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

Re: [Utah-astronomy] More on 2011 MD
by Canopus56 24 Jun '11

24 Jun '11

Whoops! I copied the wrong columns for the az and alt. Disregard those columns. My apologies. - Kurt

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More on 2011 MD
by Patrick Wiggins 24 Jun '11

24 Jun '11

Small Asteroid to Whip Past Earth on June 27, 2011 http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2011-197&rn=news.xml&rst=3049 patrick

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Wolf Creek Pass
by Jay Eads 24 Jun '11

24 Jun '11

Highway 35 is open and I found something new (for me at least, sure many here know about it) that Commuter Link at UDOT located here at http://www.commuterlink.utah.gov/ has a camera mounted at the pass. It looks like most of the snow has left so I think on Sunday I am going to take a casually drive up Highway 35 and see what the off road conditions are like. It would be nice in July to be able to go up and use Wolf Creek, or if conditions allow, I may use it at the end of this month. -- Jay Eads

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2011 MD animation, 2011 JUN 24
by Patrick Wiggins 24 Jun '11

24 Jun '11

Animation made from 40-60 second exposures, each taken 2 minutes apart, between 0716 and 0916 UT today (2011 JUN 24). Pretty faint but it is there, moving from upper left to lower right. http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/temp/2011MD-01.GIF Details: C-14 operating at f/5.5, ST10-XME binned 3x3, -10°, clear filter. FOV ~18x26 arc minutes. North up, east to left. Looking forward to it getting closer and brighter. patrick http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news172.html

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Celestron Edge HD
by erikhansen＠thebluezone.net 24 Jun '11

24 Jun '11

>You still will not get the airy disks, yes a stop will help but you still have tube currents to deal with. A refractor will out perform a reflector on double stars. Have you ever looked through the big AstroPhysics Refractors? Just the opinion of a #$*#$**##. On the other hand, if you make an offset mask for a large reflector, you > now have a refractor buster. Cost is free if you have some black > poster board laying around. > > Mat > > -----Original Message----- > From: > utah-astronomy-bounces+mat.hutchings=siemens.com(a)mailman.xmission.com > [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces+mat.hutchings=siemens.com@mailman.xmissio > n.com] On Behalf Of erikhansen(a)thebluezone.net > Sent: Tuesday, June 21, 2011 4:36 PM > To: Utah Astronomy > Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Celestron Edge HD > >>Of course any scope with a central obstruction will have problems on > the > planets, only a refractor yields those airy disks. > > > I just checked Cloudy nights and it seems Celestron is having some > quality >> control problems. Here is the review. >> >> >> > http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/4644922 > /page/0/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1 >> >> >> Debbie >> >> >> >> >> On Tue, Jun 21, 2011 at 10:43 AM, Steve Fisher >> <iotacass1(a)hotmail.com>wrote: >> >>> >>> Debbie: Bill Cowles and I had a chance to observe through several >>> different >>> size HD's at RTMC in 2009. This was the last RTMC that Bill and I >>> attended >>> and the first roll out of the Celestron HD series. I honestly don't >>> think >>> the HD would be significantly different than another C-8 or larger >>> except >>> for imaging. The HD was designed for a flatter field across the > entire >>> field >>> much the same as the Meade ACF although a different path to get > there. >>> If >>> you are thinking about imaging then the HD would be an improvement > with >>> the >>> flatter field and the vented OTA but if you are just using for visual >>> use, >>> not so much in my opinion. That is of course "just my opinion".Steve >>> > Date: Tue, 21 Jun 2011 09:33:42 -0600 >>> > From: astrodeb(a)beyondbb.com >>> > To: utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com >>> > Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Celestron Edge HD >>> > >>> > Has anybody looked through one of these? I wondered how doubles > would >>> look >>> > through this telescope? I think >>> > globulars would look good. It seems like 8 inches is the minimum >>> aperature >>> > to resolve globulars. Any thoughts about this scope? >>> > >>> > Debbie >>> > _______________________________________________ >>> > 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 >>> >> _______________________________________________ >> 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 > > _______________________________________________ > 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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Lytro camera
by Michael Vanopstall 24 Jun '11

24 Jun '11

Hello, all -- I heard something on NPR yesterday about a new company called "Lytro" that is making a "take picture first, focus later" camera that captures "light fields". Their web site is www.lytro.com. There's not a lot of detail there, but I'm wondering if anyone knows what "light field photography" would do for astrophotos. This is from an absolute non-astrophotographer. I'm just curious if this will affect the field. In other news, in my continuing efforts to discern Utah's best state parks for observing, I'd scratch Wasatch Mountain State Park off. I was there the other day. I got a few new objects (in my new project of picking objects from Tirion's star atlas and trying to find them without finder charts), but the Milky Way, for example, was very faint. They try to make the campsites fairly private, so I had to set up sort of in the road after dark. A lot of horizon is obscured. Anyway, it was the clouds more than the location that shut me down. ---- Rev. Michael A. van Opstall Department of Mathematics, University of Utah Office: JWB 313 opstall(a)math.utah.edu

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what an astronaut see's
by Mark Shelton 24 Jun '11

24 Jun '11

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rj18UQjPpGA&feature=player_embedded

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Porrima opening
by Canopus56 23 Jun '11

23 Jun '11

Porrima (gam Virgo), the bright star currently near Saturn, is one of those doubles that you can follow for a lifetime. Porrima has an orbital period of about 169 years and was at its smallest separation (0.40 arcsecs) in 2005. Sixth Orbit Catalogue of Visual Binaries orbital plot for Porrima http://ad.usno.navy.mil/wds/orb6/PNG/wds12417-0127b.png Currently, Porrima has opened to a separation of 1.7 arcsecs, and through a Meade LX200 10 inch at the UofU South Physics Building at 625 power last night, it was an attractive equal ``kissing'' double of a gold color. Porrima will gradually open to 2.3 arcsecs by 2015, and continue widen to a generous 5 arcsecs in about 80 years. When you are looking at nearby Saturn, it is worth taking a quick peak at Porrima, or showing to young people, so they can revisit it in another 20 or 30 years from now. Clear Skies - Kurt

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Observing Saturday
by Jay Eads 23 Jun '11

23 Jun '11

I am going observing on Saturday (forecast looks good right now) and will have my friend George with me. We are looking at the Pit and probably being there until around 2:00a.m. or 2:30a.m. when the waning crescent moon comes up. If you are interested, your welcome to join us. If the forecast changes it will be a no go but I don't think that will happen. Jay --

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Star parties tomorrow and Saturday
by Patrick Wiggins 23 Jun '11

23 Jun '11

A reminder that SLAS will be hosting a public star party tomorrow (Friday) evening at Wheeler Farm (featuring Dave Bernson on the hay ride) and Saturday evening at SPOC (will the new SN in M-51 be bright enough to be seen in something other than the Grim?). Sunset to 11:00, weather permitting. Y'all come! patrick Sent from my iPad

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