Sun and Stars --Suhai

＊ In Suhai, I heard the whispers from the shining stars,
and watched the sunshine sprinkle the light gently on the grass. ＊

Have you ever experienced such wonderful experience in one place? If no, I will suggest you go to Suhai and enjoy it! Plenty people have ask me where is Suhai? Suhai is located in Pintung and near Taitung. It takes about 3 to 4 hours if you go there by motorcycle like us. I went there last month with my association members again. This is my third time went to Suhai, and, I have to say is that Suhai never disappointing me. I have experienced various feelings everytime I went there.

First time was an amazing discovery that we found many odd and beautiful stones there. Second time was a gorgeous starlight there. Third time, though there were no stars showed up due to the rainny day, we also found that the grass were more shinny and emerald.


Suhai's star night is different from Maobitou's. Compare to Maobitou, Suhai is more distant from city. That means, without light pollution, we can have more "dark district" to observe. When the rain stop rainning, we can find that stars are more clear than we expect. With the cloud scatter gradually, stars are like the actors who go on to the night stage one by one with unknown and unpredictable paces. We never know that which star will be the next to show up and perfrom their stories.


The following photos are about my first time observation in Suhai.

Any questions about Suhai? Please leave your questions and I will give you my answers!

Maobitou-- Good Place to Close the Starlight!

Looking for a good place for observation? Hoping the place is not so far from the city? Maobitou is absolutely your best choice!


Last month I went to Kenting with my association for observation. We went there by riding the motorcycles and it was cost us about 2 to 3 hours. We set up the tents and arranged all the foods when we arrived the Maobitou parking lot. It was about night, and it was time for us to set up our telescope to observe the starry sky! Unfortunately, the sky was sheltered by the clouds. So Kevin and me decided to make a “sunny doll” and hung it on the tree.






Then I went to cook the dinner. After the dinner, magically, the clouds began to disperse! Each one of us was so excited and rearranged all the telescopes. Some of us explained the constellations on the sky. Others were busying adjusted the telescopes and took the astronomical photographs. And I was took charge of telling the constellation stories. It was such a wonderful night that we saw many constellations such as Orion (I had an introduction of this constellation before on my blog), Ursa Major, Taurus, Gemini, Leo, Scorpius and so on. The starlight were like the jewels which sprinkled on the deep black velvet. The Milky Way was across the sky, just like a sliver silk ribbon tied on the black jewel case. It was a TRUE starry starry night!

(The photos below were all taken by our association.)

＊　Maobitou parking lot

Map Source: http://www.ktnp.gov.tw/eng/scenic.aspx

Reopening !!

Hello all !

This is Isabella's Astronomy Lover. As you can see below, I have post some posts on last semester. And this semester I will keep my topic -- astronomy. Because astronomy is my favorite so I don't want to change my topic. I hope to find people who also have the same interest with me then we can have wonderful discusses about astronomy! That will be really exciting!!
By the way, I will go to Kenting this weekend and have an observation with my association astronomy members. I am truly look forward to that!!

Good Place for Observation and Useful Astronomy Websites

The best place I want to introduce to you is:

Yuanfong!

The air in the such high mountain is really clearly and the atmosphere, too. Yuanfong is a place where you can easily find amatuer astronomers doing their observation or astronomical photography there, no matter which season. They often bring very expensive instrument to observe the night sky. If you want to take a look the night sky from their telescope, don't be afraid, just go and ask. Generally, people who love astronomy are friendly. They usually willing to share with people who also interested in astronomy. I think that it is because when you go outside and doing observasion, you can't without other peers' help. Or you have to setting the instrument alone, cooking alone, setting tent alone and packaging alone. You have to cooperate and share with others. I think that is what makes astronomy lovers friendly.

Before you go there, you should package more clothes to keep you warming. No matter in summer or winter, the temperature of night at the high mountain will be very low. I suggest you can take some hot chocolate or hot milktea drinks with you, because they are really useful when you feel cold and begin shivering!

Map:

source : http://www.taroko.gov.tw/TarokoPortalEng/4_1_0/Default.aspx

I have post some useful links about astronomy before, and now I want to post more.



