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

Re: [Utah-astronomy] Utah-Astronomy Digest, Vol 78, Issue 9 "Human vs Machine"
by erikhansen＠TheBlueZone.net 09 Aug '09

09 Aug '09

>As far as man going to Mars, is all the hardware for such a mission off the drawing board? Is it all tested and on the production line? Also seems the ISS has a number of glitches lately along with the Shuttle (Columbia disaster) I would also think with all the discussion about government spending, can the expenditure be justified by some useful benefit of a manned mission to Mars? Other than human curiosity. I have found recent discoveries interesting but has there really been any tangible benefit of these discoveries? Will it really change anything for us on Earth? Are we willing to give something up to pay for the mission? Seems the United States currently has a lot on its plate. Perhaps now is not the time for manned missions to Mars, IE not a high priority. Robotic missions are less expensive. Right? Erik Personally, I believe that not until a radically new form of propulsion is > discovered will human travel, even to the Moon, be feasible, what with all > of the pressing demands here on Earth. On the other side, Steve Squires, > head of science for the Mars Exploration Rovers, has stated that a human > geologist in a day or two could have done all of the science that the MERs > have taken five years to accomplish. We need speed, efficiency, and a > minimum amount of fuel weight for whatever rocket we invent. Whose got the > dilithium crystals, now that we need 'em? > > > _______________________________________________ > 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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Perseids 2009 Predictions and Peaks
by Canopus56 08 Aug '09

08 Aug '09

IMO Perseids Summary for 2009 Although the major northern hemisphere Perseids are badly affected by the last quarter Moon near their best this year, there is the possibility they may produce somewhat increased rates. The usual maximum is due around August 12, 17h30m-20h00m UT, but Esko Lyytinen suggests we may encounter the 1610 Perseid trail earlier on August 12, around 9h00m UT (λo = 139°661). This could produce activity additional to the normal Perseid ZHRs then of a few tens, maybe up to a hundred. Mikhail Maslov confirmed this but for 8h00m UT and with only 10-15 meteors per hour. Both reseachers further suggest that rates overall could be enhanced above usual by the proximity of the annual stream's core. The 19th century trail should pass roughly 0.003 astronomical units inside the Earth's orbit at λo = 139°499, so around 5h UT on August 12, though it may add less than 10 (according to Lyytinen) or up to nearly 100 (according to Maslov) to the ZHR at that point. Naturally, information to verify what takes place will be very valuable despite the Moon, so visual observers are encouraged to try to follow as much of what happens over the possible Perseid maxima as practical. http://www.imo.net/news/perseids2009 IMCEE stream map http://www.imcce.fr/page.php?nav=/en/ephemerides/phenomenes/meteor/predicti… Lyytinen's Prediction Chart (Fig. 1 - peak in 2009) http://metaresearch.org/solar%20system/perseid/perseids.asp Maslov's Prediction http://feraj.narod.ru/Radiants/Predictions/Perseids2009eng.html Kaf peak time notes: Aug 12 5UT is Tuesday 10MDT Aug 12 9UT is Wednesday 3AM MDT Aug 12 17to20UT is Wednesday 11AM to 2PM Daytime radio meteor's network live http://217.169.242.217/rmob/pages/liveradiometeorpage.php Unclear when visual peak would be best for Utah. Clear Skies - Kurt

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Human vs. machine
by Patrick Wiggins 08 Aug '09

08 Aug '09

The "Human vs. Machine" discussion will probably go on forever but a recent discovery on Mars got me thinking about it again. Related in an S&T blog (with a great 3-D image, BTW) it talks about how after one of the Mars rovers passed by a meteorite did one of the human controllers on Earth see it in pictures and had the rover turn around and go back. Makes me wonder how many other discoveries have been missed over the years as the unthinking rovers rolled over the potential discoveries without knowing they were there. It'll be interesting years from know when humans follow the rovers' tracks and discover who-knows-what. There's just no substitute for human curiosity (at least not until the machines become smarter than us and take over...) http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/newsblog/52642607.html patrick

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Occultation tonight
by Patrick Wiggins 08 Aug '09

08 Aug '09

Anyone interested it trying for this one? I can't get to it from my home observatory so I'm hoping to try from SPOC. Note that for this area it's predicted to happen tomorrow (Sunday) at 0617 UT which puts it at 1217 a.m. MDT. Should you decide to try it from SPOC please let me know so I'll know to expect you. patrick The following is excerpted from a message from David Dunham: > Help us measure the size and shape of the largish asteroid > (140) Siwa when it occults a 11.2-mag. star in Capricornus Sat. night/ > Sun. am, Aug. 8/9, 6:14 - 6:20 UT (Aug. 9 UT), Winnipeg to Salt Lake > City & central California. Clear skies are forecast from n. Utah to > the Pacific coast. > ______________________ > > Aug. 8/9, Siwa: This mid-weekend event has a wide path passing > over Winnipeg (near the expected s. limit at 6:14 UT = 1:14 am CDT), > w. N. Dakota at 6:15 UT, over much of Wyoming at 6:16 UT (12:16 am > MDT), over n. Utah including Salt Lake City at 6:17 UT, over part of > Nevada at 6:18 UT (11:18 pm PDT Sat. Aug. 8), and over Fresno (near > n. limit; Bakersfield is near the s. limit) at 6:19 UT. The star's > red mag. is 10.7, so it should be recordable reasonably well with > 80mm shorty (or "midi") refractor systems. The star, > TYC 6342-01234-1, is in Capricornus at J2000 RA 20h 34m 35.5s, > Dec -21 deg. 11' 07". Finder charts of different scales, a path map, > and other details are at Steve Preston's Web page for the event at > http://www.asteroidoccultation.com/2009_08/0809_140_17812.htm . > > Astro Meteo forecasts clear skies from n. Utah to the Pacific > Coast.

