Has anyone seen a vague cloud like cluster of star in the sky?

it has been about 3 weeks since seeing this cluster of stars in our skies.

it is hard to explain but at first, 3 weeks ago, i thought it was a small cloud in our skies...

but I still see this 3 weeks later.

has anyone one seen this "cluster" in the sky lately that looks like a tiny piece of cloud??

only those keen should notice this

Are you talking about the Pleiades?

en.wikipedia.org...(star_cluster)

I dont know much about the stars, but I did think I was going crazy when I saw what seemed to be a cloud. Its always there I'm not sure when I started to notice it, but I live in the mid-west, and around it are random stars, but even when you focus your eyes and look back at it its there.

Thanks for mentioning it, even if we dont see the same thing I know I'm not going mad. Ive learned to focus my eyes, as I live on a gravel road, and sometimes I see all types of aircraft, but this is a cluster, if I had to guess I would think around 10 in a weird form.

Peace, NRE.

which direction?

download this:

www.stellarium.org...

Yeah, Pleiades, the closest open star cluster to earth, also referred to as the seven sisters in native american and other cultures. VERY awesome through the scope.

or he could actually be seeing the the elipitical plane of our own galaxy? I havent seen our milky way yet thanks to light pollution but i read its looks like a cloud of stars spanning across the night sky

saabacura,

Did you notice that you can observe them better from your peripheral vision??

It's the same with that little cluster of stars in Orion (I believe), the less you focus on it, the better you are able to see them with the naked eye...

Peace

Removed..

dito....

reply to post by loner007


I can see it here and its really awesome! Its huge...

reply to post by innervision0730


actually, it is not huge, it is really vague, if you really are sensitive, you should notice it.

Originally posted by TheBloodRed
Are you talking about the Pleiades?

en.wikipedia.org...(star_cluster)

That has to be what they mean.

I think you are looking at the Pleiades, OP.
For sure. lol

actually, it is not huge, it is really vague, if you really are sensitive, you should notice it.

yeah, Pleiades.

best seen from city-ish skies using averted vision.
But looking straight on you can see it also.

Originally posted by loner007
or he could actually be seeing the the elipitical plane of our own galaxy? I havent seen our milky way yet thanks to light pollution but i read its looks like a cloud of stars spanning across the night sky

edit on 30/10/2010 by loner007 because: (no reason given)

This makes me sad and mad that you have never seen the milky way. I agree with you on light pollution it is a bane for anyone interested in space or just likes the stars. When I was in the tropics in a really dark sky I saw one of the gaalxies, with my naked eyes as a tiny cloud.

Did you know that some people can actually see the phases of the planet venus? I read this years ago in Sky and Telescope magazine.

Check out your local astronomy club and go to the next star party it will be fun.

Rgds

T

Those in the southern USA at certain times of the year can see the Small Magellanic Cloud, which is a dwarf galaxy intersecting and connected to our own the Milky Way. It's a small cloud-like cluster, and in truth, it's a whole, but small, galaxy. If not the Pleiades, then that is what it would be.

Regrads,

NAM

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/cc9dded553fb.jpg[/atsimg]
The Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) is a dwarf galaxy[3]. It has a diameter of about 7,000 light-years[4] and contains several hundred million stars.[5] It has a total mass of approximately 7 billion times the mass of our Sun.[6]

Some speculate that the SMC was once a barred spiral galaxy that was disrupted by the Milky Way to become somewhat irregular.[7] It contains a central bar structure.

At a distance of about 200,000 light-years, it is one of the Milky Way's nearest neighbors. It is also one of the most distant objects that can be seen with the naked eye.

With a mean declination of approximately -73 degrees, it can only be viewed from the Southern Hemisphere and the lower latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. It is located in the constellation of Tucana and appears as a hazy, light patch in the night sky about 3 degrees across. It looks like a detached piece of the Milky Way. Since it has a very low surface brightness, it is best viewed from a dark site away from city lights.

It forms a pair with the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), which lies a further 20 degrees to the east. The Small Magellanic Cloud is a member of the Local Group.

en.wikipedia.org...

reply to post by NewAgeMan


40-50 years ago I used to be able to clearly see the Magellanic Clouds easily from the outer suburbs but pollution these days in the way of light pollution and smog means it requires a journey far into the bush (like 100km away from the city) to see the stars with that sort of clarity. The sky is very very murky these days when in or near major population centres and many people will never see the night sky in all its splendor.

reply to post by saabacura


I was talking about the milky way. Its a beautiful sight here especially being in the country. What do you mean sensitive?

sorrry....

unlike some of you, i have lived my life in pollution which have prevented me from seeing things that you may have back then.