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

Astronomy Imaging
by Raeburn Kennard 12 May '10

12 May '10

I don't understand why the imaging issue is a "yes" or "no" question. If a person is not interested, fine, don't do it. Each person can enjoy the wonders of the sky at his or her own level of comfort, knowledge, equipment, or lack of same. I have not spent any money on any astronomy-only photo equipment, but I've enjoyed using what I have to capture a few nice photos. (With digital, I don't even spend money on film for astronomy photos anymore.) And SLAS is tolerant enough of my amateur status to make room for my photos alongside those of the "pros" in its gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=464 For me, it has been a rewarding challenge to even capture the simple photos that I have. (And, of course I'm flattered when someone like my wife thinks they're pretty or unique.) I am confident I will never invest enough time or money to be in Tyler Allred's league, but I really enjoy seeing the magic that he, Patrick, Rob and the growing list of others achieve. And I am dazzled - not offended - by their use of available tools to do a "log transformation" (or any other magic) to make the captured data more accessible to our feeble human vision. Gee! It's all so classy and beautiful, I just can't understand why this topic is even being debated. I enjoy astronomy at my low-to-medium level; and I'm glad the rest of you share your high-to-super level results with such as I. Keep up the good work! Raeburn G. Kennard Kirton & McConkie 60 East South Temple, Suite 1800 Salt Lake City, UT 84111 (801) 321-4867 direct telephone (801) 328-3600 main switchboard (801) 550-6143 cell (801) 212-2075 fax rkennard(a)kmclaw.com -----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: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 3:42 PM To: utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com Subject: Utah-Astronomy Digest, Vol 87, Issue 54 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: CGEM (Was: Atlas or CGEM?) (Rob Ratkowski Photography) 2. Re: why photography? (Michael Vanopstall) 3. Re: CGEM (Was: Atlas or CGEM?) (Chuck Hards) 4. Re: why photography? (Robert Taylor) 5. Re: CGEM (Was: Atlas or CGEM?) (Rob Ratkowski Photography) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 08:29:52 -1000 From: Rob Ratkowski Photography <ratkwski(a)hawaii.rr.com> To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] CGEM (Was: Atlas or CGEM?) Message-ID: <a06240801c80f5132d6d0(a)[192.168.1.6]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed" Chuck Sounds similar to what the Celestron CGE is like. I have enjoyed the CGE and once aligned (drift) I have found the mount to very accurate and a joy to use. Even from our dark site, old eyes don't see as well. We have a new 20 YO young woman that can see to 6mag plus see color in stars (Jewel Box) like it's on a monitor. I believe you will enjoy your CGEM and not have to hassle looking for objects that are hard to see, have fun Do some astrophotography. Aloha Rob ------------------------------ Message: 2 Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 12:46:42 -0600 (MDT) From: Michael Vanopstall <opstall(a)math.utah.edu> To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] why photography? Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.4.64.1005111241210.29556(a)sunblast.math.utah.edu> Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed Hello -- No, I have no curiosity, or desire to try photography. I definitely don't have the money. I probably don't have the patience. I can't imagine driving an hour or two, setting up, and then letting the telescope work by itself for an hour or two. Actually, I plundered my camera batteries for a flashlight, which shows how often I take any pictures at all. The stacking and photoshop part of the process really sounds like not my cup of tea. Like taxidermy after the hunt. I like a pretty fast-paced hunt. Did I mention that my first telescope was stolen off my front porch when I went inside to unload moon photos on to the computer? ---- Rev. Michael A. van Opstall Department of Mathematics, University of Utah Office: JWB 313 opstall(a)math.utah.edu ------------------------------ Message: 3 Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 13:26:00 -0600 From: Chuck Hards <chuck.hards(a)gmail.com> To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] CGEM (Was: Atlas or CGEM?) Message-ID: <AANLkTik9xIDNHfeXZ_uyoE8LyDTY__b_tZPmyFOz4GyA(a)mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Rob, I can't wait. If the weather forecasts are correct, I may be setting it up in the back yard Friday night for the first time under the sky. I have a few more accessories to get before I make a serious attempt at imaging- also it's plainly going to take me some time to become proficient at using this mount- probably months, to be realistic about it. Clear evenings do not automatically default to astronomy, in my life. On 5/11/10, Rob Ratkowski Photography <ratkwski(a)hawaii.rr.com> wrote: > Chuck > > > Sounds similar to what the Celestron CGE is like. I have enjoyed the > CGE and once aligned (drift) I have found the mount to very accurate > and a joy to use. Even from our dark site, old eyes don't see as > well. We have a new 20 YO young woman that can see to 6mag plus see > color in stars (Jewel Box) like it's on a monitor. I believe you > will enjoy your CGEM and not have to hassle looking for objects that > are hard to see, have fun Do some astrophotography. ------------------------------ Message: 4 Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 14:36:57 -0600 From: "Robert Taylor" <Rob.Taylor(a)digis.net> To: "'Utah Astronomy'" <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] why photography? Message-ID: <4AFC586150284432A7AE028D8BB93277@taylormain> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Big Ouch! on having your telescope ripped off. As mentioned on a previous post I dabble in it and will continue to do so. It's how I indulge my inner masochist. I use essentially the same equipment I use to take regular photos, my DSLR. It is not necessary to spend tons of money to get nice images so consider what you already have if you decide to try it again. I often try to get a single good image rather than take a bunch and then stack, I understand the benefits of stacking and if you want the kind of results some of our members produce you need to do that but you can get a decent image without the extra steps and shorten the post processing time. However in general the time involved is still significant. Sounds like you know at least a little about the process. I have been known to bring two scopes with me when I image or at least my 80x20 binocs so I can enjoy the sky while the scope and camera are doing their thing. Bob -----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces(a)mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Michael Vanopstall Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 12:47 PM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] why photography? Hello -- No, I have no curiosity, or desire to try photography. I definitely don't have the money. I probably don't have the patience. I can't imagine driving an hour or two, setting up, and then letting the telescope work by itself for an hour or two. Actually, I plundered my camera batteries for a flashlight, which shows how often I take any pictures at all. The stacking and photoshop part of the process really sounds like not my cup of tea. Like taxidermy after the hunt. I like a pretty fast-paced hunt. Did I mention that my first telescope was stolen off my front porch when I went inside to unload moon photos on to the computer? ---- Rev. Michael A. van Opstall Department of Mathematics, University of Utah Office: JWB 313 opstall(a)math.utah.edu _______________________________________________ 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 ------------------------------ Message: 5 Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 11:41:50 -1000 From: Rob Ratkowski Photography <ratkwski(a)hawaii.rr.com> To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] CGEM (Was: Atlas or CGEM?) Message-ID: <a06240800c80f7f8b1ba7(a)[192.168.1.6]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed" Chuck either way HAVE FUN!!!! Aloha Rob ------------------------------ _______________________________________________ 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 End of Utah-Astronomy Digest, Vol 87, Issue 54 **********************************************

