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

Re: [Utah-astronomy] Possible Jupiter impact
by Canopus56 20 Jul '09

20 Jul '09

The following is what I could coax out of WinJUPOS for ephemeris data, but I am not a skilled user of the software: WinJUPOS 8.0.4 (Jupiter), C.M. transit times, 2009/07/20 14:34 Object longitude: L2 = 216.0° + 0.0000°/d * (T - 2009 Jul 19.5) Time interval: 2009 Jul 20.0 ... 2009 Jul 31.0 Only if celestial body is visible Geographic longitude and latitude: -111 00, +42 00 Output format: Date UT (C.M. of System 2, Altitude) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2009 Jul 20 11:56 ( 216°, 24°) 2009 Jul 21 07:47 ( 216°, 30°) 2009 Jul 23 09:25 ( 216°, 34°) 2009 Jul 24 05:16 ( 216°, 13°) 2009 Jul 25 11:03 ( 216°, 27°) 2009 Jul 26 06:54 ( 216°, 27°) 2009 Jul 28 08:32 ( 216°, 33°) 2009 Jul 29 04:23 ( 216°, 8°) 2009 Jul 30 10:10 ( 216°, 30°) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ An Sky & Telescope "AstroAlert" just popped up on my desktop and states the following: "The spot is located near Jupiter's System II longitude 210°. For the predicted times when it will cross the planet's central meridian, add 2 hours and 6 minutes to each of our predicted transit times for Jupiter's Great Red Spot." Clear Skies - Kurt

2 1

Solar activity
by Chuck Hards 20 Jul '09

20 Jul '09

>From Spaceweather.com: http://spaceweather.com/submissions/large_image_popup.php?image_name=Didier… Two large prominences on the solar limb today. I'll take a look through the PST when I get home later this afternoon.

1 0

Re: [Utah-astronomy] Possible Jupiter impact
by Canopus56 20 Jul '09

20 Jul '09

Anyone have ephemeris for when the spot will next be visible? From another group, I understand it is a CM II 216°. - Kurt

3 4

Re: [Utah-astronomy] Trip to Pit n Pole ie Rush Valley and Science Friday Today
by Gary Vardon 19 Jul '09

19 Jul '09

Arguments against a manned Mars mission include it may not be doable in a cost effective manner with current technology and more and better science can be done with unmanned missions for the same cost. Manned missions may drain funds from other missions that have more merit including earth observing missions. Sincerely, Gary Vardon The book DO It Right will help you understand vital ideas leading to your geater success. GO to PublishAmerica. -----Original Message----- From: Jay Eads Sent: Friday, July 17, 2009 4:50 PM To: utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Trip to Pit n Pole ie Rush Valley and Science Friday Today Dark skies next week with the new moon hitting. SLAS has a star party on Monday I'm planning on attending and their public meeting at the UofU on Tuesday so I thought I would see if anyone up for a trip to Rush Valley/Pit n Pole (they are the same aren't they?) on Wednesday, Thursday or next Saturday (7/22, 7/23 or 7/25)? BTW, was out there and saw the drum shot up with bullet holes at Pit n Pole. I glanced at it and then had to take a second look while unloading to make sure it wasn't a tube and someone was sending a message . . . and I thought of Joe's recent article about visitors at night. Anyone have visitors out in Rush Valley/ Pit n Pole be it badged, human or animal out there? Did anyone else catch Science Friday on NPR today? It was called To The Moon and had Andrew Chaikin, Alan Bean, Harrison Schmitt, both astronauts in Apollo and went to the moon and Apollo 12 and 17, and Ross Tierney. Wonderful recollections, especially on find the orange dust/rock fragments up there. They all made strong arguments why we need man flight to Mars with Chalkin sharing a story about how he called the director of the mars rovers on the 4 year anniversary and asked if he had changed his mind on only having robots to the work. His reply, summarized, is basically it took his team 4 years to get one and a half months worth of work out of a rover so yes, we need men and women up there. Not sure if the podcast is up yet, but here is a link to his site http://www.sciencefriday.com/program/archives/ 200907171. _______________________________________________ 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

