May 2011 - Utah-Astronomy - mailman.xmission.com

Comic
by Jay Eads 05 May '11

05 May '11

Here is a comic that some might find fun. Make sure you scroll your mouse over the top of the 5th percentage (the percentage area, above that part) to get the hidden message. http://xkcd.com/893/ -- Jay Eads

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Lakeside
by Michael Vanopstall 05 May '11

05 May '11

Hello -- Didn't see Joe there, but I spent a couple of hours at Lakeside last night. Very good, maybe excellent, conditions. Mostly I just swept around with binoculars (I have the cheap Celestron 15x70s -- I bought them new last year off Amazon for $29). Pulled the Orion nebula out of twilight with the binocs. Looked at all the Messiers in Ursa Major and Virgo telescopically. Spotted the Leo Messiers with binocs. Spent a good long time looking at the Hercules globulars. I didn't realize before how bright "the other one" is (is that M92? I forget my numbers). M13 was definitely a naked-eye object. Zodiacal light was very pronounced. It was nice being out without charts, books, notepads, pencils, etc. At least for once. I think in the end I really prefer the fast-paced observing from a long list of goals. The night was creepy. The coyotes were very loud, and there were huge flashes of light from Dugway about every 10 minutes. The flashing got distracting after a while, so I took off. On the way in the road was blocked by about 5 cows. The last thing I heard before I left was a sneeze -- I think a coyote sneeze. Incidentally, I tried to identify the animal I saw out there last time I was there -- it wasn't a coyote, but a black wolf. ---- Rev. Michael A. van Opstall Department of Mathematics, University of Utah Office: JWB 313 opstall(a)math.utah.edu

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Lakeside
by jayleads＠gmail.com 05 May '11

05 May '11

Joe, It couldn't be rhe pit. There are no cows because of the fence and gate the BLM put in. Are you going back tonight still? Sent from my LG phone Joe Bauman <josephmbauman(a)yahoo.com> wrote: >Hi Michael, This is weird! I was at the berm at Lakeside all night and didn't see another person. I did see flashing lights from the direction of Dugway -- they were enormously bright, and I counted seconds to see how far off they were. But there wasn't a sound. So I decided it must have been headlights. The only animals I heard were frogs, though I did see cows on the way there. Where were you at Lakeside? I know you couldn't have been down by the berm! It was a lovely night though extremely cold. I dozed sometimes in the Jeep. Best wishes, Joe > > > >________________________________ >From: Michael Vanopstall <opstall(a)math.utah.edu> >To: utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com >Sent: Thursday, May 5, 2011 8:38 AM >Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Lakeside > >Hello -- > >Didn't see Joe there, but I spent a couple of hours at Lakeside last night. Very good, maybe excellent, conditions. Mostly I just swept around with binoculars (I have the cheap Celestron 15x70s -- I bought them new last year off Amazon for $29). Pulled the Orion nebula out of twilight with the binocs. Looked at all the Messiers in Ursa Major and Virgo telescopically. Spotted the Leo Messiers with binocs. Spent a good long time looking at the Hercules globulars. I didn't realize before how bright "the other one" is (is that M92? I forget my numbers). M13 was definitely a naked-eye object. Zodiacal light was very pronounced. It was nice being out without charts, books, notepads, pencils, etc. At least for once. I think in the end I really prefer the fast-paced observing from a long list of goals. > >The night was creepy. The coyotes were very loud, and there were huge flashes of light from Dugway about every 10 minutes. The flashing got distracting after a while, so I took off. On the way in the road was blocked by about 5 cows. The last thing I heard before I left was a sneeze -- I think a coyote sneeze. > >Incidentally, I tried to identify the animal I saw out there last time I was there -- it wasn't a coyote, but a black wolf. > >---- >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 >_______________________________________________ >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

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Lakeside
by jayleads＠gmail.com 05 May '11

05 May '11

Sent from my LG phone Michael Vanopstall <opstall(a)math.utah.edu> wrote: >Hello -- > >Didn't see Joe there, but I spent a couple of hours at Lakeside last >night. Very good, maybe excellent, conditions. Mostly I just swept around >with binoculars (I have the cheap Celestron 15x70s -- I bought them new >last year off Amazon for $29). Pulled the Orion nebula out of twilight >with the binocs. Looked at all the Messiers in Ursa Major and Virgo >telescopically. Spotted the Leo Messiers with binocs. Spent a good long >time looking at the Hercules globulars. I didn't realize before how >bright "the other one" is (is that M92? I forget my numbers). M13 was >definitely a naked-eye object. Zodiacal light was very pronounced. It was >nice being out without charts, books, notepads, pencils, etc. At least >for once. I think in the end I really prefer the fast-paced observing >from a long list of goals. > >The night was creepy. The coyotes were very loud, and there were huge >flashes of light from Dugway about every 10 minutes. The flashing got >distracting after a while, so I took off. On the way in the road was >blocked by about 5 cows. The last thing I heard before I left was a sneeze >-- I think a coyote sneeze. > >Incidentally, I tried to identify the animal I saw out there last time I >was there -- it wasn't a coyote, but a black wolf. > >---- >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

