RZ – Karachi Astronomers Society Rutjaga October 9~10 at Hangol Balochistan

[Cheers]

This was my first partly cloudy Rutjuga, so the observation that we made in the start of the session doubly confirmed that the Hingol National Park is a Bortle 1 location. We city dwellers are used to thinking of night-time clouds as being whitish/pinkish/orangish, depending on the type of illumination (outdoor lighting) below. We expect the night sky to be much darker than the clouds. At Hingol, the exact opposite was true - clouds were tar-black and the sky was whitish.

Soon, the southern sky was completely overcast and RZ, Amir bhai and the new comers could not see the galactic center that we plainly saw and captured during the May Rutjuga with HB. Nevertheless, this was the view towards the west right after it got dark:

The area within the red box in, ahem, full-resolution:

This may look like Mickey Mouse, but it actually is . . .

Globular cluster M13. Captured by my friend Saad Abbasi from Bahawalpur. Link to full resolution image (very large file).

[Cheers]

The clouds kept coming and going, so we were able to observe only a few targets with the telescopes in the first half of the night. One of the first was the Andromeda Galaxy. It was plainly visible without optical aid. Here's a shot by Saad Abbasi using a Petzval apochromatic telescope and CCD camera:

This galaxy was first recorded by the Muslim astronomer Abdur Rehman Al-Sufi in 964 AD (link). Europeans first recorded this galaxy in the seventeenth century. Al-Sufi was also the first to discover and record the biggest satellite galaxy of our Milky Way while observing from Yemen (link). But as a classic example of our ________ and the West's _________, none of these galaxies are named after him. The above galaxy is called the Andromeda Galaxy while the Milky Way's satellite galaxy is called the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) after a Portugese man Fernão de Magalhães, known in English as Ferdinand Magellan, who was the second European to see this galaxy in 1519 AD - five hundred years after Al-Sufi.

[Cheers]

Note that there is the Bode's Galaxy (named after its European discoverer Johann E. Bode), the Barnard's Galaxy (named after the American astronomer E. E. Barnard who first saw it) and the Hoag's object (named after Arthur Alen Hoag, its American discoverer), but no Sufi's Galaxy and/or Sufi's cloud. Rather, there is the Andromeda Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds.

[Cheers]

Back at the Rutjuga:

The sky had soon become a playground for the clouds. So most of us lay down on a large mat and formed a one-night chit chat club. It was fun. Clearings in the cloud cover appeared every now and then, and we could see some nice sights. The Double Cluster was easily visible without optical aid and impressive in binoculars. I observed the galaxy M33 for the first time using binoculars.

When the clouds got too menacing, we decided to light a bonfire and make tea. RZ had been mellowing to himself (seriously) and had fallen fast asleep. Amir bhai told me to wake him up, which I did. Minutes later the guys were busy wrestling with the firewood and diesel.

[amirtaj]

thanks all for sharing knowledge ....and equipment ..

[RZ]

thanks all for sharing knowledge ....and equipment ..

Assalam Alaikum Amer,

Welcome to Pakwheels. We look forward to see the details of your explorations including archeology trips in detailed threads.

Best wishes!

[RZ]

:d

واہ شاہ جی واہ. خود نے تو صرف تصویریں چسپاں کرنے میں تین دن لگا دئے اور ہم پر تڑپانے اور ترسانے کا الزام

صحیح ہے جناب
تمام دیگر مصروفیات کو پس پشت ڈال کر
راتوں کی نیند حرام کرکے
اور سب سے بڑھ کر
وزارت داخلہ سے باتیں سن سن کر
تین دن کی محنت کے بعد
اگر یہی سننا تھا
تو بھی آپ کا شکریہ

.
:d:d

[RZ]

By the time we were allowed to start a fire, the wood was socked in dew. There was no petrol or kerosene oil. Honestly I gave up the idea but thanks to Amer Taj, Ahmad Haider and Ali Zaman. They continued their struggle and also broke two cigarette lighters. Finally succeeded.

[RZ]

The tea mugs

[RZ]

The tea blend, sugar and tetra packed milk

[RZ]

See Ahmad bhai 'providing air' to the fire to keep it alive

[RZ]

اور ناظرین یہ ہے چائے

[Cheers]

By the time we were allowed to start a fire, the woods were socked in dew. There was no petrol or kerosene oil. Honestly I gave up the idea but thanks to Amer Taj, Ahmad Haider and Ali Jamal. They continued their struggle and also broke two cigarette lighters. Finally succeeded.

The firewood was lying in the coaster until then. It dewed up in there? Strange.

I don't take tea Alhamdulillah, but it was indeed inspiring to see the determination of the guys. Great job mates.

Oh, BTW, that new comer was Ali Zaman.

[Cheers]

اور ناظرین یہ ہے چائے

Thanks for the pictorial story RZ. Enjoyed it.

[Cheers]

Most of us including me saw some remarkable fauna the first time. We saw some dung beetles busily rolling their balls.

Dung beetles can roll up to 50 times their weight. Male Onthophagus taurus can pull 1,141 times their own body weight: the equivalent of an average person pulling six double-decker buses full of people. In 2003, researchers found that one species of dung beetle (the African Scarabaeus zambesianus) navigates by using polarization patterns in moonlight. The discovery is the first proof that any animal can use polarized moonlight for orientation.

Now I don't know if the beetles we saw were taurus or a different species. Also, good thing there wasn't any moonlight around.

I had my eyepatch on, so I kept shuttling between the bonfire camp and the observing camp.

[Cheers]

:d
تو بھی آپ کا شکریہ
:d:d

بری بات ریحان بھائی، ایسے نہیں کہتے

Instead, say this . . .

تیری مہربانی!

کیا ہوا؟

آپ ہنس کیوں رہے ہیں؟

[Cheers]

thanks all for sharing knowledge ....and equipment ..

Thank you too for being part of the Rutjuga.

Folks, I should mention that Amir bhai is still recovering from dengue. It was his enthusiasm that made him join the trip in spite of weakness. Thumbs up for you Amir bhai!

[RZ]

The firewood was lying in the coaster until then. It dewed up in there? Strange.

I don't take tea Alhamdulillah, but it was indeed inspiring to see the determination of the guys. Great job mates.

Oh, BTW, that new comer was Ali Zaman.

The wood along with the sticks was unloaded from the Coaster and lying in the open.

Sorry I mentioned wrong name of Ali Zaman and thanks for correction.

[RZ]

We also tried to bake some potatoes but the fire didn’t last that long.

[Cheers]

The wood along with the sticks was unloaded from the Coaster and lying in the open.

Sorry I mentioned wrong name of Ali Zaman and thanks for correction.

Oops. I did not know it came out with the sticks. Sorry.

No problem boss. I wonder if you remember how Ali bhai was on the lookout, circling the mat with a stick while we were lying on the ground, many of us asleep?