June 2009 - Utah-Astronomy - mailman.xmission.com

Caroline Moore on the Rachel Maddow Show Tonight
by BRay 22 Jun '09

22 Jun '09

For those of you who have access to MSNBC, cover your windows so that your fellow Rethuglicans don't find out and tune in between 9 PM and 10 PM tonight, for the rebroadcast, particularly around 9:45 PM, when Rachel's guest will be 14 year old Caroline Moore, who discovered Supernova 2008-HA last November while poring over photographs taken by fellow members of her group of amateur astronomers, who spend their spare time searching for such phenomena. 2008-HA, which is 70 million light years away, now appears to be a new kind of object, somewhere between a nova and a supernova, according to the interview. Thanx, /*B. Ray*/ A *Kiss a malamute today *D

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LCROSS Lunar Flyby Video to be Streamed
by Canopus56 22 Jun '09

22 Jun '09

MoonThumper Jun 22, 9:20 am From: MoonThumper <brianh...(a)gmail.com> Date: Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:20:54 -0700 (PDT) Local: Mon, Jun 22 2009 9:20 am Subject: LCROSS Lunar Flyby Video to be Streamed After its successful launch, LCROSS is now on its way to the Moon. At Launch +5 days, the spacecraft will perform a lunar swingby to enter into an elongated Earth orbit to position LCROSS for impact at the lunar south pole. LCROSS lunar swingby video stream coverage will begin at approximately 5:20 AM PDT on Tuesday, June 23, 2009. Please check http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LCROSS/lunarswingby/ for updates. Brian [Day, LCROSS Team Public Education Officer] Originally posted: http://groups.google.com/group/lcross_observation/browse_thread/thread/39a0… - Clear skies - Kurt

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New album / Meades don't float :)
by Patrick Wiggins 22 Jun '09

22 Jun '09

David Rankin joined SLAS a couple of days ago and on the same day requested an album on the SLAS Gallery. He now has some images posted. Have a look: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_page=3 He's included a story with pictures about his finding a Meade 8" LX10 at the bottom of Lake Meade (I know Meade scopes have had problems but I didn't think anyone would throw one in the lake... <grin>). David is not on UA but I think I'll invite him. patrick

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The End of an Era
by Chuck Hards 22 Jun '09

22 Jun '09

Because of Kodachrome's fairly low ASA number, it wasn't the first choice of most astro-photographers back in the heydey of emulsion-based imaging. However, I remember when it was the preferred transparency film by most photographers, across the board. Even some deep-sky and comet photographers used it. Sad to see it go. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090622/ap_on_re_us/us_kodachrome_s_demise

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] New album / Meades don't float :)
by Joe Bauman 22 Jun '09

22 Jun '09

HEY! --- On Sun, 6/21/09, Kim <kimharch(a)cut.net> wrote: From: Kim <kimharch(a)cut.net> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] New album / Meades don't float :) To: "'Utah Astronomy'" <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> Date: Sunday, June 21, 2009, 9:56 PM I can't think of anything better to do with a Meade scope and/or mount. Kim > -----Original Message----- > From: utah-astronomy-bounces(a)mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy- > bounces(a)mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Patrick Wiggins > Sent: Sunday, June 21, 2009 4:32 PM > To: utah astronomy listserve utah astronomy > Subject: [Utah-astronomy] New album / Meades don't float :) > > David Rankin joined SLAS a couple of days ago and on the same day > requested an album on the SLAS Gallery. > > He now has some images posted. Have a look: > > http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_page=3 > > He's included a story with pictures about his finding a Meade 8" LX10 > at the bottom of Lake Meade (I know Meade scopes have had problems but > I didn't think anyone would throw one in the lake... <grin>). > > David is not on UA but I think I'll invite him. > > patrick > > _______________________________________________ > 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.slas.us/gallery2/main.php > Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 8.5.339 / Virus Database: 270.12.83/2191 - Release Date: 06/21/09 > 05:53:00 _______________________________________________ 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.slas.us/gallery2/main.php Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Quick analysis - imaging ops for LCROSS during cruise orbit one
by Canopus56 21 Jun '09

21 Jun '09

Patrick, In response to your question on the LCROSS google group, here is the best local circumstance opportunity (highest alt, no moon, illuminated% 45) that I see for imaging LCROSS during the rising cruise orbit one. This is low in the northwest sky just as a first quarter Moon sets on Monday morning, June 29, at 0:45MDT: Date__(UT)__HR:MN R.A.__(a-apparent)__DEC Azi_(a-appr)_Elev 2009-Jun-29 06:00 m 12 50 18.17 +40 17 25.7 291.2078 43.2010 2009-Jun-29 06:10 m 12 50 34.40 +40 14 58.1 292.1276 41.4681 2009-Jun-29 06:20 m 12 50 50.91 +40 12 29.4 293.0612 39.7465 2009-Jun-29 06:30 m 12 51 07.72 +40 09 59.8 294.0091 38.0369 2009-Jun-29 06:40 m 12 51 24.82 +40 07 29.3 294.9717 36.3399 2009-Jun-29 06:50 12 51 42.23 +40 04 58.1 295.9494 34.6562 2009-Jun-29 07:00 12 51 59.94 +40 02 26.2 296.9430 32.9864 2009-Jun-29 07:10 12 52 17.96 +39 59 53.7 297.9529 31.3315 2009-Jun-29 07:20 12 52 36.28 +39 57 20.8 298.9798 29.6920 2009-Jun-29 07:30 12 52 54.91 +39 54 47.6 300.0242 28.0687 2009-Jun-29 07:40 12 53 13.86 +39 52 14.1 301.0867 26.4625 2009-Jun-29 07:50 12 53 33.11 +39 49 40.5 302.1680 24.8742 2009-Jun-29 08:00 12 53 52.67 +39 47 06.9 303.2687 23.3047 - Clear Skies, Kurt

