December 2005 - Utah-Astronomy - mailman.xmission.com

Re: Vaughn Parsons
by Chuck Hards 13 Dec '05

13 Dec '05

Another questions is, who bought Intermountain Optics? There was a lot of nice equipment there, last time I visited the shop about 3 years ago or so. Including a large aluminizing chamber. Steve Dodds, you know anything about this? Got some new equipment in the garage? __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

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Anyone in the same shape with Intermountain ?
by Tim Puckett 13 Dec '05

13 Dec '05

I ordered a set of 20 inch RC optics from Vaughn Parsons almost two years ago. Never got my optics and never received any money back. Just the occasional excuses from him until he left Utah then nothing after the first of 2004. He is working for Ocenit in Hawaii. He does not answer is his phone at the company or his cell phone. He moved to Hawaii and did not notify any of his current customers as far as I can tell. I sent Vaughn a deposit of $5,500.00 almost two years ago. To this date no optics and no refund. At this point I would like to hear of others that have lost their money. If we can prove a track record of deceit the FBI will file charges for conspiracy to defraud. . Please call me or write to tpuckett(a)mindspring.com I do not wish to make trouble, we only want our money back. Thanks Tim Puckett. 404-281-5686 ____________________________ THE PUCKETT OBSERVATORY ____________________________ P.O. Box 818 Ellijay, Ga. 30540 USA. Telephone 404-281-5686 Minor Planet Center ID # 752 http://www.cometwatch.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

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Vaughn Parsons
by Chuck Hards 13 Dec '05

13 Dec '05

Looks like Intermountain Optics is history: http://mosaic.oceanit.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=30&Itemid=37 Thanks to Tim Puckett of Puckett Observatory for the lead. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

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SLAS party
by Michael Carnes 10 Dec '05

10 Dec '05

Woke up this morning with a cold. I'm normally fairly generous, but I don't feel like sharing a virus with my fellow SLAS-ers. Have a great time at the party and I hope each of you enjoys the holiday season in the way that makes you happiest. Michael

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Re: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Flat Field Frames
by astrodeb＠charter.net 10 Dec '05

10 Dec '05

I used google.com and found the light box Russel Croman uses. I may make mine according to his design. http://www.rc-astro.com/equipment/light_box/ Debbie > > From: Canopus56 <canopus56(a)yahoo.com> > Date: 2005/12/05 Mon PM 11:14:46 MST > To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> > Subject: Re: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Flat Field Frames > > --- Joe Bauman <bau(a)desnews.com> wrote: > > Thanks very much! I will be studying it but not for > > a while -- the cold weather has chilled my ardor for > > > astronomy for a few months. Best wishes, Joe > > Your'r welcome. Another net posted shook the > following example out of the web. Greg's construction > and method closer to Berry and Burnell, uses just foam > board and glue, and has cleaner construction - > > http://www.gregpyros.com/html/light_box.html > > - Canopus56 > > > > > __________________________________________ > Yahoo! DSL Something to write home about. > Just $16.99/mo. or less. > dsl.yahoo.com > > > _______________________________________________ > 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 >

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Comic Strip
by Ann House 10 Dec '05

10 Dec '05

Lynn Johnston's comic strip "For Better Or Worse" is in the middle of a cute series on star gazing and star parties. The family's 20ish daughter, Elizabeth, is a school teacher to Native Americans in upper Canada. She was teaching her students about the stars and now suddenly the whole community is interested in her scheduled star party. Stay tuned... -A

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What was it?
by Cynthia Blue 09 Dec '05

