December 2010 - Utah-Astronomy - mailman.xmission.com

Re: [Utah-astronomy] Privatization (Was: SpaceX ?Secret? Payload)
by Gary Vardon 17 Dec '10

17 Dec '10

There are a lot of strong objections to the big bang idea. One is that the density of matter if it came from a single area would be unreasonable. Another objection is that the big bang treats the universe as an object. All objects are finite but the universe is infinite, The universe is said to expand but what is it expanding into? If the universe were much denser the universe would collapse if less dense then stars and galaxies would not form. Sincerely, Gary Vardon The book DO It Right will help you understand vital ideas leading to your greater success. GO to PublishAmerica.com Consulting For Profit is also available. Learn how to make money as a consultant.

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New (596) Sheila image
by Patrick Wiggins 17 Dec '10

17 Dec '10

I've added to the series a shot taken a few minutes ago: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=4031 patrick

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Privatization (of space)
by Gary Vardon 17 Dec '10

17 Dec '10

There are a lot of spin offs from space related research. NASA and related researchers deserve support. The long term benefits are immense. Sincerely, Gary Vardon The book DO It Right will help you understand vital ideas leading to your greater success. GO to PublishAmerica.com Consulting For Profit is also available. Learn how to make money as a consultant.

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] New (596) Scheila image
by Canopus56 17 Dec '10

17 Dec '10

Patrick, Looks like it is fading fast or the Moon is advancing. Probably only a couple of days left of possible imaging. - Kurt

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New (596) Scheila image
by Patrick Wiggins 16 Dec '10

16 Dec '10

I've added a shot of (596) Scheila from this morning next to the one I took on the 13th. Same equipment, exposure and minimal processing on both. http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=68&g2_page=6 patrick

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Einstein
by erikhansen＠thebluezone.net 16 Dec '10

16 Dec '10

My last Einstein quote, I promise. "Do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater."

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Privatization (Was: SpaceX ?Secret? Payload)
by stormcrow60＠xmission.com 16 Dec '10

16 Dec '10

Kurt and Eric, I also agree with both of you. And I think both of you hit it on the nose. NASA had the vision at one time and we need to recapture it. But Congress... and the White House... as they stand today, have lost the vision to maintain funding for the needed long term goals and vision for our space program. Thus my earlier diatribe on the state of our national affairs. By the way... Happy Holidays everyone! Jon And no... the happy holidays part was not meant to be sarcastic.

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Religiously speaking
by Chuck Hards 16 Dec '10

16 Dec '10

OK folks, I'm going to stop checking this email address for a few weeks until this philosophical thread drops off the boards again. I'll check in around New Years. Most of you have my phone number and real email address, if anything important comes up. Have fun, see ya.

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Privatization (of space)
by Canopus56 16 Dec '10

16 Dec '10

Erik wrote: > I do doubt the private sector can do what government > has done in space, it simply does not produce > the profits they desire. The replacement of private research funds with governmental research for basic research has been one of the positive and important developments in our post-WWII economy. It created so many key inventions to that now dominate the marketplace (e.g. the internet, the first laptop, the integrated chip, global positioning system, portable difibulators). But the government funded basic research model has always been predicated on the idea that once the government takes the initial development risk that the private market is unwilling to take, the technology is transfered to the private market for commercialization (e.g. the internet). For example, in the early 1800s, expansion of U.S. railroads was hindered by any number of technological bugs, most notably the lack of an industrialized Bessmer process to make steel rails. Once the technological teething problems of the railroads were worked out between 1800 and 1840, the United States funded the maturation of the industry through a massive capitalization of the railroads through a right-of-way land grants to the west of Mississippi. My impression is that the current private space funding effort is an attempt to jump start that commercialization process for space by relatively modest capitalization grants. IMHO, the underlying problem is the overall flagging of congressional and presidential support for funding basic research with indirect commercialization benefits through space exploration, and the problem is not that congress is trying to capitalize private start-up companies. A place for both still exists. Both can be viewed as different parts of a single economic development program. Clear Skies - Kurt

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(596) Scheila and Saturn White Spots
by Canopus56 15 Dec '10

15 Dec '10

Here are some JPL Horizons ephemeris positions for 596 Scheila for an SLC o.p. for the next week at 4:00am local time. It's located about 2 degrees celestial northeast on the line from eps to mu Leo (top of the head of Leo). Clear Skies - Kurt Date__(UT)__HR:MN J2000RADEC Azi Alt 2010-Dec-16 10:00 m 095918+283358.5 110.62 64.82 2010-Dec-17 10:00 m 095928+284002.5 111.61 65.55 2010-Dec-18 10:00 m 095936+284614.2 112.63 66.28 2010-Dec-19 10:00 m 095942+285233.6 113.71 67.01 2010-Dec-20 10:00 m 095947+285900.6 114.84 67.74 2010-Dec-21 10:00 m 095951+290535.0 116.03 68.47 2010-Dec-22 10:00 m 095953+291216.8 117.28 69.20 2010-Dec-23 10:00 m 095954+291905.7 118.61 69.94 P.S. - Maybe is would be a winter time SLAS activity to try and get some Faulkes time to image this? Probably less cloudy in Hawaii.

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