2 1

Re: [Utah-astronomy] why photography?
by Canopus56 12 May '10

12 May '10

"To collect photographs is to collect the world. . . . Photographs really are experience captured, and the camera is the ideal arm of consciousness in its acquisitive mood." - Susan Sontag, On Photography. - Kurt P.S. - Astrophotography is a way to extend the senses (in magnitude depth and by spectral frequency) - as the telescope itself does - and to fix the image seen the eyepiece. Much detail can be missed with the eye at the eyepiece, which with a photographic record, can be revisted. By engaging in the discipline and play of taking one's own photographs - which do repeat what professionals have done better - it forces a focused experience and increases one's connection to the object.

2 1

Re: [Utah-astronomy] CGEM (Was: Atlas or CGEM?)
by Chuck Hards 11 May '10

11 May '10

Rob, I can't wait. If the weather forecasts are correct, I may be setting it up in the back yard Friday night for the first time under the sky. I have a few more accessories to get before I make a serious attempt at imaging- also it's plainly going to take me some time to become proficient at using this mount- probably months, to be realistic about it. Clear evenings do not automatically default to astronomy, in my life. On 5/11/10, Rob Ratkowski Photography <ratkwski(a)hawaii.rr.com> wrote: > Chuck > > > Sounds similar to what the Celestron CGE is like. I have enjoyed the > CGE and once aligned (drift) I have found the mount to very accurate > and a joy to use. Even from our dark site, old eyes don't see as > well. We have a new 20 YO young woman that can see to 6mag plus see > color in stars (Jewel Box) like it's on a monitor. I believe you > will enjoy your CGEM and not have to hassle looking for objects that > are hard to see, have fun Do some astrophotography.

2 1

Solar Cycle Perspective
by erikhansen＠thebluezone.net 11 May '10

11 May '10

Hi All, I looked up how current activity compares to last solar max. We have not seen anything yet. http://solarscience.msfc.nasa.gov/SunspotCycle.shtml Erik

3 4

Photometry target 2010 JV34
by Patrick Wiggins 11 May '10

11 May '10

This just came across the Minor Planet mailing list. I'm going to try for it and thought maybe folks here might want to give it a try too. By the time it gets up in our sky this weekend it should be around +16 which will put it well within reach of many on this list (for imaging, not viewing). Begin forwarded message: > 2010 JV34 got pretty heavily pounded right after discovery, no doubt due to its > being 16.8V at discovery. Over the next few weeks it's predicted to brighten to > 16.0V. For those with the capability, this 400-m PHA may make a good photometric > target before it rapidly fades after it;s closest approach. You can get ephemerides here: http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/iau/MPEph/MPEph.html Where it asks for an observatory code and if you are in N. Utah you can use mine, 718. But you only need to enter that if you want to know where the target is relative to your horizon. If all you want are the RA/Dec the observatory code is not needed. patrick

