and I knew he would be passing overhead. There were 5 or 6 couples and it took a minute before one of them realized what they were looking at! I thought that was great fun. I just wish I could have been telling that to a bunch of small children instead, that would really have been fun.

And if anybody is interested, there is a website called Heavens Above that runs a list of all the ISS, satellites and old booster rocket passes over your location and at what time, going in what direction and how bright it will be! Any given night there are a dozen or more that are bright enough and high enough in the sky to be seen, no matter where you are. Here is a link:
https://www.heavens-above.com/

BTW they can only be seen just before and at dawn and at dusk and just after. They are all up high enough that even though the sun is below the horizon for you, at their altitude they are still in the sun and you can see them against the dark sky. At night they are in the shadow of the Earth so you can't see them and during the day the sky is too bright to see them.

 

[jsker]

Very cool video,

 

[67chevellemalibu2]

That’s cool. I’ve always wanted to get into astronomy. I think I’m going to buy a Dobsonian telescope for xmas.
Orion Skyquest XT6. It’s a beast for a very reasonable price for what you get.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Love this, Ron!

 

[Ron Reefman]

That’s cool. I’ve always wanted to get into astronomy. I think I’m going to buy a Dobsonian telescope for xmas.
Orion Skyquest XT6. It’s a beast for a very reasonable price for what you get.

If you want to start doing some astronomy and learn about things in space, please feel free to share them with me. I don't have a telescope, but during the solar eclipse a year ago my wife and I drove to Clemson, SC so we could see the total eclipse. I took photos with a Nikon P900 camera. It's commonly called a 'bridge' camera or a 'super zoom' camera. It only has the attached lens, so it's unlike a DSLR, but the lens it has zooms from a 22mm wide angle to a 2000mm extreme telephoto. The huge lenses you see sports or nature photographers using are typically only 1000mm. So I used my camera and we made friends with a guy there using a big telescope and a good SLR camera. After the eclipse we shared photos and in mine the sun took up a slightly bigger portion of the frame than his did. And as far as quality was concerned, they looked the same. The big downside of the Nikon P900 as a camera is; that at low light at any zoom over about 300mm requires a slow shutter speed. But then so does a camera attached to a telescope. Just for fun I've attached a shot of us and the camera at the eclipse, an eclipse shot and a moon shoot. BTW, the moon shoot is hand held! Oh, and check out the solar filter made from some solar film, some poster cardboard and a red Solo cup. LOL!







There is an other total solar eclipse coming in April (I believe) of 2024. It will start up through Texas (just west of San Antonio and Austin) go up the Mississippi to St Louis and then arch hard east through Ohio and out through New England. We intend to be out west of Ausyin, TX in what they call 'Hill Country' and on top of a hill with good, clear views of the horizon in all 360 degrees. At full eclipse the horizon is just beyond the edge of the moon's shadow and the horizon looks like sunrise or sunset (as in very red) in all 360 degrees. I intend to take a 360 degree panorama photo of that fron on top of a hill with a good view. We are already looking at motels to stay at and parks with hills to use for viewing. Hey, we only have just over 5 years to prepare! ;);Joyful

 

[NY_Caveman]

Not sure which is the more stunning pair. The sun and moon, or the smiles on your faces?

 

[Captain Quint]

Ron, you are a cool dude! I would like to come to hang out with you good sir.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Not sure which is the more stunning pair. The sun and moon, or the smiles on your faces?

I can tell you that we considered the trip to Clemson to see the eclipse in totality was an event we will both remember forever. Totality only lasts about 90 to 180 seconds and what goes on during that time is amazing. Crickets start making noise, bats fly out of their hideaways, frogs start croaking, the crowd at the botanical garden we were at started applauding! And you think about what people must have thought back before we understood what eclipses really are, very spooky and unnerving!

Ron, you are a cool dude! I would like to come to hang out with you good sir.

Thank you sir! I consider that a great compliment.

If you ever get down to any part of SW Florida, the Keys or even Orlando to visit WWC or next year's MACNA, let me know. I be happy to meet and have a beer or whatever. I see you are in N. Carolina and although we don't have any plans to visit currently, my brother just bought a place in Cashiers, NC and I'm still looking to get my Miata finished and getting up there to drive the Dragon's Tail. If I head your way, I'll let you know.

 

[Captain Quint]

I can tell you that we considered the trip to Clemson to see the eclipse in totality was an event we will both remember forever. Totality only lasts about 90 to 180 seconds and what goes on during that time is amazing. Crickets start making noise, bats fly out of their hideaways, frogs start croaking, the crowd at the botanical garden we were at started applauding! And you think about what people must have thought back before we understood what eclipses really are, very spooky and unnerving!



Thank you sir! I consider that a great compliment.

If you ever get down to any part of SW Florida, the Keys or even Orlando to visit WWC or next year's MACNA, let me know. I be happy to meet and have a beer or whatever. I see you are in N. Carolina and although we don't have any plans to visit currently, my brother just bought a place in Cashiers, NC and I'm still looking to get my Miata finished and getting up there to drive the Dragon's Tail. If I head your way, I'll let you know.

Will do so next time I go to Key West for a good scuba fix. One of my absolute favorite places to dive. It would be great to meet you in person Ron.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Will do so next time I go to Key West for a good scuba fix. One of my absolute favorite places to dive. It would be great to meet you in person Ron.

That would be very cool. We typically snorkel in the Middle Keys and it would be easy to arrange to meet somewhere in between for a beer or two and maybe a dinner. Or if the weather turns fowl we could meet somewhere to share some other tourist site in Key West or Marathon.

 

[Captain Quint]

That would be very cool. We typically snorkel in the Middle Keys and it would be easy to arrange to meet somewhere in between for a beer or two and maybe a dinner. Or if the weather turns fowl we could meet somewhere to share some other tourist site in Key West or Marathon.

Sound good we could meet by the huge Conch Shell at the restaurant in Marathon. ;)

EDIT: my old memory is acting up again. It might not be near a resturant...it might be the one that looks kind of like the attached pic. I'd have to locate it on one of my photo discs...argh.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Sound good we could meet by the huge Conch Shell at the restaurant in Marathon. ;)

EDIT: my old memory is acting up again. It might not be near a restaurant...it might be the one that looks kind of like the attached pic. I'd have to locate it on one of my photo discs...argh.

Ha! I'm not 100% sure, but I think that may be at the Key West High School? We could meet at the No Name Pub, Boonedocks or Bucktooth Rooster on Big Pine Key. We,ve been to the first two but haven't tried the Bucktooth Rooster. If you haven't been to the No Name Pub, it's an interesting place with pretty good food and a nice assortment of beers if I remember correctly! It's been a couple of years since we've been there.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Good ols Apollo 8. Scary is: I remember this.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Good ols Apollo 8. Scary is: I remember this.

Me too. I especially remember watching some of the first men on the moon at home with my parents and a girlfriend (the first time I ever let my parents meet one and I was 20 yrs old).