Astro Bot

$ echo "I am outside of waco in a decently dark sky area, but what can I see coming up this next week or month?" | fabric -sp astro_lookup

# Observation Report

## Location Suggestions

Given your location outside of Waco, Texas, here are some nearby locations with darker skies for optimal viewing:

1. **Fort Griffin State Historic Site** (approx. 140 miles northwest)
   - Bortle Class: 3 (Rural Sky)
   - Coordinates: 33.0292° N, 99.4542° W

2. **Davis Mountains State Park** (approx. 320 miles west)
   - Bortle Class: 2 (Rural Sky)
   - Coordinates: 30.6047° N, 103.9811° W

3. **McDonald Observatory** (approx. 340 miles west)
   - Bortle Class: 2 (Rural Sky)
   - Coordinates: 30.7233° N, 104.0011° W

## Potential Targets

### Celestial Objects

1. **Orion Nebula (M42)**
   - Visibility: Good in the early evening.
   - Chances of Success: High.

2. **Pleiades Cluster (M45)**
   - Visibility: Good in the evening.
   - Chances of Success: High.

3. **Andromeda Galaxy (M31)**
   - Visibility: Good in the late evening.
   - Chances of Success: High.

### Transient Events

1. **Quadrantid Meteor Shower**
   - Peak: January 3-4, 2025
   - Visibility: Best after midnight.
   - Chances of Success: High.

2. **Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)**
   - Visibility: January 10-15, 2025
   - Chances of Success: Moderate (requires a telescope).

### Special Events

1. **Venus-Jupiter Conjunction**
   - Date: January 22, 2025
   - Visibility: Early evening.
   - Chances of Success: High.

## Equipment Capabilities

Based on typical astrophotography equipment:

- **Telescope**: 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain (f/10)
- **Mount**: Equatorial (Go-To)
- **Camera**: DSLR or dedicated astrophotography camera (e.g., Canon EOS Ra)
- **Aperture**: 200mm (8")
- **Field of View**: Approx. 0.5°

## Plan of the Observation Session

### Object Visibility

- **Orion Nebula (M42)**
  - Rise: 6:00 PM
  - Set: 10:00 PM
  - Best Viewing: 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

- **Pleiades Cluster (M45)**
  - Rise: 5:30 PM
  - Set: 11:00 PM
  - Best Viewing: 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM

- **Andromeda Galaxy (M31)**
  - Rise: 7:00 PM
  - Set: 5:00 AM
  - Best Viewing: 10:00 PM - 3:00 AM

- **Quadrantid Meteor Shower**
  - Peak: January 3-4, 2025, after midnight

- **Venus-Jupiter Conjunction**
  - Date: January 22, 2025
  - Best Viewing: 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

### Exposure Times

- **Orion Nebula (M42)**: 30-60 seconds
- **Pleiades Cluster (M45)**: 15-30 seconds
- **Andromeda Galaxy (M31)**: 30-60 seconds
- **Quadrantid Meteor Shower**: 30-second exposures
- **Venus-Jupiter Conjunction**: 1/250 - 1/500 second

### Field of View

- Ensure targets fit within the 0.5° field of view of the telescope and camera.

## Sources

- Old Farmer's Almanac (2025)
- Clear Dark Sky (weather and sky conditions)
- Stellarium (astronomical tool)
- NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED)
- TheSkyX (observation planning software)

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This report provides a comprehensive overview of potential targets and locations for your astrophotography session outside of Waco, Texas. Happy stargazing!