1 0

Guidescopes
by Chuck Hards 10 May '10

10 May '10

If anyone is planning on buying a small, short-focus refractor guidescope or visual telescope this summer, contact me first. I'll be putting together a few 60mm and 80mm short-to-medium focal length refractors from parts on-hand and will be looking to part with a couple of them. Quality will of course be excellent. Check out the 3" "finder" on the Ealing at SPOC. I built that one, using an excellent, vintage Jaegers objective generously donated by Siegfried. Quality will be similar, except I am installing adjustable precision focusers on this summer's batch. 2" Antares Crayford on the 80mm, 1.25" all-metal R&P on the 60mm.

3 4

Re: [Utah-astronomy] Atlas or CGEM?
by Chuck Hards 10 May '10

10 May '10

It is a fairly large mount. I looked at the photo of the components in the JMI case on their website and was surprised. Not a lot of extra room in there! I've ordered extra counterweights but will probably make a "caddy" for them, similar to the JMI unit, rather than stash them in the big aluminum case- it's going to be heavy enough with just the equatorial head in there. I'm still looking for a soft case or bag for the tripod; Orion probably has something close. Speaking of Orion soft cases, I picked up one that they advertise as being for a tripod, but it just happens to fit the 100mm ED scope perfectly. They don't list a case for the 100mm ED (standard model) at all. I had to compare dimensions and found the tripod bag. The padding is exactly the same thickness as that in the bag I bought from them a few years ago for my 80mm ED. On 5/8/10, Rob Ratkowski Photography <ratkwski(a)hawaii.rr.com> wrote: > sounds like a big mount more G11 sized which I have in a 1550 case > w/ plenty of room for a few extras I have the CW's in a small hand > carry case small and about 40lbs it surprises folks when they > want to help set up ;^)

1 2

Kicking tires eerrrrrrr piers
by Dale Wilson 10 May '10

10 May '10

http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=3413 A view of the roof framework(still incomplete). I have the roll off covered now and operational. Because of that and clear skies on Friday night, I had an "unofficial" first light. Bruce G., Patrick W. and Roger B. came over as special guests and consultants. As we were viewing M81 & 82, the guys started kicking the pier to see how well my design dampened vibrations. With the 40mm super-wide angle in my 10" lx200gps, the kicks were almost absent. It wasn't until I boosted up to 125x that the vibrations could be really seen. Even then, they subsided almost instantly. So far, things are looking good. Still looking forward to the early June open house.

3 6

Coming to an iPhone near you: near-live UA telescope shots
by Dale Hooper 10 May '10

10 May '10

Coming to iPhone near you: near-live UA telescope shots (Source: AZ Star) The iPhone just got even more far out - into space, that is. The new Transient Events iPhone and iPod Touch application is giving the public a front-row seat to the cataclysmic goings-on of the universe, using University of Arizona telescopes. "We're trying to get people energized and in tune that the sky changes a lot on a nightly basis," said Ed Beshore, director of the Catalina Sky Survey and a senior staff member at the UA's Lunar and Planetary Lab. The free application can be downloaded from the Apple iTunes store onto any iPhone or iPod Touch. Once downloaded, the application allows professional and amateur astronomers alike to receive real-time images of transient or changing objects in the night sky as observed by the Lunar and Planetary Lab's Catalina Sky Survey. Since 1998, the Catalina Sky Survey has been observing transient and near-Earth objects from Mount Bigelow in the Santa Catalina Mountains. On a good night, the sky survey can witness up to a dozen notable, changing objects in the universe. Based on personal preferences, the Transient Events application will alert users whenever the survey witnesses significant events, such as a supernova, moving asteroids or exploding galactic cores. The iPhone notification will provide four images of the event taken over 40 minutes. Date and time information also will be provided, as well as a finder chart that will allow users to locate the event using a home telescope. (5/3)

1 0

Humans on Mars in 2008
by Gary Vardon 10 May '10

10 May '10

I read an old 1997 Ad Astra put out by the National Space Society. Robert Zubrin was advocating that in 2000 NASA would complete a report on humans to Mars and by 2008 humans would be sent to Mars. Zubrin recommended "living off the land" in our Mars exploration efforts. I am not surprised about this lack of progress as I think robotic exploration is much more cost effective. As computers get more and more powerful the robotic edge over humans will grow. 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.

8 26