June 2008 - Utah-Astronomy - mailman.xmission.com

Torricelli and Sinus Asperitatis - Ealing 20080608
by Canopus56 12 Jun '08

12 Jun '08

Lunar image taken last weekend with the Ealing of crater Torricelli. Torricelli and Sinus Asperitatis - Processed http://gallery.utahastronomy.com/main.php?g2_itemId=11507 The image captures the unusual crater shadow of Torricelli cast by its failed western rim. Also shown: Trouvelt's cleft and Theophilus ejecta melt. Sinus Asperitatis means the "Bay of Roughness" Sinus Asperitatis is about 225km southeast of the Apollo 11 landing site. Other better pics by expert imagers: Trouvelot's Drawing 3-14-18?? of the cleft http://www.lpod.org/?m=20060729 Elias Chasiotis 11/10/2006 Torricelli http://lpod.org/coppermine/displayimage.php?pos=-1126 Riccardo Cosenz 1/10/2007 Sinus Asperitatis http://www.lpod.org/?m=20071006 LPOD wiki entry for Torricelli http://the-moon.wikispaces.com/Torricelli I also prepared some "science-ee" reference images that tells the geologic story of the region. See Wood's _Modern Moon" at page 113. Torricelli and Sinus Asperitatis - Clementine regional base map http://gallery.utahastronomy.com/main.php?g2_itemId=11511 Torricelli and Sinus Asperitatis - LAC78 excerpt http://gallery.utahastronomy.com/main.php?g2_itemId=11513 Torricelli and Sinus Asperitatis - USGS Clementine False Color and NIR base maps http://gallery.utahastronomy.com/main.php?g2_itemId=11515 Torricelli and Sinus Asperitatis - Geologic Lunar Map I546 http://gallery.utahastronomy.com/main.php?g2_itemId=11517 Torricelli - USGS Clementine NIR close up http://gallery.utahastronomy.com/main.php?g2_itemId=11519 Torricelli and Sinus Asperitatis - LTO 78B3 excerpt http://gallery.utahastronomy.com/main.php?g2_itemId=11521 Torricelli - Apollo 16 panorama camera - AS16-P-4525 http://gallery.utahastronomy.com/main.php?g2_itemId=11523 Torricelli and Sinus Asperitatis - GLRG domes in region http://gallery.utahastronomy.com/main.php?g2_itemId=11525 Torricelli and Sinus Asperitatis - Rectified http://gallery.utahastronomy.com/main.php?g2_itemId=11509 Peace - Kurt

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Ealing double ep search and targeting setup
by Canopus56 12 Jun '08

