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

Possible Progenitor Star Identified for Type II SN in M51
by Jay Eads 04 Jun '11

04 Jun '11

Here is the abstract: http://www.astronomerstelegram.org/?read=3399 Here is the link from that link that has the images of the possible progenitor. http://astro.berkeley.edu/~weidong/m51sn.prog.gif -- Jay Eads

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Friday Observing Pit n Pole
by Jay Eads 04 Jun '11

04 Jun '11

Just wanted to say that as of now, I know of myself and two others that are heading out to Pit n Pole tomorrow night for a nice long observing session. All forecasts give it as clear, cool, with temps in the upper thirties to mid forties and most importantly, very low humidity around 50% to 55% for the night. If anyone wants to join us feel free to come on out. Clear Sky Clock for Camp Floyd: http://www.cleardarksky.com/c/CpFldPUTkey.html?1 http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=84069 MesoNet of Pony Express Marker near Pit n Pole (watch this for the humidity tonight; it should decrease tomorrow night): http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/slc/gmap/ Pit n Pole Directions Jay's Blog: http://jaysastronomyobservingblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/pit-n-pole-direction… links to my SLAS gallary with images) Pit n Pole Directions, SLAS Site: http://slas.us/maps/Pit%20%27n%20Pole.htm Pit n Pole Directions UVAA same as above I believe: http://www.uvaa.org/sitedirections/PitnPole.html -- Jay Eads

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Blackwell's List of Galaxies Near Bright Stars
by Canopus56 03 Jun '11

03 Jun '11

Star Cross-referenced excerpts from Blackwell's List of Galaxies Near Bright Stars (ST June 2011, p. 70) (Galaxies within 1 degree of a bright star - 9 galaxies near 6 stars) Id,Const,mag,B_mpsas,BrightStar,magstar NGC3310 Arp 217,UMa,11,21.6,SAO27724,5.5 NGC4192 M98,Com,11,22.7,SAO100012 - 6 Com,5.0 NGC4254 M99,Com,10.2,22.2,SAO100012 - 6 Com,5.0 NGC4494,Com,10.7,20.3, 41 Com,SAO82659 - 14 Com,v4.8 NGC5676,Boo,11.7,21.0,SAO29165- 24 Boo,5.6 NGC5740,Vir,13.2,22.7,SAO120648 - 109 Vir,3.7 NGC5746,Vir,12.3,22.1,SAO120648 - 109 Vir,3.7 NGC5846,Vir,11.9,20.1,SAO120809 - 110 Vir,4.4 NGC5850,Vir,13.6,,22.5,SAO120809 - 110 Vir,4.4 ================= In the June issue of S and T, Kent Blackwell presents a list of 16 spring galaxies that are near (within one 1 degree) of bright stars. It occurred to me that these types of galaxies might be useful for tracking practice for imaging and for test urban imaging, since there is a bright star in the field. A galaxy might be imaged, even if it is not immediately seen visually. The above comma-separated list covers 9 galaxies near 7 bright stars, but adds the bright star SAO and Flamsteed id numbers omitted from Blackwell's article. ``B_mpsas'' refers to the galaxy brightness in mag. per square arcsec. For comparison, M51 has a magnitude of 8.8 and an apparent brightness in mpsas of 21.1. Not included on Blackwell's list is Leo I (UGC5740), a difficult to see and image dwarf spheroidal galaxy that orbits the Milky Way, that is within one degree of Regulus, alf Leo. Regulus and Leo I image http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap060619.html Clear Skies - Kurt

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Lakeside site vs. Pit-n-Pole
by Joe Bauman 03 Jun '11

03 Jun '11

Hi guys, the temp looks warmer at Lakeside so that's where I'm heading tonight -- less chance of moisture probs. Best wishes, Joe

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Celestron Orange 8" on ksl.com for months and months
by gazebo4sale＠comcast.net 03 Jun '11

03 Jun '11

Hello All, I have seen this telescope on ksl.com since last January at least. http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=12841339&cat=&lpid=1&search=celestr… I would bet the guy would deal. He just keeps relisting it and dropping the price. I don't need another scope, but I keep thinking it could probably be had for less than the listing. Steve

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Friday Observing Pit n Pole
by Jay Eads 03 Jun '11

03 Jun '11

Jorge, You are welcome to come on out. I'll be out there around 7:00p.m. to 7:30 p.m. to set up. Hope to see you then. You'll enjoy what your six inch newt can do under a dark sky. Jay On 2011-06-03 07:26, Jorge Gutierrez wrote: > I’ve never been to a dark site or a star party before, I only own a 6” newt, but would love to go out there and meet other individuals who are into astronomy > P.S. hope im posting this the right way, im not really used to mailing lists > Jorge G. > > Just wanted to say that as of now, I know of myself and two others that are > > heading out to Pit n Pole tomorrow night for a nice long observing session. > > All forecasts give it as clear, cool, with temps in the upper thirties to > > mid forties and most importantly, very low humidity around 50% to 55% for > > the night. If anyone wants to join us feel free to come on out. > > > > Clear Sky Clock for Camp Floyd: > > > > http://www.cleardarksky.com/c/CpFldPUTkey.html?1 > > > > http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=84069 > > > > MesoNet of Pony Express Marker near Pit n Pole (watch this for the humidity > > tonight; it should decrease tomorrow night): > > > > http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/slc/gmap/ > > > > Pit n Pole Directions > > > > Jay's Blog: > > http://jaysastronomyobservingblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/pit-n-pole-direction… > > links to my SLAS gallary with images) > > > > Pit n Pole Directions, SLAS Site: > > > > http://slas.us/maps/Pit 'n Pole.htm > > > > Pit n Pole Directions UVAA same as above I believe: > > > > http://www.uvaa.org/sitedirections/PitnPole.html > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

