NotThePainter
super member
Reged: 06/02/07
Posts: 127
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I went out this morning to see the Zodiacal Light for the first time ever. If you've not done this, you should.
See my blog for a full report.
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60mm Swift Refractor
5 inch Burgess 1278 Refractor
6 inch Edmund Scientific Reflector
8 inch Celestron SCT
Celestron ASGT mount
Canon 15x50is
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Cape Cod Astronomy Society
New Hampshire Astronomy Society
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ChrisBrowning
newbie
Reged: 04/23/08
Posts: 75
Loc: Jackosnville,FL
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what does it look like and how would I go about making an attempt to see it?
-Chris
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In order to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe - Carl Sagan
Member of North East Florida Astronomical Society (NEFAS)
 -Jacksonville,FL
Zhumell 10" Dob-10:1 Dual Speed Crayford Focuser
Meade ETX-60 'Backpack Observatory'
Televue Plossls 8 & 15 mm
Old 2.3x40 Constellation Binos
7x50 Alpen Binos
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Bill Weir
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 06/01/04
Posts: 880
Loc: Metchosin (Victoria), Canada
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It's called Google http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zodiacal_light
I went out to observe from around 0300 until dawn last night. The Zodiacal Light was quite noticable starting at around 0500. It is often mistaken as Sunrise (or after glow of Sunset) by many people if you don't know what you are looking at.
From very dark locations it can be rather annoying.
Bill
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6'' Orion SkyQuest
12.5'' f/5 Custom Truss Dob
William Optics 80mm ZenithStar II ED Doublet
f/5 25" newtonian on a giant GEM, any time I want
Observing sessions grand total for 2007, 171.
So far in 2008, 111
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Spaced
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 03/01/05
Posts: 1695
Loc: Tacoma, Washington, USA
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Here are some additional impressions and comments from a thread a couple of weeks ago.
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Mike
Look! Up in the sky!
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XT 10i - the i stands for Telrad
Megrez II 80 ED Triplet APO "Punk"
Siebert Black Night BVs
8 X 42 Celestron Regals
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knuklhdastnmr
Pepperbelly
Reged: 02/24/05
Posts: 3565
Loc: Beerpuddle, Colorado
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I saw it for the first time, two weeks ago, when I was at Okie-Tex. It's only visible around the equinoxes.
Some folks at the star party also said they saw the Gegenshein. I can't say that I did.
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Knucklhead Astronomer
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RandyR
Enginerd
Reged: 04/01/04
Posts: 14033
Loc: Castle Rock, CO 6677' MSL
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I had to look that one up.
You sure it wasn't caused by your observing partner??? LOL
RonH and I have seen it several times, it's pretty obvious throughout the year here, but most distinct near the equnox(es).
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"Dark Skies & Great Viewing"
RandyR / NQ0R
GPS 9.25 XLT/Sky Align /FeatherTouch
TV85 w/FeatherTouch
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Dave Mitsky
Postmaster
Reged: 04/08/02
Posts: 6140
Loc: Pennsylvania, USA
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Last month the extremely elusive zodiacal band was visible, along with an obvious gegenschein and an annoyingly bright zodical light, on a morning of exceptionally good transparency from Cherry Springs State Park.
http://www.atoptics.co.uk/highsky/zodim3.htm
When I was observing in the Bolivia Altiplano in 2004 the zodiacal light was more extensive and brighter than I've ever experienced.
Dave Mitsky
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Chance favors the prepared mind.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
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Uwe Pilz
member
Reged: 05/16/08
Posts: 82
Loc: Leipzig, Germany
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The zodiacal light is not easy to see the first time. It ist necessary to have a clear an dark sky, the milky way should be conspicuous. Now in the autumn the zodiacal light is best seen in the morning.
- Imagine with help of a planisphere the route of the ecliptic
- Look in the region of the ecliptic 20-30° above the horizon: At the morning sky ist this cancer and the eastern part of gemini
- Try to find slight variation of the background brightness: dark - slightly brighter - dark again.
- Is is no milky way there. The variation must be caused by an other effect: Is is the zodiacal light!
- Try to follow the light cone as near to the horizon as you are able to.
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Uwe Pilz from Leipzig, Germany. http://home.arcor.de/piu58/
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NotThePainter
super member
Reged: 06/02/07
Posts: 127
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It my case it got easier to see as I got to the horizon. This makes sense since I'm fortunate enough to live on the ocean on the east coast. I thought I saw Saturn rising (which would have been odd since it was too early for it) so I trained my binoculars on it and saw it was a fishing boat!
It was interesting comparing the light from the Milky Way, the Zodiacal Light and the glow from Provincetown to my west. The Milky Way had structure, the Zodiacal Light had shape, and town glow was amorphous.
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60mm Swift Refractor
5 inch Burgess 1278 Refractor
6 inch Edmund Scientific Reflector
8 inch Celestron SCT
Celestron ASGT mount
Canon 15x50is
-
Cape Cod Astronomy Society
New Hampshire Astronomy Society
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Davidgojr
member
Reged: 08/09/08
Posts: 58
Loc: San Antonio, TX
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Awesome report on the Zodiacal light. This is something that I've always wanted to see myself but it remains elusive so far. (I live in the suburbs of a city) I hope to see it on a planned trip to a dark ranch site!
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San Antonio, TX
Orion XT6
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Achernar
Post Laureate
Reged: 02/25/06
Posts: 3690
Loc: Alabama, USA
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It can be when objects of interest are hindered by it. However, once I've seen it for the first time, I've always enjoyed looking for it whenever I observe from a dark site.
Taras
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10-inch F/4.5 Discovery Dob
6-inch F/8 Homebuilt Dob
4 1/4-inch F/4 Homebuilt reflector
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Carol L
Reged: 07/05/04
Posts: 5880
Loc: Tomahawk, WI 45N//89W
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Here are two ZL images taken six months apart, converted to B&W to even out them out a bit. Both were easily visible naked-eye. Exposure time was 30 seconds, camera used was an Olympus OM-1n.
The Autumn pic is a bit soft due to slight condensation on the lens but you can still see the cone of light pretty well. I was surprised how delicate the ZL looked on film.. much less 'intense' than a lot of the burned out images I'd seen online.
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 *Step-by-Step Lunar Sketching*
CN Gallery
Photo Gallery
8"SCT ~ 120achro ~ 90Mak ~ 80ST ~ 11x70s ~ 22x100s
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ChrisBrowning
newbie
Reged: 04/23/08
Posts: 75
Loc: Jackosnville,FL
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Cool Pictures!
Thanks for posting.
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In order to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe - Carl Sagan
Member of North East Florida Astronomical Society (NEFAS)
-Jacksonville,FL
Zhumell 10" Dob-10:1 Dual Speed Crayford Focuser
Meade ETX-60 'Backpack Observatory'
Televue Plossls 8 & 15 mm
Old 2.3x40 Constellation Binos
7x50 Alpen Binos
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Carol L
Reged: 07/05/04
Posts: 5880
Loc: Tomahawk, WI 45N//89W
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Thanks Chris, glad you liked them. 
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*Step-by-Step Lunar Sketching*
CN Gallery
Photo Gallery
8"SCT ~ 120achro ~ 90Mak ~ 80ST ~ 11x70s ~ 22x100s
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