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Mark your calendars: 0530 MDT 2009 OCT 09
by Joe Bauman 21 Jun '09

21 Jun '09

Ditto -- Joe --- On Sun, 6/21/09, Canopus56 <canopus56(a)yahoo.com> wrote: From: Canopus56 <canopus56(a)yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Mark your calendars: 0530 MDT 2009 OCT 09 To: "Utah Astronomy List Serv" <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> Date: Sunday, June 21, 2009, 1:28 PM Chuck wrote: > I have reserved the Grim for that time, as a private video session but visitors are listed as welcome. Chuck, My comments about an LCROSS impact star party went to Ziggy's suggestion at the last monthly meetings of holding a public event. Because of uncertainty regarding the impact, IMHO a low-profile private star party like you are planning is more right-sized activity. - Clear Skies - Kurt _______________________________________________ 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.slas.us/gallery2/main.php Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Mark your calendars: 0530 MDT 2009 OCT 09
by Canopus56 21 Jun '09

21 Jun '09

Chuck wrote: > I have reserved the Grim for that time, as a private video session but visitors are listed as welcome. Chuck, My comments about an LCROSS impact star party went to Ziggy's suggestion at the last monthly meetings of holding a public event. Because of uncertainty regarding the impact, IMHO a low-profile private star party like you are planning is more right-sized activity. - Clear Skies - Kurt

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] TeleTrack GoTo mount - use report -
by Canopus56 21 Jun '09

21 Jun '09

Chuck wrote: > So far I am happy with my purchase. Remember that I bought this mount > initially just to mount my PST, to emulate Kurt's terrific PST tracking > setup. The night-time use is a bonus. http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=mounts_and_tripods/~p… All the credit goes to Bill Cowles. The TeleTrek low-end mount ($300) is a second-generation and consumer-refined version of the older GT114 mount that I use. Like the GT114, the TeleTrek's weight limit is 9lbs - so no adding a heavy DSLR to your light APO scope. I assume main gears inside, like the later GT114s, are metal, not plastic. Refinements in the Teletrek mount include: (1) An integral bubble mount; (2) Comes with the right-angle bracket; (3) Has an auxillary port in the base; (4) No autoguiding port or software support for autoguiding. Since the TeleTrek uses the same controller at the GT114, it may suffer with a minor software bug that I found in the GT114. When you slew the GT114 in altitude across the 90 degree mark (to let's say 120 degrees), the software appears to suffer a divide by zero error and the mount starts flopping around. Customer comments on the Orion website note that it is a low tripod mount. The eyepiece is at a level where you have to use an observing chair. One commentor describes that to get the eyepiece to a more comfortable "adult height" that he - "To fix this I bought an adapter to convert the 3/8th inch thread to a 20-1/4" thread that I bought from EBAY. I then put it on my paragon tripod." Clear Skies - Kurt P.S. - Quiescent sun at 11am through the PST-Ha and PST-K.

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Mark your calendars: 0530 MDT 2009 OCT 09
by Canopus56 21 Jun '09

21 Jun '09

Joe wrote; > Kurt, Thanks for this great info. I'm wondering, with 1 m. resolution, whether any of the Apollo sites will show up. Best wishes, Joe One of the more interesting LRO factoids from Tuesday's NASA pre-mission science broadcast is that the LRO visual camera and antenna mast can take pictures and broadcast at 1.3 Ghz. The camera actually has a 50cm resolution and the LRO can broadcast those high resolution images back to Earth in a near-real time rate. The problem is there are no deep space system receivers on Earth that are capable of accepting LROs broadband signal at its high-capacity transmittal rate. As a result, high-resolution images have to be taken, stored on broad the spacecraft in storage limited on broad memory and transmitted back to Earth over time at a lower rate. This limits 99% of LROs work to using the lower 1 meter resolution software setting. High resolution 50 cm imaging is reserved for a few percent of LROs camera time and is limited to high-priority future landing and high-science interest sites. There also will be an LRO public website for the general public to propose high-resolution camera targets. LRO LCROSS Mission science broadcast at min 28:45 and 13:45 and 32:20 http://www.youtube.com/profile?v=4Y9GRFdercM&user=NASAtelevision LRO mission fact sheet http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/359938main_LRO_factsheet.pdf Clear Skies - Kurt

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