February 2004 - Utah-Astronomy - mailman.xmission.com

New Saturn picture
by Patrick Wiggins 27 Feb '04

27 Feb '04

Taken with Trasco scope and Instamatic camera. :-) http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/56229main_MM_image_feature_137_jwfull.jpg Ok, so it was actually taken by Cassini earlier this month from about 69 million km out. I find it interesting that it will be sometime in May before Cassini will start returning Saturn pictures with higher resolution than we can obtain from back here on the Home World. Patrick

1 0

Regulus Transit
by UTAHDEB＠aol.com 27 Feb '04

27 Feb '04

Hi, Does anybody know when Regulus transits or crosses the meridian on March 20th? I want to find NGC 3132 at it's highest point in the sky. The Eightburst Nebula as it is called, is well worth tracking down. I can't seem to find my Sky and Telescope Almanac. Also, I'd like to know when Delta Corvi transits so I can find Kohoutek 1-23. This one will be difficult at my latitude but I plan on giving it a try anyway. It has a relatively bright magnitude of 12.6, a good target for the 15". Debbie

3 2

Finder Scope Right Angle Adaptor?
by Wade Starks 26 Feb '04

26 Feb '04

After reading about the FSMirror, I wonder is there is not also a solution to the finder scope on my telescope. Can one get an adaptor for inline finder scopes like my 8X50 meade, or must one buy a separate right angle finder scope? Wade C Starks

1 0

Earth Science: An Astronaut's View of Earth
by Dale Hooper 26 Feb '04

26 Feb '04

Astronaut Mario Runco, Jr. Earth and Planetary Scientist, NASA will present: Earth Science: An Astronaut's View of Earth On Monday, March 1 at 3:30 pm in the new engineering building room 104 on the campus of Utah State University. The Seminar is open to the public and all are invited to attend. (Note: This is the same bldg. where Dr. Harrison Schmitt spoke.)

1 0

Fwd: FS mirrors
by Richard Tenney 26 Feb '04

26 Feb '04

Some atm-related "spam" I just received that some of you may be interested in. -Rich Note: forwarded message attached. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail SpamGuard - Read only the mail you want. http://antispam.yahoo.com/tools

3 3

RE: [Utah-astronomy] Ken Croswell meeting.
by Kim Hyatt 25 Feb '04

25 Feb '04

Thanks for the sentiments David. We appreciated how well things turned out and Ken seemed pleased to have sold so many books (the Bookstore sold out all copies it had ordered, I think there were 40). More importantly, Ken is impressed how well astronomy is supported in the community and how many enthusiastic people came to the lecture. I counted 232, but I'm sure there were more. Thanks to everyone who came - I hope you thought your time was well spent. -----Original Message----- From: David Dunn [mailto:david.dunn@albertsons.com] Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2004 3:02 PM To: &Astro (utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com) Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Ken Croswell meeting. I wanted to thank SLAS for inviting us to the meeting with Ken Croswell last night. I really enjoyed it. Thanks. David Dunn 801-961-3253

1 0

Ken Croswell meeting.
by David Dunn 25 Feb '04

25 Feb '04

I wanted to thank SLAS for inviting us to the meeting with Ken Croswell last night. I really enjoyed it. Thanks. David Dunn 801-961-3253

2 1

Big sunspot
by Patrick Wiggins 25 Feb '04

25 Feb '04

So why is it I only learn about stuff like this *after* it has clouded over? :-) Space Weather News for Feb. 25, 2004 http://spaceweather.com BIG SUNSPOT: There's a big spot on the sun today, sunspot 564. It first appeared only a few days ago, tiny and unremarkable. Since then it has grown wider than eight planet Earths. The active region can be seen without a telescope--but never look directly at the sun. Unfiltered sunlight can damage your eyes.

2 1

RE: [Utah-astronomy] Tragic accident
by Kim Hyatt 24 Feb '04

24 Feb '04

I was not yet aware of the accident - best wishes for a rapid and complete recovery to all concerned (and glad to hear you are OK, Joe). -----Original Message----- From: Joe Bauman [mailto:bau@desnews.com] Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2004 10:44 AM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Tragic accident Hi Friends, To anyone in the group who hears the news that three Deseret News employees were severely injuried outside the newspaper's building, and wonders if I was one -- I wasn't outside at the time. I ran to the scene soon afterward. It is a terrible tragedy. A runaway Jeep pinned two of our people against the wall of Felt Electric, then backed over a third. One man's leg was nearly severed. We don't know the present condition of anyone but when they were taken to hospitals, two were in "delta" condition (meaning life-threatening) and the third was in "charlie" condition (a step better than life-threatening). We are shaken. Best wishes, Joe _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.utahastronomy.com