12 Jun '08

I. Double ep search and targeting setup Last Sunday (6/8 - 6/9), I tested a double eyepiece search and targeting setup on the Ealing for visual observing. A flip mirror and right angle was used to provide a search ep at 52mm (32' TFOV) and an observing ep at 25mm (15' TFOV) with the option of rotating in DSO filters on the observing ep. This setup may be of interest for Ealing star party operators. Double targeting setup - photo http://gallery.utahastronomy.com/main.php?g2_itemId=11501 Double targeting setup - component schematic http://gallery.utahastronomy.com/main.php?g2_itemId=11503 The default SLAS 32mm 2" ep provides a TFOV of 20'. This can be a dauntingly small TFOV for searching for and centering on targets. An alternative setup would be to use two sets of 2" eps on the flip mirror - 52mm search and 32mm-25mm 2" ep for observing. A second Lumicon T-2" adapter for that setup arrived in the mail after last Sunday. The following is rough layout of a dual 2" search and target setup. Double targeting setup - 2" variant http://gallery.utahastronomy.com/main.php?g2_itemId=11505 II. Targeting testing and focuser tube flop I also did some testing with a 12mm reticule ep (7' TFOV) to roughly characterize the targeting and tracking tolerances for the Ealing. I wanted to explore possible reasons the Ealing is so hard to target(IMHO and at least for me). Arcturus was transiting. Using the reticule ep, Arcturus was centered and all the finders were centered as precisely as possible (within 20'). Even with the best adjustments, there was a small offset between the ep centering and the Mak finder that had to be memorized. Then I executed a meridian swap and attempted to center the bright star in the ep using the telrads. The star was no where to be found. Increasing the TFOV by inserting progressively lower power eyepieces, Vega was found just outside the AFOV of the 52mm ep. Then I recentered Vega and recentered all the finders. A slew to M57 was performed without difficulty using the finders and the 52mm search ep. A second test was done by merdian swapping back to Arcturus. The same problem was found. After a long slew, the finders were no longer aligned to the target. A third test was done by slewing by to Alberio, recentering the finders and then star hopping to beta Sct and then on to M27. After recentering on Alberio, the slew to M27 was done without any difficulty and was particularly satisfying. In the 15' TFOV observing ep, M27 crisply slewed into view and filled the entire ep AFOV. The amount of finder error after a meridian swap was roughly measured during the test described above. The bright star would be centered in the 12mm reticule and then the corresponding index error in the telrads and Mak finder noted. In general the index error was between 1/2 deg (30') and 3/4 deg (45'). This performance characteristic explained to me why the Ealing finders always seem to be out seriously of the alignment when the scope is first started up and why the scope is always hard to target. Using a 32mm ep with a TFOV of 20', swapping the scope and trying to align on based on the finders can result in being off the target by two or three ep fields or one to one and one-half fields using a 52mm ep with a 31' TFOV. I looked for the cause of the finder index error. I listened for mirror flop during a swap and tracked through the ep while moving the scope across the transit line. No significant swap was found. Finder flop was discounted. The error was seen in ridgedly fixed telrads and in rigid ring secured finders. The source of the problem appeared to be the well-known Ealing's focuser tube flop. When the scope is on one side of the meridian, the focuser tube is leaning to one side. Moving the scope, even on the same side of the meridian but across large 50 degree declination sweeps, causes the focuser tube to lean to one side, causing the apparent misaligning of the focusers. Armed with this knowledge, I tested the principle on M11 and M26. I always slewed to a nearby bright star and recentered all the finders. Then right angle slewing to a target supplemented by the Mak finder worked as expected. Even so, search targeting with a 32mm ep had some level of difficulty. The wider field 52mm ep provided a good targeting bridge between the Mak finder and the small TFOVs of the observing eps at 32mm and lower focal lengths. A fix for the tube flop might be to invest and upgrade the aged rack and pinon focuser on the Ealing with a modern, more stout, Crayford focuser. A Moonlight Crayford focuser illustrates one of many possibilities. JMI NGF Focuser http://www.jimsmobile.com/buy_ngf.htm Moonlight 2.7" Crayford focuser http://www.focuser.com/cgi-bin/dman.cgi?page=productdetail&plugin=dstore.cg… Astophysics Focusers http://www.astro-physics.com/index.htm?products/accessories/focus_adap/focu… I located an Austin Texas astronomy club newsletter discussing that club's Ealing scope. They replaced their focuser with a JMI NSF model with a motorized focus control. The newsletter also indicated that they had an Astrophysics focuser and an automated JMI tracking control. Austin Texas newsletter https://webspace.utexas.edu/cannonea/www/aas/stnl/ST200212.pdf Although the Skywizard was not working on 6/8-6/9, in a prior session, I concluded the easiest way to use the Wizard in conjunction with bright stars on meridian flip was to just slew to one of the Skywizard named alignment bright stars. Regardless of whether the bright alignment star is in the eastern or western sky, just press "mode", "alignment" and align to the bright star. This dispenses with having to reference and enter the obscure Skywizard "ST" star numbers found in the Ealing Skywizard handbook. The take-away point is that due to focuser tube flop, best practices for targeting are: 1) Do a meridian flip 2) Bright alignment star center in smallest TFOV ep or with reticule 3) Realign all the finders to compensate for the focuser tube flop 4) Resync the Skywizard 5) Enter the DSO target into the Skywizard 6) Use the Skywizard right-angle slew indicator to move within 1 degree of the target 7) Search the 1 degree TFOV in the Mak; tune alignment 8) Search with the 1/2 degree TFOV 52mm ep 9) Finalize targeting with the 20'-15' observing ep III. Tracking testing and RA speed calibration Rough track testing for bright stars was done in various parts of the sky using the 12mm reticule ep. The Ealing tracking rate is variable depending on altitude. You can hear a changed escapement rate when the scope is about 65 degrees altitude. I followed the tracking rate error in the 12mm ep while centered on a transiting bright star and adjusted the sidereal rate calibration knob on the Ealing motor controller. Tracking error was minimized when in "sidereal mode", the calibration knob was set to its lowest setting - all the way to the left. However, the calibration knob did not have a sufficent slow range adjustment to minimize the tracking rate error. I do not know if there is a supplemental right ascension adjustment potentimeter on the back of the controller box. If so, Ealing tracking could be improved by centering the default right ascension rate so that the calibration knob is centered. That would give enough rate calibration adjustment so stars could be tracked with a minimized tracking error. The take-away point for Ealing operators is that the best tracking rate will usually be in sidereal mode with the rate calibration knob turned all the way to the left. I did not have the time to quantify the tracking rate error with star drift imaging, but will attempt to do that in a future session. Regards - Kurt

