Sirius Stargazing: Alpha Persei Cluster (Cr 39)

In this episode, we look at the Alpha Persei Cluster in Perseus, a brilliant group of stars full of patterns and constellations just waiting to be ideated.

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• http://www.twitter.com/SiriusStargazer

If you're sirius about stargazing, please check out the following organisations.

Royal Astronomical Society:
• http://www.ras.org.uk/
British Astronomical Association:
• http://britastro.org/baa
Campaign for Dark Skies:
• http://www.britastro.org/dark-skies/

Clear skies!

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Sirius
• Stargazing
• Alpha
• Persei
• Cluster
• Mirphak
• Collinder
• 39
• Cr
• Cr39
• SiriusStargazing
• Astronomy
• Night
• Sky
• 10x50
• Binoculars
• Planisphere
• RAS
• BAA
• Campaign
• for
• Dark
• Skies
• CfDS
• WttU

[kilorat]

This is kind of a useless comment, but I gotta say, that is a good mic, I can hear you very clearly.

[vava54own]

creationist votebot detected.

[StevenTheAmusing]

@paulusmagirl Search Amazon. Get one for your latitude. Great tool.

[TheGreatDolanmite]

I am a fan of the Sirius Stargazing theme song. Just thought I'd let ya know.

[MessagesFromEarth]

I think the big bookstores might sell them like Borders or Barnes and Noble

[EveDestiny]

I see a lobster, TK. It's claws are in the SE quadrant of Collinder 39.

[owlcowl]

'Where would you get such a thing?'

Many introductory astronomy books include one in a sleeve or cover pocket. The Wikipedia article 'planisphere' includes a link to a guy who offers a downloadable version, if youre willing to settle for cardboard.

Probably the best available is one called 'The Night Sky', part of the 'First Light' astronomy kit manufactured by the David Chandler Company in California. You can purchase it separately or just buy the whole set. davidchandlerDOTcom/kit.htm

[owlcowl]

Haha - yes, but its called ectoplasm, a rather more ethereal "substance" than plasma. The term was coined in 1923 by paranormalist Charles Richter to describe a gauze-like stuff supposedly emitted by mediums when they were in a trance state, communicating with the souls of the departed. But no observer has ever been able to perceive, much less measure this elusive non-material, except when it turns out to be chiffon or another fabric that the spiritualist 'produced' at an opportune moment. ;)

[paulusmagirl]

I came back to these comments to recheck what

you told me to look up and I found out that YT

hadn't alerted me to this particular comment

from you lol

Anyway, is it not true that ghosts leave behind

plasma whenever they visit our world?

XD

[paulusmagirl]

Yes, I've never heard of a planisphere until AW

mentioned it, and I thought I had to get me one

of those. Where would you get such a thing?

[owlcowl]

@paulusmagirl: What you need is a planisphere for using outdoors along with a red-filtered flashlight.

If you can get a laptop computer, then you can use Google Sky for finding your way around without having to rush back indoors, instantly ruining your dark adaptation.

Remember that unlike online sky maps which are continually updated, printed versions wont show the positions of the planets, but there are only five of those ever visible to the eye anyway (plus the one youre standing on). :-)