1 0

5 comets
by daniel turner 19 Jul '09

19 Jul '09

I went to Wolf Creek on Thursday night to try to beat the comming monsoon season. Below is my observing report. DT Time: 2009 July 17 0230-0700 UT.(Thursday night MDT) Location: Duschenne Ridge at Wolf Creek Pass equiptment: 17.5 inch dobsonian conditions: 5% clouds clearing later. breeze was gone by sunset.Temp 55F falling to 38F. transparency: very good 4/5. stars visable to 5 degrees elevation milky way star cloud visable to 10 degrees elevation. no star halos. Seeing: poor 2/5. even after boundry layer was gone from the mirror, cells a third the size of the aperture disrupted seeing. Can't split EPS BOO. Trio of mule deer include two 4 point bucks and a doe passed to the west. Earlier heard hoof drumming. At nautical twilight naked eye, M7 direct vision M6 averted vision. meteor in CAP from the direction of ALPHA AQL. 0441 UT. M10 in the twilight was alignment check. Saturn at a half hour past sunset was only 22 degrees high and in very poor seeing. a half hour later seeing improved for view of 5 moons on the east side three in a tight cluster close in. At an hour past sunset saturn at 16 degrees. C/2006 W3 (Christensen): at an hour past sunset. off the eastern wingtip of Cygnus was still low . Stellar nucleus with a soft round comma no tail seen. later at astro twilight. comma is offset, nucleus is not in the center. Large but without a swept back appearance. used 220x and 70x but could not tease out a tail from the background star field which is rather busy. P/2009 L2 (Yang-Gao): a bit of nebular fluff with three dim stars embedded in it. None of the surrounding stars have any haze so it's not an atmospheric effect. at civil twilight to the southwest: C/2008 Q3 (Garradd): just a hazy patch like an unresolved globular cluster no nucleus or tail. 88P/Howell: an averted vision haze object, no nucleus or tail much smaller than Garradd. 65P/Gunn: the size of Howell but brighter, direct vision object. no nucleus or tail. in DEL ngc7006 globular small some structure but not resolved into individual stars. ngc6891 planetary neb a star with a good size averted vision disk of haze around it. ngc6905 planetary neb large flat disk with a star that winks in and out with averted vision. very pretty. ngc6934 globular nice structure resolve star in outer two thirds. Dense core like a core collapse. random globulars ngc6441 globular in the stinger of SCO next to G SCO. too low even at transit to resolve more then two thirds. No planetary seen. Palomar 8 globular off the spoon in SAG. irregular hazy patch that resolves with effort. like M71. Palomar 11 globular in AQL elliptical hazy patch. best seen by sweeping past it to make it stand out among the field stars. ngc6712 globular In SCT irregular fully resolved accross the middle. low degree of concentration. a tour of the milky way M16 pillars visable among the cluster stars M17 extends far beyond the check mark normally seen. M20 visable color difference between emmision and reflection. M8 hint of creation columns in the dark lanes like M16. M31 naked eye object just above the trees. In the telescope 2 dust lanes visable. extent doesn't reach to M32 against the sky background. M101 only partially visable as the transparency deteriorates with the falling temperature. closing down at 1:30am one half hour prior to moonrise the sky in that direction was visably lighter with the twilight of the 30% moon. Jupiter at low elevation still in the poor seeing.

3 2

Variable Star Happenings for July and August
by Canopus56 19 Jul '09

19 Jul '09

Variable Star Happenings for July and August AAVSO Alert Notice 398 - Eclipse of epsilon Aurigae 7-10-2009 The bright, long-period, eclipsing binary star epsilon Aurigae is predicted to begin its next eclipse late July or early August of 2009. http://www.aavso.org/publications/alerts/alert398.shtml AAVSO Alert Notice 367 - 1-2008 Monitoring of the Recurrent Nova U Scorpii "Dr. Bradley E. Schaefer (Louisiana State University) requests increased monitoring of the recurrent nova U Scorpii (AAVSO 1616-17) over the next 24 months. Observers are asked to add U Sco to their regular observing program and to monitor the star in advance of an outburst predicted to occur around 2009.3 +/- 1.0 year." That's right now! http://www.aavso.org/publications/alerts/alert367.shtml See also http://www.aavso.org/vstar/vsots/ AAVSO Variable Star of the Season July 2009 - Clear Skies, Kurt