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Radio Astronomy Question
by Canopus56 12 Jun '08

12 Jun '08

Darren, Light received at all wavelengths, whether at the visible or radio wavelengths, is turned into two and three dimensional maps. Probably the best summary map at visual and radio wavelengths is NASA's Mulitwavelength Poster of the Milky Way http://mwmw.gsfc.nasa.gov/mwpics/mwmw_8x10.jpg (2.5megs) in http://mwmw.gsfc.nasa.gov/mmw_product.html#viewgraph Probably the three most famous radio maps are Dames' 1987 CO map of the Milky Way, based on radio emissions, the key points of which I have reproduced here: http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/Clarkxref/vrml/refer_MWMW_… Oort's 1956 radio emission map of CO clouds that first sketched the arms of the Milky Way - http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu//full/seri/MNRAS/0118//0999999P006.html and the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation - http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/ These maps are based on pointing a radio telescope at a particular point in the sky and noting the intensity and frequency of the signal. You can in princple listen to changes in tone or frequency, but it is boring. Generally, the intensity and frequency of the tone is recorded and is turned in a 1D graph or 2D map. Here's an example of a radio burst audio recording from synchrotronic radiation from Jupiter: http://radiojove.gsfc.nasa.gov/observing/samples/lbursts1.wav in http://radiojove.gsfc.nasa.gov/observing/sample_data.htm You can listen to it, but usually the audio is recorded and data viewed graphically as shown here - http://radiojove.gsfc.nasa.gov/observing/sample_data.htm Radio meteor listening is another example. Radio meteors can be listened to. They sound like this: http://science.nasa.gov/audio/sporadic.wav http://science.nasa.gov/spaceweather/meteors/audio/geminidecho.wav in http://www.spaceweather.com/glossary/forwardscatter.html But amateur and professional radio meteor observers tend to just record several hours and then look at the sounds graphically. That takes less time to scan visual and the graph gives more clues about the meteor burning up: http://www.spaceweather.com/glossary/images/sporadic_dynspec.gif in http://www.spaceweather.com/glossary/forwardscatter.html - Kurt P.S. - Probably the newest and coolest non-visual big map is the Spitzer Space Telescope improved resolution map of the Milky Way in infra-red. The map is hot off the press and was just released on June 3. http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/releases/ssc2008-11/visuals.shtml

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Radio Astronomy Question
by Daren Campbell 12 Jun '08