09 Dec '05

Hmmm this email bounced.. I think there was a strange attachment. Lets see if I can post it through. Cyn ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] What was it? From: Lockman <lockman(a)aznex.net> Date: Fri, 09 Dec 2005 10:59:57 -0700 To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> Speaking of UFOs, a few years ago I got an insight as to how it is people become convinced that the UFO they are seeing is an alien space craft. It was around noon. I was flying over Safford AZ on a southwesterly heading at 6000 feet MSL. It was sunny. Just slightly left of dead ahead, I noticed a bright reflection from what I assumed was another airplane. It appeared to be closing fast. I could perceive no relative motion of the object. Then I saw that it was a T33 with an unpainted polished aluminum finish. The reflection was originating from the curved part where the vertical stabilizer joined the fuselage. I could see the wings, tail parts, the canopy, and everything. The lack of relative motion between one's aircraft and another is what pilots are taught indicates their aircraft may be on a collision course with the other aircraft . I turned hard right in order to avoid the collision. Keep in mind that the time interval between first noticing the bright reflection through turning hard right was about 3 to 5 seconds. After I had gone perpendicular to my course for a time I felt was long enough to avoid the collision, I turned back on course. This was in time to see the object as we went past it. It turned out to be an escaped aluminized helium filled mylar children's balloon like they sell at festive events such as fairs. It wasn't another airplane at all; no wings, no fuselage, no tail parts. Apparently, expecting it to be another airplane, my brain had falsely filled in all those details about a T33. Had I not turned back on course in time to see what it really was, to this day I would have been convinced it was a T33 with a polished aluminum finish. After this experience I concluded that if one sees an object that would photograph with no detail greater than a bright point of light, but is expecting the object to be an alien space craft, one may well see an alien spacecraft in very fine detail. Bill Lockman Edward Lunt wrote: Thanks Darin; --- Darin Christensen <darinc(a)comcast.net> wrote: I've seen such a phenomonen as I was driving eastward in the mornings many times. It appreares to be a bright. stationary object. It always, eventually turned out to be a passenger jet flying at just the right angle and speed to appear sstaionary while getting lit up from below by the sunrise not yet visible to me. ____ -- http://www.hexwitch.com Elsinore Lucilla Aurelius CGC Angel Pumpkin Spice Lady CGC CH Pembroke Faded Glory CGC NA NAJ NAC OJC 0-TG-N S-TN-N NGC Spirit Chasers Spice CGC

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Public sundials in the Salt Lake area?
by Canopus56 09 Dec '05

09 Dec '05

I am working up some notes on Kazuo Matsubayashi's "The Asteriod Landed" sundial at Gallivan Plaza - Salt Lake City. Does anyone know of any other examples of public building sundials in Utah that I might take a look at? E.g. - - a horizontal sundial - an equatorial horizontal sundial - a horizontal sundial with a wedge underneath. (Used when a sundial from a different latitude is moved to a new location.) - an west, south or east facing vertical sundial - an armillary sphere sundial - a solid half-circle sundial. Please - no backyard bird feeder sundials. -:) - Canopus56 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

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What was it?
by Edward Lunt 09 Dec '05

09 Dec '05

OK all you smart people, what did I see? This evening (12-7-05) at approximately 5:15pm, I was looking at the moon and saw what appeared to be a star directly east of the moon. I could see Venus to the west and Mars was not yet visible. I watched the "star" for about three minutes trying to figure out what star would be brighter than Mars (although nowhere near as bright as Venus). It was still too early to see Deneb or Capella and that is why I was paying so much attention to the "star" because I couldn't figure out what star could be seen so early. (Although it had set in the valley, the sun was still shinning on the mountain tops) After three or so minutes the "star" had disappeared so it clearly was not a star. My conclusion was that I was seeing the reflection of the Sun off of some object, but clearly it was not a plane, as it did not change position relative to the Moon for at least three minutes. So what was it? My uneducated "guess" is that it was a satellite but I didn't know if a satellite could give off enough of a reflection to look like a star so I am asking those of you who know a whole lot more than I do about such things; what was it? Ed L __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

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Re: Flat Field Frames
by Chuck Hards 08 Dec '05

08 Dec '05

That site is just the first one I googled. There are other sellers I'm sure, with a better selection. Boxes, cardboard and incandescent lights are undoubtedly low-tech, in a "Fred Flintstone" sort of way, but I have a good feeling about the "dust cap" flat-field source using a low-voltage electroluminescent panel, and if executed properly will in practice be the epitome of simplicity. We're back to the "technology allowing greater efficiency" argument. It couldn't be any more compact than the form of a dust cap, lets face it. The material is amazing- completely uniform lumination. You'll soon see this stuff in the home, as standard lighting. Imagine the entire ceiling being the light source instead of a seperate fixture hanging there like a stalagtite. I'd like to try thermoforming some to custom shapes, if it doesn't negatively affect the properties. I'm also thinking up astro uses for the electroluminescent "wire" that's now available. I'm not into digital imaging at the moment, but I am possibly going to have more time for the hobby soon so I'd love to work with a local imager on this little flat-field item, which may have commercial possibilities. Any takers? ;) After over a year lapse in my magazine subscription I finally re-subscribed to S&T a couple of days ago. It will be good to "get back in the loop", so to speak, and up to speed on current events, trends, etc. There is ATMing in my future after a 5 year hiatus- life is good! > From: Canopus56 <canopus56(a)yahoo.com> > --- Chuck Hards <chuckhards(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > > http://www.electrolamp.com/elpanel.html > > Thanks for referral. I didn't see any prices on the > Epanel. > > On the other hand, Patrick's piece of white board > with > a low flux light seems pretty simple and low-tech. __________________________________ Yahoo! FareChase: Search multiple travel sites in one click. http://farechase.yahoo.com

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