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I finally found the red light I've been looking for
by Dale Hooper 05 May '11

05 May '11

I thought I would pass this info along, because I've finally found the red astronomy light that I've been looking for, for a long time. Here is a link on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GTJPGU This is a photon key-chain light. It comes with an attachable hat clip and an attachable lanyard. The hat clip also has three small magnets so that you can attach it to a table, eyepiece case, etc. The intensity is variable. If you give a short tap to the power button - it comes on at full intensity. However, if you hold down the power button then it turns on with its dimmest setting and becomes brighter the longer you hold the button down. I bought a couple from Amazon for $7.95 ea, however, I'm trying to see if I can find another source because the shipping was a bit much for such a small product (it comes from a third party rather than Amazon). The only trouble I've had with either of them is that it took awhile to get one of them out of demo mode - which meant it wanted to shut off after twenty seconds. Clear skies, Dale.

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Centaurus A (NGC 5128)
by Gary Vardon 05 May '11

05 May '11

Check out the solar dynamics observatory (SDO) website. An android application exists. It shows the sun's magnetic field and the sun at various wavelengths. I looked at the sun with the Coronodo and also observed sunspots today. My observations were compared by me to the SDO site for today. 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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Centaurus A (NGC 5128)
by Debbie 04 May '11

04 May '11

Has anybody observed Centaurus A in Utah? I attempted it last summer but it was too low for the dobsonian telescope. I may give it a try with my refractor and equatorial mount. I got the idea when my friend's Goto mount was pointing the scope in the dirt last fall. Debbie

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A Long Misunderstood Quote
by Rodger C. Fry 04 May '11

04 May '11

GUARANTEED TO MAKE YOU SMILE IN CASE YOU DIDN'T ALREADY KNOW THIS LITTLE TIDBIT OF TRIVIA, IT MIGHT MAKE YOU CHUCKLE WHEN YOU READ IT. ON JULY 20, 1969, AS COMMANDER OF THE APOLLO 11 LUNAR MODULE, NEIL ARMSTRONG WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO SET FOOT ON THE MOON. HIS FIRST WORDS AFTER STEPPING ON THE MOON, "THAT'S ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN, ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND," WERE TELEVISED TO EARTH AND HEARD BY MILLIONS.* BUT JUST BEFORE HE RE-ENTERED THE LANDER, HE MADE THE ENIGMATIC REMARK - "GOOD LUCK, MR. GORSKY". MANY PEOPLE AT NASA THOUGHT IT WAS A CASUAL REMARK CONCERNING SOME RIVAL SOVIET COSMONAUT. HOWEVER, UPON CHECKING, THERE WAS NO GORSKY IN EITHER THE RUSSIAN OR AMERICAN SPACE PROGRAMS. OVER THE YEARS, MANY PEOPLE QUESTIONED ARMSTRONG AS TO WHAT THE - 'GOOD LUCK, MR. GORSKY' - STATEMENT MEANT, BUT ARMSTRONG ALWAYS JUST SMILED. ON JULY 5, 1995, IN TAMPA BAY , FLORIDA , WHILE ANSWERING QUESTIONS FOLLOWING A SPEECH, A REPORTER BROUGHT UP THE 26- YEAR-OLD QUESTION TO ARMSTRONG. THIS TIME HE FINALLY RESPONDED. MR. GORSKY HAD DIED, SO NEIL ARMSTRONG FELT HE COULD NOW ANSWER THE QUESTION. IN 1938, WHEN HE WAS A KID IN A SMALL MID-WESTERN TOWN , HE WAS PLAYING BASEBALL WITH A FRIEND IN THE BACKYARD. HIS FRIEND HIT THE BALL, WHICH LANDED IN HIS NEIGHBOR'S YARD BY THEIR BEDROOM WINDOW. HIS NEIGHBORS WERE MR. AND MRS. GORSKY. AS HE LEANED DOWN TO PICK UP THE BALL, YOUNG ARMSTRONG HEARD MRS. GORSKY SHOUTING AT MR. GORSKY - "SEX! YOU WANT SEX?! YOU'LL GET SEX WHEN THE KID NEXT DOOR WALKS ON THE MOON!" TRUE STORY.

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Four-Planet Dance of 2011
by Canopus56 04 May '11

04 May '11

Erik, That's Venus on two separate nights. Mercury and Jupiter are still down in the glare of advancing daylight. - Kurt

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Four-Planet Dance of 2011
by Canopus56 04 May '11

04 May '11

Cumulative image no. 2 - two positions of Venus are fainly visible in the lower right-hand corner. http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=4232 Even though it is at magnitude -2.1 - Jupiter was not visible at any point through 6:15am. I'll be putting this aside until May 7, since I have my gear and routine worked out. Hopefully by then Jupiter will rise out of the Sun's glare. For the May 9 conjunction, it may be that both Jupiter and Venus will only be visible by applying higher telescopic magnificaion. Clear Skies - Kurt

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