12 Jun '08

I'm new to the world of astronomy and while studying the different forms of electromagnetic radiation (light) I've had a question in my mind that I know is a stupid question but I can't help but ask.... Why is radio astronomy associated with listening? Or is it? All I have ever learned about science comes from the movies and I remember watching "Contact" with Jodi Foster's character sitting with her eyes closed "listening to the stars". I suppose radio telescopes can pick up radio waves and convert them to sounds but is that really what they are used for. I would assume radio telescopes are mostly used to pick up radio waves and convert them to images, like the ones seen on the world wide telescope. Am I right in this assumtion? Daren Campbell Tri-Co Realty & Investment Co. Ph. 801-571-8833 Fax 801-571-9888 -----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces(a)mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of utah-astronomy-request(a)mailman.xmission.com Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 10:13 AM To: utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com Subject: Utah-Astronomy Digest, Vol 64, Issue 18 Send Utah-Astronomy mailing list submissions to utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to utah-astronomy-request(a)mailman.xmission.com You can reach the person managing the list at utah-astronomy-owner(a)mailman.xmission.com When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of Utah-Astronomy digest..." Today's Topics: 1. Re: Saturday night at the Gravel Quarry (Joe Bauman) 2. Re: holograms (Richard Tenney) 3. Re: holograms (ROBERT MARILYN GRANT) 4. STS-ISS by Moon shortly (nothing political, Chuck <g>) (Canopus56) 5. Re: holograms (Joe Bauman) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:21:44 -0700 (PDT) From: Joe Bauman <josephmbauman(a)yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Saturday night at the Gravel Quarry To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> Message-ID: <402454.80204.qm(a)web38908.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Oh, c'mon. As long as we keep it friendly, a little rough-housing over politics now and again is a good thing. -- jb Overall a worthwhile event for SLAS, great viewing if you hung around and a pretty good night for observing and NO POLITICS. (HINT!) Bob Taylor _______________________________________________ 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://gallery.utahastronomy.com Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com ------------------------------ Message: 2 Date: Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:42:27 -0700 (PDT) From: Richard Tenney <retenney(a)yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] holograms To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> Message-ID: <495102.34496.qm(a)web53211.mail.re2.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 I'm probably the least qualified to comment here (never had college physics, but I did dabble a little in holography in H.S.); I doubt you could create a hologram with filters, but I know you can see holograms using filters, FWIW. --- Joe Bauman <josephmbauman(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > I've been thinking about Chuck's question, basically > what I meant by non-laser-produced holograms, and I > admit it's hard to describe my idea. That's probably > because it's a b.s. idea. But here goes: There are > filters, I assume grid-like, that can eliminate most > wavelengths of light. If you could put together one > that eliminated all but one wavelength, would that > one wavelength work like a laser for the purpose of > creating a hologram? I think holograms are possible > because the laser illuminating the target emits just > one frequency of light. When that light hits the > target and bounces back to the film, the waveforms > from interfering light bouncing back from various > objects are preserved on the film. When a laser > shines on the developed film, those overlapping > waveforms are reconstituted and you see the object > that was photographed in 3D. The fact that the laser > is an extremely powerful pulse of light has nothing > to do with this process; it's the single-wavelength > property > that is important. My idea is, what if you were to > place a piece of photographic film in a shallow box, > with the filter in front of the film, in ordinary > daylight. Would you get the same effect because only > waveform was penetrating the filter? Of course, to > actually see the hologram (assuming you really could > make one that way), I assume you'd need to > illuminate the film with a laser. Thanks, 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://gallery.utahastronomy.com > Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com > ------------------------------ Message: 3 Date: Tue, 10 Jun 2008 22:31:56 -0600 From: "ROBERT MARILYN GRANT" <cincoymaya(a)msn.com> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] holograms To: "Utah Astronomy" <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> Message-ID: <BAY106-DAV142A37CF682ECB9140EC4C0B20(a)phx.gbl> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Joe- I claim no expertise about holograms, but I remember watching my college roommate (Physics Major) making some. As I recall, the two light waves must have both the same frequency AND the same wave phase (called "coherence") in order to cause an interference pattern than can be recorded on film. I don't know how you can get coherent light except from a laser, but maybe someone else can chime in. Due to the difficulty of getting two lasers into coherence, a single laser was used, with the light going thru a splitter to direct the light at the object in two different paths. When the two light paths recombined, the differences in path lengths caused localized out of phase interference, the pattern of which was recorded on film. This is my layman's perspective. Bob Grant ----- Original Message ----- From: Joe Bauman<mailto:josephmbauman@yahoo.com> To: Utah Astronomy<mailto:utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2008 