November 2007 - Utah-Astronomy - mailman.xmission.com

Comet 17P - Interesting 3-D image from the web
by Kurt Fisher 09 Nov '07

09 Nov '07

Spaceweather.com is featuring an interesting parallax 3-D image of Comet 17P made using two images taken by observers on different parts of the globe at the same time. Get out your red and blue glasses! - Kurt http://spaceweather.com/comets/holmes/09nov07/vantuyne1.jpg Collected local http://www.utahastronomy.com/Current_observing_events#Images and "best of the web" images http://www.utahastronomy.com/Current_observing_events#From_the_web continue at the Utah Astro current events page. http://www.utahastronomy.com/Current_observing_events _______________________________________________ Sent via CSolutions - http://www.csolutions.net

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RE: [Utah-astronomy] Comet 17P - figure showing relative size to Sun, Jupiter, Earth
by Kurt Fisher 09 Nov '07

09 Nov '07

The size comparision chart made the Spaceweather.com 17P gallery. Patrick's 17P 11-8 mosaic was used on Salend's Fox 13 News weather broadcast last night. - Kurt http://spaceweather.com/comets/gallery_holmes_page11.htm _______________________________________________ Sent via CSolutions - http://www.csolutions.net

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Incoming!
by Patrick Wiggins 08 Nov '07

08 Nov '07

The Minor Planet Mailing List is abuzz with news that a small asteroid has just been discovered that's headed our way. Closest approach will be only 0.000081 AU (~12,000 km) away! That's a new record (not counting Tunguska <grin>). What follows is one of the MPML posts. patrick ***** 2007 VN84 is significant in that it not only comes closer, it is much bigger, around 20 m in diameter, compared to 2004 FU162 only about 1/3 that size. Based on our recent population estimates, we expect an object the size of 2004 FU162 to pass within a couple Earth radii about once a year, and to actually impact (actually, blow up in the upper atmosphere) about once in five years, so the only thing unusual about 2004 FU162 is that we saw it as it passed by. 2007 VN84, on the other hand, is so large that we expect omething that big to come as close as 2 radii only about once in 20 years, so it is a remarkable event in itself, in addition to the fact that it was discovered and can be watched flying by. Congratulations to Richard Kowalski and the Catalina Sky Survey. ***** http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/mpec/K07/K07V69.html

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Kaguya orbit video
by Kurt Fisher 08 Nov '07

08 Nov '07

Kaguya HDTV movie - orbiting Moon at 100km http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2007/11/20071107_kaguya_movie_e.html - Kurt _______________________________________________ Sent via CSolutions - http://www.csolutions.net

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Discovery
by Patrick Wiggins 07 Nov '07

07 Nov '07

Pardon a bit of self horn tooting but I'm feeling rather jazzed at the moment and thought I'd share with y'all. I just got word from the Minor Planet Center that an asteroid I've been chasing through the sky the past couple of nights is indeed a new one and has been given the temporary designation K07V08N. It'll probably be a couple of years before I'll be able to submit a name but it's just nice to know that even an amateur can still discover a new asteroid. BTW, regarding the name, 8 years ago I worked a deal with KCPW during one of their pledge drives to give the naming rights to my next find to the highest bidder. Some guy actually bid and then paid $500! Now I just hope I can find him... Clear skies! patrick

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Re: Discovery
by Patrick Wiggins 07 Nov '07

07 Nov '07

On 07 Nov 2007, at 17:19, Richard Tenney wrote: > I probably have no > idea how one goes about finding minor planets (taking > lots of images and doing comparisons?) Actually you're right (see my U-A post of a few minutes ago to Kurt). > but in this age > of robotic patrols, your find is both encouraging and, > as I said, impressive. Right again. In the "olden days" (5 or 6 years ago) it was downright easy for amateurs to find new asteroids. But then the automated searches started and it got a whole lot harder. An example would be the second asteroid in my "discovery" picture. It had been discovered less than a month before I imaged it. Fortunately they missed the one right next to it that I found. So, like I said to Kurt, luck plays a big part in the process. > I'm kinda sad you sold the > right to the name; Ah, but the money went to a good cause. > asteroid Wiggins would be a-ok with me! Actually such a rock already exists. Just Google 4099 Wiggins. But the reason for my name being applied to that particular asteroid is one I'll need to tell you in person. ;) patrick

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Horsehead
by Patrick Wiggins 07 Nov '07

07 Nov '07

A picture from a few minutes ago of the Horsehead Nebula: http://gallery.utahastronomy.com/v/pwiggins/ patrick

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Video capture?
by Seth Jarvis 07 Nov '07

07 Nov '07

Have any of you folks any recommendations you'd care to share regarding the best way to get a video feed (preferably color) off of a 1.25" eyepiece? I have a need to record video of solar system objects (not the sun) and I know there are a number of products on the market for this type of activity. I'm looking for recommendations from folks who've used such equipment. Thanks, Seth Jarvis

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Comet 17P - how to bring out detail in the coma
by Kurt Fisher 07 Nov '07

07 Nov '07

Here is a post repeated from the AIP4WIN newsgroup. Richard Berry, co-author of AIP4WIN, gives a step by step guide for creating rotation difference images that bring out the jet structure detail inside the central condensation of Comet 17P. Samples 17P images from high-end amateurs using this technique are collected at the Utah Astro wiki current events page under C17P and the "From the web" section. This procedure is simple enough to be implemented with any imaging processing package used by club members. Difference image links collected on Utah Astro wiki. See entries using term shows "detail": http://www.utahastronomy.com/Current_observing_events#From_the_web - Kurt ====== By Richard Berry 11-7-2007 Improved Larson-Sekanina routine... Message #7949 of 7953 Hi-- Compound processes like Larson-Sekanina are easily built from more basic processes. I followed the following procedure: 1) Start with a high-SNR original image at a fairly large image scale. 2) Use the Star Image Tool to determine the centroid of the nucleus. 3) Use the Translate-Rotate-Shift Tool to rotate the original image clockwise around the centroid. Rotation angles from 1 to 5 degrees work well, but experiment. The tool creates a new rotated image. 4) Use the Translate-Rotate-Shift Tool to rotate the original image counter-clockwise around the centroid by the same angle. The tool creates another new rotated image. 5) Use the Multi-Image>Image Math Tool to average the two rotated image together. This creates an image with doubled stars. You can delete the two rotated images now, since you won't need them again. 5a) Optional: Use the Wavelet Spatial Filter to smooth the averaged image. Set scale 1 to 0, scale 2 to 0, and scale 3 to 0.5. This removes noise and produces a slightly better-looking result. 6) Use the Multi-Image>Image Math Tool to subtract the averaged image from the original image. The result is a Larson-Sekanina rotational difference image. 7) Use the Image Display Control to find appropriate Black/White display values. These will have opposite signs, i.e., -100 and +100. 8) Use the Brightness Scaling Tool to linearly scale the image from the Black/White stretch into the range 0 to 65635, then export the image as a 16-bit TIFF file. I think of AIP4Win as a toolbox of functions and procedures that can be combined and daisy-chained into powerful (and highly repeatable) image processing routines. The newest Larson-Sekanina image from Nov 4 is posted at: <http://www.wvi.com/~rberry/astronomy/cometholmes/cometholmes.htm> --Richard ==================== _______________________________________________ Sent via CSolutions - http://www.csolutions.net

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RE: [Utah-astronomy] Comet 17P - figure showing relative size to Sun, Jupiter, Earth
by Kurt Fisher 07 Nov '07

07 Nov '07

Tyler, Your're welcome. - Kurt _______________________________________________ Sent via CSolutions - http://www.csolutions.net

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