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SPOC tonight and tomorrow
by Patrick Wiggins 03 Jun '11

03 Jun '11

Just got home from a great star party at Bryce Canyon and I see that Dave Bernson says he'll be opening the Grim this evening and tomorrow. As he put it, the scope will be open "beginning at darkfall, app. 21:00, and continuing until the operators are delirious. Invitees include all SLAS members and their special guests. Hosted by the Benevolent and Protective Order of Aldeberanian Space Travelers, and the Salt Lake Astronomical Society. (No, the operators are not already delirious!)". Chances are I'll have the refractor open too for some choice refractor views of Saturn. I think it's safe to say that subscribers to this list can be considered "special guests". Y'all come! patrick

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Butterfly pattern returning to Sun
by Wayne Sumner 01 Jun '11

01 Jun '11

Hi Troy, A plot of sunspot latitude (on the sun, of course) vs. time resembles a butterfly's wings. By the way, I still haven't had a clear night to try out the telescope you sold me. Didn't it come with a clear sky guarantee??? Thanks, Wayne A. Sumner Math/Physics/Astronomy/Engineering Boy's Tennis Coach Northridge High School Davis School District (801) 402-8610 >>> Troy Davidson 06/01/11 7:00 PM >>> Can you explain what the butterfly sunspot pattern is? Thanks. ++++++++++++++++++ Troy Davidson, KF7MTE www.istroyworking.com On Wed, Jun 1, 2011 at 6:51 PM, Canopus56 wrote: > Looks like the butterfly sunspot pattern is returning to the Sun. Today's spaceweather.com solar image: http://tinyurl.com/3dhmpo6 > > Sunspot numbers: > > NOAA > http://solarscience.msfc.nasa.gov/images/ssn_predict_l.gif > > European > http://sidc.oma.be/html/wolfjmms.html > > Clear Skies - Kurt > > _______________________________________________ > 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] Butterfly pattern returning to Sun
by Canopus56 01 Jun '11

01 Jun '11

Troy wrote: > Can you explain what the butterfly sunspot pattern is? Maunder's butterfly diagram is a plot the latitude and number of sunspots over a solar cycle. The latitude of sunspots change in a pattern over a half solar cycle. http://solarscience.msfc.nasa.gov/images/bfly.gif http://www.windows2universe.org/sun/activity/butterfly.html Across an 11 year half-cycle, sunspots start forming in bands at higher north south latitudes, typically between 30 to 40 degrees. Over time, the latitude of the bands and number of the sunspots decreases until sunspots peter out near the equator at the end of the cycle. To my limited understanding, the sunspot bands mark magnetic field lines, that at the start of the cycle run north south, repeatedly being stretched into toroidal rings around the solar disk, due to the differential rotation being higher latitudes and the solar equator. These magnetic lines stretch and distort, and, as a result, at times they stick up out of the chromosphere. That is where sunspots form. Near solar max, the field lines reach a tipping point, collapse and weaken. The polarity of the Sun's poles reverse and new sunspots form at the highest latitudes with an opposite polarity. Then the number of sunspots declines preferentially towards the equator, as the strongest remaining field lines dissipate at solar minimum. Here's a NASA timelapse magnetogram of the Sun between about 1981 to 2008 that shows how the sunspot bands evolve over several cycles: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=11917887 Here's a calcium and magnetogram image for today from the Solar Dynamics Observatory satellite that better shows today's band pattern: http://umbra.nascom.nasa.gov/images/latest_aia_1600.gif http://umbra.nascom.nasa.gov/images/latest_hmi_mgram.gif That today's solar Ha images shows parallel lines of sunspots in the northern and southern hemisphere is a good sign that the Sun is finally beginning to really be active again, after an unusually long period of solar minimum quiet. Many of us have been waiting for the next solar cycle to take off, so we can put our Lunt and Coronado PSTs to good use, and today's bands seems to signal that the next cycle with increasing levels of sunspot and flare activity really is here. Clear Skies - Kurt

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Butterfly pattern returning to Sun
by Canopus56 01 Jun '11

01 Jun '11

Looks like the butterfly sunspot pattern is returning to the Sun. Today's spaceweather.com solar image: http://tinyurl.com/3dhmpo6 Sunspot numbers: NOAA http://solarscience.msfc.nasa.gov/images/ssn_predict_l.gif European http://sidc.oma.be/html/wolfjmms.html Clear Skies - Kurt

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