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Fire situation in Granstville?
by Canopus56 07 Aug '09

07 Aug '09

What's the fire situation out their in Tooele? NOAA showing some fires that look like they are out towards Grantsville. - Kurt Depth-of-Aerosol and Fire Web sites reminder links NOAA Fire Map http://www.firedetect.noaa.gov/viewer.htm http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/ml/land/hms.html Black Crook Camera - South of Tooele http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/slc/datamap/cameralink.php?image=http://www.wrh.noa… Nielson Peak Camera - east of Tooele http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/slc/datamap/cameralink.php?image=http://www.wrh.noa… GASP West http://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/smcd/spb/aq/index.php?plot_type=traj_fx&pro… in http://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/smcd/spb/aq/index.php?product_id=3

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Physicists at the Argonne Natl Lab use IBM Super Computer to model the extreme physics of a supernova explosion
by Jay Eads 05 Aug '09

05 Aug '09

I thought this story was quite cool and the images fantastic. The images are viewable at New Scientist at http://www.newscientist.com/gallery/visualisingsupernova/ and the article from the Argonne Natl Lab on this project is located here http://www.anl.gov/Media_Center/News/2009/news090730.html.

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Orion 130mm f/5 Parabolic Reflector & Accessories for around $83 Shipped
by Jay Eads 04 Aug '09

04 Aug '09

Orion has its 130mm f/5 Parabolic Reflector & Accessories on sale for $72.50, and around $83 shipped (http://www.telescope.com/control/product?product_id=09130 ). I found out about it over at Cloudy Nights last week and ordered two for my school program figuring building two bases would be a good program for the kids in September (they arrive tomorrow). I'll probably make them into small dobs and one guy I saw made http://www.homebuiltastronomy.com/downbino/HomeBuiltAstronomyProjects-KidPe… this base for a 4.5 scope for his son. Anyway, I just thought if someone here was looking for a starter scope for their kids, themselves or whatever, these aren't too bad, especially for the price (just remember no tripod/platform/base to put them on).

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Jupiter spot - Hubble image
by Canopus56 04 Aug '09

04 Aug '09

Here's a July 23 Hubble image of the impact spot. http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2009/23/ Back here on Earth, I tried for the scar on July 28 2:38MDT with a 125mm Meade ETX. WinJOBS software was used to predict where the spot should be. Seeing was too poor from the valley floor so I made no detection. Decided it would take more aperature and a higher elevation to see the thing - perhaps in a moment of still air - a'la Joe's great pic It has been reported that the spot is evolving into a wider bi-lobbed shape - which appears consistent with the July 23 Hubble pic above. - Clear skies, Kurt

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Jupiter Impact Scar
by Jay Eads 04 Aug '09

04 Aug '09

Anyone catching out Jupiter the last few days with the King passing in front of 45 Capricomi? The 6th mag. star almost looks like a fifth planet of Jupiter, the view is pretty cool. On 2009-08-03 03:25, Don J. Colton wrote: > It is a Tele Vue Plossl. I have been tied up the last few nights but will > try to do a comparison in the next few days. > > -----Original Message----- > From: utah-astronomy-bounces@??? > [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces@???] On Behalf Of Chuck > Hards > Sent: Thursday, July 30, 2009 9:44 PM > To: Utah Astronomy > Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Jupiter Impact Scar > > Thanks Don. Is it a Tele Vue Plossl? I'm thinking the Nagler will probably > outperform it for sharpness unless it's a TV. Let us know what shakes out. > > On Thu, Jul 30, 2009 at 3:39 PM, Don J. Colton <djcolton@???> wrote: > > > Chuck, > > > > When I get a chance I will compare the Nagler to my 13 mm Plossl, > > unfortunately I don't have any Orthos in that focal length. > > > > > > > > >

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U Scorpii Anyone Watching?
by JayLEads 03 Aug '09

03 Aug '09

Saw the article in S&T about this and also at AAVSO site at http:// www.aavso.org/publications/alerts/alert367.shtml and then the link mentioned in the article: http://www.aavso.org/news/usco.shtml U Scorpii is expected to have a nova flare up from the white dwarf that is its companion as the white dwarf is pulling hydrogen from the companion and when it builds up after 10 +/- 2 years the white dwarf lets off a reaction to let go of the hydrogen its built up. So sometime in the next year according to Dr. Bradley E. Schaefer at LSU this should happen. When it does S&T points out that U Scorpii goes from a 17.6 magnitude star to around an 8 or 9 magnitude star. Once captured and reported, the pro's will focus their scopes here on earth and up above on it to record their data. So just wondering if anyone is monitoring this now that it looks like good weather might be coming around for while? Jay

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