11:06 AM Subject: [Utah-astronomy] holograms I've been thinking about Chuck's question, basically what I meant by non-laser-produced holograms, and I admit it's hard to describe my idea. That's probably because it's a b.s. idea. But here goes: There are filters, I assume grid-like, that can eliminate most wavelengths of light. If you could put together one that eliminated all but one wavelength, would that one wavelength work like a laser for the purpose of creating a hologram? I think holograms are possible because the laser illuminating the target emits just one frequency of light. When that light hits the target and bounces back to the film, the waveforms from interfering light bouncing back from various objects are preserved on the film. When a laser shines on the developed film, those overlapping waveforms are reconstituted and you see the object that was photographed in 3D. The fact that the laser is an extremely powerful pulse of light has nothing to do with this process; it's the single-wavelength property that is important. My idea is, what if you were to place a piece of photographic film in a shallow box, with the filter in front of the film, in ordinary daylight. Would you get the same effect because only waveform was penetrating the filter? Of course, to actually see the hologram (assuming you really could make one that way), I assume you'd need to illuminate the film with a laser. Thanks, Joe _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com<mailto:Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.c om> http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy<http://m ailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy> Visit the Photo Gallery: http://gallery.utahastronomy.com<http://gallery.utahastronomy.com/> Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com<http://www.utahastronomy.com/> ------------------------------ Message: 4 Date: Tue, 10 Jun 2008 22:25:45 -0700 (PDT) From: Canopus56 <canopus56(a)yahoo.com> Subject: [Utah-astronomy] STS-ISS by Moon shortly (nothing political, Chuck <g>) To: Utah Astronomy List Serv <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> Message-ID: <440909.44347.qm(a)web32603.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Poor quality digicam capture of part of the overflight. Gives some sense of the relative angle movement of the ISS during overflight. About 6 feet of the roof line of the adjacent house gives some sense of scale. http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/photos/20080609ISSOverpass. avi 5megs I misjudged the TFOV of the orbit path relative to the Moon. The ISS went underneath the camera frame. Then repositioned. Peace - Kurt ------------------------------ Message: 5 Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:12:38 -0700 (PDT) From: Joe Bauman <josephmbauman(a)yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] holograms To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> Message-ID: <563098.37399.qm(a)web38903.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 That's what I love about this newsgroup -- there's always somebody who knows enough about a subject to help me learn! Also I appreciate that I can venture a probably-dumb idea without somebody making fun of me. Thanks all, Joe ROBERT MARILYN GRANT <cincoymaya(a)msn.com> wrote: Joe- I claim no expertise about holograms, but I remember watching my college roommate (Physics Major) making some. As I recall, the two light waves must have both the same frequency AND the same wave phase (called "coherence") in order to cause an interference pattern than can be recorded on film. I don't know how you can get coherent light except from a laser, but maybe someone else can chime in. Due to the difficulty of getting two lasers into coherence, a single laser was used, with the light going thru a splitter to direct the light at the object in two different paths. When the two light paths recombined, the differences in path lengths caused localized out of phase interference, the pattern of which was recorded on film. This is my layman's perspective. Bob Grant ----- Original Message ----- From: Joe Bauman To: Utah Astronomy Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2008 11:06 AM Subject: [Utah-astronomy] holograms I've been thinking about Chuck's question, basically what I meant by non-laser-produced holograms, and I admit it's hard to describe my idea. That's probably because it's a b.s. idea. But here goes: There are filters, I assume grid-like, that can eliminate most wavelengths of light. If you could put together one that eliminated all but one wavelength, would that one wavelength work like a laser for the purpose of creating a hologram? I think holograms are possible because the laser illuminating the target emits just one frequency of light. When that light hits the target and bounces back to the film, the waveforms from interfering light bouncing back from various objects are preserved on the film. When a laser shines on the developed film, those overlapping waveforms are reconstituted and you see the object that was photographed in 3D. The fact that the laser is an extremely powerful pulse of light has nothing to do with this process; it's the single-wavelength property that is important. My idea is, what if you were to place a piece of photographic film in a shallow box, with the filter in front of the film, in ordinary daylight. Would you get the same effect because only waveform was penetrating the filter? Of course, to actually see the hologram (assuming you really could make one that way), I assume you'd need to illuminate the film with a laser. Thanks, 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://gallery.utahastronomy.com Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.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://gallery.utahastronomy.com Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.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 End of Utah-Astronomy Digest, Vol 64, Issue 18 **********************************************