1 0

Re: [Utah-astronomy] 5 comets
by JayLEads 19 Jul '09

19 Jul '09

Great Report. I also was going to go until the monsoon showed up. There is another event planned on Friday August 21st and again on Saturday August 22nd at Wolf Creek. If the Monsoon goes away I may try on Thursday night or Saturday or as posted go out to the Pit n Pole. On 2009-07-19 05:15, Richard Tenney wrote: > > > Sorry I missed this; was planning on Sat. night until the sky clouded over. > > Nice details in your report Daniel. > > --- On Sat, 7/18/09, daniel turner <outwest112@???> wrote: > > > From: daniel turner <outwest112@???> > > Subject: [Utah-astronomy] 5 comets > > To: utah-astronomy@??? > > Date: Saturday, July 18, 2009, 6:28 PM > > > > I went to Wolf Creek on Thursday night to try to beat the > > comming monsoon season. Below is my observing report. > > > > DT > > > > > > > > Time: 2009 July 17 0230-0700 UT.(Thursday night MDT) > > Location: Duschenne Ridge at Wolf Creek Pass > > equiptment: 17.5 inch dobsonian > > conditions: 5% clouds clearing later. breeze was gone > > by sunset.Temp 55F falling to 38F. > > transparency: very good 4/5. stars visable to 5 degrees > > elevation milky way star cloud visable to 10 degrees > > elevation. no star halos. > > Seeing: poor 2/5. even after boundry layer was gone from > > the mirror, cells a third the size of the aperture disrupted > > seeing. Can't split EPS BOO. > > Trio of mule deer include two 4 point bucks and a doe > > passed to the west. Earlier heard hoof drumming. > > > > At nautical twilight naked eye, M7 direct vision M6 averted > > vision. > > meteor in CAP from the direction of ALPHA AQL. 0441 UT. > > M10 in the twilight was alignment check. > > Saturn at a half hour past sunset was only 22 degrees high > > and in very poor seeing. a half hour later seeing improved > > for view of 5 moons on the east side three in a tight > > cluster close in. At an hour past sunset saturn at 16 > > degrees. > > C/2006 W3 (Christensen): > > at an hour past sunset. off the eastern wingtip of Cygnus > > was still low . Stellar nucleus with a soft round > > comma no tail seen. > > later at astro twilight. comma is offset, nucleus is not in > > the center. Large but without a swept back appearance. > > used 220x and 70x but could not tease out a tail from the > > background star field which is rather busy. > > P/2009 L2 (Yang-Gao): > > a bit of nebular fluff with three dim stars embedded in > > it. None of the surrounding stars have any haze so > > it's not an atmospheric effect. > > at civil twilight to the southwest: > > C/2008 Q3 (Garradd): just a hazy patch like an > > unresolved globular cluster no nucleus or tail. > > 88P/Howell: an averted vision haze object, no nucleus > > or tail much smaller than Garradd. > > 65P/Gunn: the size of Howell but brighter, direct > > vision object. no nucleus or tail. > > in DEL > > ngc7006 globular small some structure but not resolved into > > individual stars. > > ngc6891 planetary neb a star with a good size averted > > vision disk of haze around it. > > ngc6905 planetary neb large flat disk with a star that > > winks in and out with averted vision. very pretty. > > ngc6934 globular nice structure resolve star in outer two > > thirds. Dense core like a core collapse. > > random globulars > > ngc6441 globular in the stinger of SCO next to G SCO. too > > low even at transit to resolve more then two thirds. > > No planetary seen. > > Palomar 8 globular off the spoon in SAG. irregular > > hazy patch that resolves with effort. like M71. > > Palomar 11 globular in AQL elliptical hazy patch. > > best seen by sweeping past it to make it stand out among the > > field stars. > > ngc6712 globular In SCT irregular fully resolved accross > > the middle. low degree of concentration. > > a tour of the milky way > > M16 pillars visable among the cluster stars > > M17 extends far beyond the check mark normally seen. > > M20 visable color difference between emmision and > > reflection. > > M8 hint of creation columns in the dark lanes like M16. > > M31 naked eye object just above the trees. In the > > telescope 2 dust lanes visable. extent doesn't reach > > to M32 against the sky background. > > M101 only partially visable as the transparency > > deteriorates with the falling temperature. > > closing down at 1:30am > > one half hour prior to moonrise the sky in that direction > > was visably lighter with the twilight of the 30% moon. > > Jupiter at low elevation still in the poor seeing. > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Utah-Astronomy mailing list > > Utah-Astronomy@??? > > 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 > > > > > > >

1 0

Liver & Onions Committee Meeting - Report -
by Chuck Hards 19 Jul '09

19 Jul '09

Thanks to all who attended today's meeting of the Liver & Onions Committee. It was a delightful luncheon, with the conversation encompassing many different topics. Local observing sites, fossil hunting in Utah, reminiscences on the Columbia disaster as well as stories with no science connection, and Rich's storybook romance. The funniest story of the day was Jim Gibson's tale of slipping a fertilized turkey egg under a laying hen- I still laugh thinking of that stunt! Jim and his wife also won the prize for having had the most unusual pet story- next time you see them, ask them about the pet crow (no lie!). Rich and I wondered who had the dirtier telescope mirror at the moment- something I need to take care of as soon as possible! Rodger had been out observing the night before and gave us his report. Lamb's was not crowded at all for lunch this Saturday, but set up a table in the rear dining room just for us, anyway. The food was excellent and very reasonably priced. In fact all of downtown SLC seemed a bit laid-back and under-populated this morning. Rodger came into town on TRAX and I can see where that is an excellent option for those with local access to a TRAX station. Those of you who couldn't make it were decidedly missed- and you definitely missed-out on a very enjoyable experience. The good news is that rain checks are being issued. It was tentatively decided to hold committee meetings quarterly, around the times of the solstices and equinoxes (since this is obviously one of the more important SLAS unofficial committees). We will try and do this again a few weeks past the equinox, sometime in mid-October. Exact date and time TBD. It will be much cooler by then, as well. As we disbanded and walked out into the early afternoon heat, breath mints were in evidence, masking the scent of grilled onions from disapproving spouses who were unable to appreciate the sensory delight of the classic grilled liver and onions, and stayed home. Mark your calendars for the next L&O committee meeting, around mid-October. See you there!