Graduate Institute of Astronomy, NCU

http://www.astro.ncu.edu.tw/

It provides the professional astronomy knowledge.




Activities of Exhibition and Education in Astronomy

http://aeea.nmns.edu.tw/

It provides general knowledge of astronomy.

Hubblesite

http://hubblesite.org/

Hubblesite, as it's name, it is a website about all of Hubble. Included lot of unbelievable and unforgettable images.

I put the website from general to professional, hoping you enjoy these websites no matter who you are and love astronomy!!

Special, Magnificent and Gorgeous Constellation in Winter !

I am going to introduce a constellation that everyone should knows in winter!



That is -- Orion!



Since we all know that in Greek mythology, Orion was stung to death by scorpion. Of course, Orion would afraid scorpion ever after. So that is the reason why he is placed in the sky opposite Scorpius. Orion sets, then the scorpion rises.



Orion is one of the most glorious constellations. He representing a giant hunter or warrior by his dogs( the constellations Canis Major and Canis Minor ). Orion's belt is the most distinctive feature. It is a line of three second-magnitude stars.



There's a picture that can help you visualize:

Also, there is still some beautiful things I want to show you!

From the middle of Orion's belt hang his sword, which contains the Orion nebula ( also known as M42 ), just visible to the eye. M42 is an enormous star-forming cloud of gas 1500 light years away and covering over two Moon diameters of sky. It is really magnificent. There's a picture:

By the way, in the late October each year, the Orionid meteors appear to radiate from a point near the border with Gemini.

Okay, that is the briefly description of Orion. Let's have a test, to test if you can recognized Orion in the night sky:

It is not very difficult, right?





Here comes the answer:

Hope you not only enjoy the beautiful pictures but also walk out and observe it!

pictures source: Astronomy Picture of the Day http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

Want more information? Just click and enter the website, click"search" and type "Orion". It will provides you so many pictures about Orion and gives plenty of information.

Enjoy it!!!!

International Year of Astronomy

picture source: http://www.astronomy2009.org/resources/branding/



Happy new year and happy astronomy!!



2009 is an important year for astronomy lover. It is because that 2009 is International Year of Astronomy!



The International Astronomy Union (IAU) launched 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009). And the theme is " The Universe, Yours to Discover ". The reason that set this year as IYA is because 2009 marks the 400th anniversary of the first astronomical observation through a telescope by Galileo Galilei. 2009 will be a global celebration of astronomy and its contributions to society and culture, with a strong emphasis on education, public engagement and the involvement of young people, with events at national, regional and global levels throughout the whole of 2009.

information source: http://www.astronomy2009.tw/en/intro.html





In Taiwan, we definitely have some celebration and activities. The main host of IYA will be Wei-Hsin Sun(孫維新), who is the Professor of Institute of Astrophysics of National Taiwan University.
He is enthusiastic at Astronomy and publish and translated many books about astronomy. I certainly have one, too. Everyone who has touched astronomy would know him. Because compare to other astronomy schloar he is the most active in Taiwan.


Details about Taiwan's IYA celebration and activities please check this website:
http://www.astronomy2009.tw/zh/activity.html


As an astronomy lover, I am really looking forward this year's activities!
How about you? :)


Oh and by the way, I am next president of our school's astronomy club, so I may take charge of southern Taiwan's IYA activities!

Smile of Night Sky!

Special and funny "smile of night sky"!

photo source: Taipei Astronomical Museum

If you went out last night, about 18:00, you could see this gorgeous astromical phenomenon!

The "left eye", which was the brightest star, is Venus. And, the "right eye", is Jupiter. But if you didn't see it at last night, you can't see it on today anymore. Because the planets will move, that is, today we will see that smile face become a face of "Bao Cing Tian "(who was the famous official in Sung Dynasty). We called that because the "curve lips"(Waxing Crescent moon) turn to a mark on the forehead, which Bao Cing Tian had it on his forehead.

Also, I want to introduce a website:

Taipei Astronomical Muesum http://www.tam.gov.tw/

It has many information about astronomy inside, for example, special astronomical phenomena, activities and plenty knowledge about astronomy.

If you want to get more about astronomy, it can helps you!!