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Comments on Sunday's daytime meteor
by Patrick Wiggins 11 Jun '08

11 Jun '08

I did a brief interview on KSL radio yesterday about a meteor that was seen over northern Utah Sunday afternoon. It didn't seem like that big a story but I just checked the KSL web site and was astounded to see over 100 comments. But then I started reading them... Some might think we get a little weird here on Utah-Astronomy. Some of the comments are even weirder. If you've got some time and are so inclined have a look at: http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=3496031&comments=true There you'll see: 1) It was aliens. 2) It was some government coverup (so I guess I'm part of it <grin>). 3) It has religious overtones. 4) It was caused by global warming. 5) It was president Bush's fault. 6) And a whole lot more. I'm doing KSL Thursday night from 10 to 11 and KTKK Saturday afternoon from 3 to 4. Both are call-in shows so I'm going to ask folks who saw the meteor to call in. Maybe I'll get a few conspiratorialists. Could be fun. It's getting light, time to turn in, patrick (member of the Grand Union of Cover Uppers)

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STS-ISS by Moon shortly (nothing political, Chuck <g>)
by Canopus56 10 Jun '08

10 Jun '08

Poor quality digicam capture of part of the overflight. Gives some sense of the relative angle movement of the ISS during overflight. About 6 feet of the roof line of the adjacent house gives some sense of scale. http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/photos/20080609ISSOverpass… 5megs I misjudged the TFOV of the orbit path relative to the Moon. The ISS went underneath the camera frame. Then repositioned. Peace - Kurt

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Saturday night at the Gravel Quarry
by Robert Taylor 10 Jun '08

10 Jun '08

Last night we had 10 or scopes show up for a SLAS Sponsored in-reach event at the Z-Rock gravel quarry. Lowell Lyon did comparisons of several different types of filters on a few different nebulas to an interest audience. We even had a guest appearance by the ISS as it blazed across the sky heading east. Broken clouds came in about the time the Clear Sky Clock predicted, around 10:30 PM and left most of us fishing through sucker holes and ducking clouds for an hour before the members started leaving. A few stayed longer and braved the clouds and cold for a while and by 12:30 only German Platero and myself were left. German had just learned to use his Bino-viewer with a lot of help from Kurt Fisher and was having fun with it on his 12" Meade Cat. After 12:30, as everyone else left, as predicted by the Clear Sky Clock, we were treated a moonless crystal clear sky and a blazing Milky way and spent another two hours with spectacular views of numerous deep sky favorites. The Gravel Quarry has a great eastern sky so we hunted down many of the summer favorites for the first time this season. Overall a worthwhile event for SLAS, great viewing if you hung around and a pretty good night for observing and NO POLITICS. (HINT!) Bob Taylor

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STS-ISS by Moon shortly (nothing political, Chuck <g>)
by Patrick Wiggins 09 Jun '08

09 Jun '08

A reminder the shuttle and station will be passing by the Moon in a few minutes. Rise in NW at 2120 1/2 up the SW sky 2124 Set in SE at 2128 patrick

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Mission to Venus
by erikhansen＠TheBlueZone.net 09 Jun '08

09 Jun '08

Manned mission to mars? What no women? How does the saying go, "Mars Needs Women". I am sure Ann knows a few that would be interested. Maybe we should give women a mission to Venus. Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus. Talking about that Clear Sky Clock, it sure does seem to be very accurate. When I get conflicting weather reports I use it as a tie breaker and it is usually right on. Erik

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Radio Shack neon lights
by John R. Peterson 09 Jun '08

09 Jun '08

I once saw a clever demo using a yellow LED on a long enough AC cord that it could be swung in a circle. If it went fast enough, the light was broken down into red and green alternating flashes. The lamp no doubt had a built-in circuit that took advantage of the AC current, as well as the fact that the human eye/brain interprets a combination of red and green light sources to be yellow light (if you don't believe that, look closely at a color TV: you won't see any yellow dots). John R. Peterson I'm not sure if the Radio Shack yellow LED is the same as >In a prior post wrote: >> Jerry, for convenience, how about one of those small house-current >> continuity testers? They typically have a neon bulb, and a >> lamp cord coud be spliced onto the contact leads. > >Yesterday, I bought packets of red, yellow and green neon mini-bulbs (120 VAC, 3mA) from Radio Shack and a $5 "Extech" neon bulb household current tester at Sears. > >Turns out the Radio Shack bulbs can be directly connected to AC household current without modification and they will work. Appropriate precautions to assure against accidental electrocution where taken during testing. > >Testing each one in turn with and without a slit and a hand-held student ProjectStar spectrometer, the results where: > >1) green neon - makes a strong yellow line at 5800 and a series of red lines between 6000 to 6100 Angstroms. Also produces an distracting continuous spectrum between 4000-5700 A. Dimmest of the three RadioShack bulbs. > >2) red neon - slightly brighter - makes the emmission lines as with the green neon plus a dim blue line at 5300 A. >

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