Will I keep the planet positions current?
I kinda doubt it, but if not, here is the sky watch link:
currentsky.com/plantetwatch.html.
June 23, 2010 - Jupiter is a long way away (meaning close to the sun from our perspective) and seen rising
in the morning sky before dawn.
Saturn was in full opposition in March. From our perspective it is heading for the sun (actually the Earth is
working its way around and away from Saturn) and can be seen
in the southwest after sundown.
Mars is also seen in the west after sundown.
Venus is currently the "evening star".
Here are a couple more data links for sky watchers:
sky-watch
NASA satellite sighting page
We went once -- many years ago.
We learned the first rule very quickly:
Do NOT show up after dark unless you are wearing night-vision goggles and driving with your lights off.
We were told by our astronomer friend to bring red-light flashlights. At least we did that.
After we were done blinding ourselves and everyone else, we settled in and adjusted to the night.
For the first time in my life, I saw the Milky Way.
There is a chance that you have never seen it.
It is a cloud that is not a cloud.
Finding those familiar constellations I am used to...Forget it!
There were too many stars!
What made the sky so amazing is the total absence of "light pollution".
Even distant farm lights can block out many weaker stars.
Of course, these parties are scheduled during new moons also.
I brought my small refractor telescope which is a great moon and planet scope but I wasn't
very good at nebula and galaxy hunting like some of these people.
The fun was in walking around (the sky lit the ground enough to see silhouettes), meeting people,
and checking out a few giant reflector telescopes.
One of them had a step ladder needed to reach the eye piece.
Nearly all needed to be on precision motors to adjust for the Earth's rotation.
The best part was without the telescopes, though.
A few people had charts of the lower man-made satellites so that we could watch for them coming up from the west.
Jacki just loved laying down, looking at the crowded sky, and finally taking the time to see the Earth turn.
We plan to be there this summer to once again enter the wonderful, geeky world of amature astronomy!