2 1

Re: [Utah-astronomy] 5 comets
by Richard Tenney 18 Jul '09

18 Jul '09

Sorry I missed this; was planning on Sat. night until the sky clouded over. Nice details in your report Daniel. --- On Sat, 7/18/09, daniel turner <outwest112(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > From: daniel turner <outwest112(a)yahoo.com> > Subject: [Utah-astronomy] 5 comets > To: utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com > Date: Saturday, July 18, 2009, 6:28 PM > > I went to Wolf Creek on Thursday night to try to beat the > comming monsoon season. Below is my observing report. > > DT > > > > Time: 2009 July 17 0230-0700 UT.(Thursday night MDT) > Location: Duschenne Ridge at Wolf Creek Pass > equiptment: 17.5 inch dobsonian > conditions: 5% clouds clearing later. breeze was gone > by sunset.Temp 55F falling to 38F. > transparency: very good 4/5. stars visable to 5 degrees > elevation milky way star cloud visable to 10 degrees > elevation. no star halos. > Seeing: poor 2/5. even after boundry layer was gone from > the mirror, cells a third the size of the aperture disrupted > seeing. Can't split EPS BOO. > Trio of mule deer include two 4 point bucks and a doe > passed to the west. Earlier heard hoof drumming. > > At nautical twilight naked eye, M7 direct vision M6 averted > vision. > meteor in CAP from the direction of ALPHA AQL. 0441 UT. > M10 in the twilight was alignment check. > Saturn at a half hour past sunset was only 22 degrees high > and in very poor seeing. a half hour later seeing improved > for view of 5 moons on the east side three in a tight > cluster close in. At an hour past sunset saturn at 16 > degrees. > C/2006 W3 (Christensen): > at an hour past sunset. off the eastern wingtip of Cygnus > was still low . Stellar nucleus with a soft round > comma no tail seen. > later at astro twilight. comma is offset, nucleus is not in > the center. Large but without a swept back appearance. > used 220x and 70x but could not tease out a tail from the > background star field which is rather busy. > P/2009 L2 (Yang-Gao): > a bit of nebular fluff with three dim stars embedded in > it. None of the surrounding stars have any haze so > it's not an atmospheric effect. > at civil twilight to the southwest: > C/2008 Q3 (Garradd): just a hazy patch like an > unresolved globular cluster no nucleus or tail. > 88P/Howell: an averted vision haze object, no nucleus > or tail much smaller than Garradd. > 65P/Gunn: the size of Howell but brighter, direct > vision object. no nucleus or tail. > in DEL > ngc7006 globular small some structure but not resolved into > individual stars. > ngc6891 planetary neb a star with a good size averted > vision disk of haze around it. > ngc6905 planetary neb large flat disk with a star that > winks in and out with averted vision. very pretty. > ngc6934 globular nice structure resolve star in outer two > thirds. Dense core like a core collapse. > random globulars > ngc6441 globular in the stinger of SCO next to G SCO. too > low even at transit to resolve more then two thirds. > No planetary seen. > Palomar 8 globular off the spoon in SAG. irregular > hazy patch that resolves with effort. like M71. > Palomar 11 globular in AQL elliptical hazy patch. > best seen by sweeping past it to make it stand out among the > field stars. > ngc6712 globular In SCT irregular fully resolved accross > the middle. low degree of concentration. > a tour of the milky way > M16 pillars visable among the cluster stars > M17 extends far beyond the check mark normally seen. > M20 visable color difference between emmision and > reflection. > M8 hint of creation columns in the dark lanes like M16. > M31 naked eye object just above the trees. In the > telescope 2 dust lanes visable. extent doesn't reach > to M32 against the sky background. > M101 only partially visable as the transparency > deteriorates with the falling temperature. > closing down at 1:30am > one half hour prior to moonrise the sky in that direction > was visably lighter with the twilight of the 30% moon. > Jupiter at low elevation still in the poor seeing. > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > 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 >

1 0

LRO images of the Apollo 11 landing site
by Canopus56 18 Jul '09

18 Jul '09

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/multimedia/lroimages/apollosites.html - Clear Skies, Kurt

1 0