1 0

RE: [Utah-astronomy] Ken Croswell
by Kim Hyatt 24 Feb '04

24 Feb '04

Joe: For the record, Ken contacted SLAS, SLAS is paying a modest honorarium to Ken for the lecture, and he is even staying in a SLAS member's home that night. The U of U Astronomical Society and the College of Science were invited by SLAS to co-sponsor the event - this they did by providing a space for the lecture at the Fine Arts Auditorium. Otherwise, this is a SLAS event. -----Original Message----- From: Joe Bauman [mailto:bau@desnews.com] Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2004 1:50 PM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Ken Croswell Hi friends, I wrote an advance story about the Croswell lecture, which ran in the Deseret Morning News, based on the following press release. As you can see, the top of the release does not agree with the bottom. What I mean by that is the heading, "UNIVERSITY OF UTAH ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY GUEST LECTURE: MAGNIFICENT MARS" -- no mention of SLAS. Unfortnuately, I did not read every word and missed the fact that SLAS also is a sponsor. So SLAS members, please forgive this oversight. When I write the article about the lecture itself, the club will be mentioned. Best wishes, Joe >UNIVERSITY OF UTAH MEDIA ADVISORY > >Contacts: >-- Ken Croswell, astronomer-author - (845) 365-8483, >kencroswell(a)kencroswell.com >-- Russell Galen, Croswell's literary agent - (212) 679-8686, >russellgalen(a)scglit.com >-- Lynn Higgs, Department of Physics, adviser to University of Utah >Astronomical Society - >(801) 581-7140, higgs(a)physics.utah.edu >--James DeGooyer, program coordinator, University of Utah College of >Science - >(801) 581-6958, jdegooyer(a)science.utah.edu > >UNIVERSITY OF UTAH ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY GUEST LECTURE: >MAGNIFICENT MARS > >Lecturer: Ken Croswell, astronomer and best-selling author >Date: Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2004 >Time: 7:30 p.m. >Place: Old Museum of Fine Arts auditorium, University of Utah > >FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC > > Astronomer and best-selling author Ken Croswell will speak at >the University of Utah on Tuesday Feb. 24 as part of a 15-city, >nationwide tour promoting his latest book, "Magnificent Mars." > > "The planet Mars has long offered the prospect of another living >world in the solar system," Croswell says. "With an armada of spacecraft >scrutinizing the red planet as never before, I'll show you the best >color images of Mars and describe the planet from pole to pole, >exploring Martian geology, the Martian atmosphere, Martian volcanoes, >and Martian water, all organized around the four great elements of Mars: >earth, air, fire and water. Along the way you'll see nearly every image >from my new book 'Magnificent Mars,' including volcanoes over twice as >tall as Mount Everest, canyons that could stretch from Ohio to >California, and floods of water far greater than any known on Earth. >Billions of years ago, on a world warmer and wetter, Mars may have given >rise to life whose fossils await discovery today." > > "This is truly a golden age in the exploration of Mars," states >Sky and Telescope magazine. In the last six years alone, two orbiters >began remote-sensing missions and NASA's large robotic explorers, Spirit >and Opportunity, have successfully landed on Mars and are sending >extremely detailed information back to Earth. Mars recently passed >closer to Earth than it has since prehistoric times, allowing our >ground- and space-based telescopes to obtain more detailed information >about the red planet's surface and atmosphere than ever before. In >January, President Bush set a "new course" for the nation's space >program that included returning astronauts to the moon by 2020 to >establish a permanent base and putting astronauts on Mars sometime after >2030. > > Croswell earned his Ph.D. in astronomy from Harvard University >and is the author of several highly acclaimed books including his first >book, "The Alchemy of the Heavens," which was nominated for a Los >Angeles Times Book Prize. His second book, "Planet Quest," explores the >discovery of new planets in other solar systems and was named a New York >Times Notable Book of the Year. > > His best-selling book to date, "Magnificent Universe," is a >lavish celebration of the heavens, with 100 large, full-color >astronomical photographs. His newest book, "Magnificent Mars," presents >the red planet in all its glory, with stunning images of Mars and its >moons, following the same large, lavish format as "Magnificent >Universe." Croswell's books have been translated into Chinese, German, >Polish, and Serbian. > > The University of Utah bookstore will have each of Croswell's >books on sale at the event, and Croswell will autograph books for the >public. > > The Salt Lake Astronomical Society and the University of Utah >Astronomical Society are co-sponsoring Croswell's lecture. For more >information please see www.slas.ws/index.htm > > >University of Utah College of Science >1430 E. Presidents Circle, Room 220 >Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-0140 >(801) 581-6958 fax: (801) 585-3169 >www.science.utah.edu _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.utahastronomy.com

2 1