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

Finder for dob?
by Mark Shelton 17 Jul '11

17 Jul '11

Hi, I am looking for some opinions on what would be the best finder for a Dob Telescope. I have a Rigel telrade on the scope but would like a 50mm-80mm finder also. What would be your recommendations? If you have an extra finder let me know. Mark Shelton

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White dwarf monitoring pilot project
by Patrick Wiggins 16 Jul '11

16 Jul '11

Hi, I've worked with this guy before (as, I believe, have the Footes) so I know he's for real. So if you've ever given any thought to "taking data" as opposed to pretty pictures of good old fashioned looking this might be the project for you. patrick Begin forwarded message: > From: Bruce Gary <bgary1(a)cis-broadband.com> > Date: 16 July 2011 21:30:07 MDT > Subject: White dwarf monitoring pilot project > > This is a “call for observers” for a 1-month project to evaluate feasibility of amateurs and others to detect white dwarf transits using available hardware. > This should be viewed as a “pilot project” designed to provide a first evaluation of the abundance of exoplanets orbiting white dwarfs in short-period orbits (near the habitable zone). It can play a role in designing a funded project using professional hardware to conduct a long-term and more comprehensive white dwarf (WD) transit search. Professional astronomer guidance is provided by Prof. Eric Agol, who has written several articles on the subject of exoplanets in WD habitable zones. I will archive light curves at a web site in a manner similar to what I did for the Amateur Exoplanet Archive (AXA). > > I have tentatively identified September as the observing month. Coordinated observing by partners is encouraged to permit corroboration of any interesting light curve feature. Note that since WDs are very small, comparable to the Earth, a central crossing by an Earth-size exoplanet will produce a very deep transit feature, possibly causing a temporary complete fade. Another consequence of the small size is that transit lengths will be short, typically a couple minutes. In spite of the great depth the search for WD transits is an observational challenge because of the short length. The chance of success in detecting a WD transit may be small but the payoffs for success are great! > > Anyone with experience observing exoplanet transits is qualified for this project. However, of the known 20,000 or so WDs only 168 are brighter than V-mag = 14.0. This means that telescope aperture matters, and for most WD targets an aperture of at least 10 inches will be needed. > > The project will go by the name Pro-Am White dwarf Monitoring, or PAWM. A description of PAWM can be found at the following web site: http://brucegary.net/WDE/ > > Please forward this e-mail to anyone who might be interested in participating as an observer or professional adviser. Reply to this e-mail if you would like to receive occasional updates on PAWM. > > Bruce L. Gary > Hereford Arizona Observatory

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Astronomy Festival at Great Basin National Park - July 28-30
by Kelly_Carroll＠nps.gov 16 Jul '11

16 Jul '11

Jay, You will still be able to participate. I told Rodger all the camping options and it will depend on space when you arrive. I think, keyword, that we would have room just to pull the car into the area (even if we have you park outside the astronomer's camp during public viewing and back in afterward). But again it is dependent on space. I have to maintain the ability for emergency vehicles to get in. As Rodger said we might have to move a car here or there; it just depends on the space. Best Kelly. Kelly, A question. What about those of us who work until Friday? Could we arrive around 8:00 to 8:30p.m. on Friday and still participate? Would there be a tent space or can the car stay by the scope and we just sleep in the back of our SUV? Just curious as I cannot get off work until Friday at around 3:00p.m. Thanks, Jay Kelly Carroll Great Basin National Park http://www.nps.gov/grba/ Experience your America

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Festival at GBNP
by Steve Fisher 16 Jul '11

16 Jul '11

Jay and all:I just received some information from Ranger Kelly. Rather than post the whole thing here I will just give you a couple of highlights. First, we are all invited and the astronomers camp and observing will be in the Picnic area next to the Lehman Caves visitor center. Not at the Baker visitors center. This is OUTSTANDING! If you are tenting you can stay there and leave your equipment set up during the day. Just bring dust covers and there is no need to break down if you don't want to. The public will only be allowed in from 9PM till 12 Midnight. After that you can retire if you like or observe all night under the most beautiful skies ever. Unfortunately there is no room for trailer parking at this site. We will work out the details to get those in trailers into the astronomy camp. I'm sure it will be no problem.There is a limited number of spaces for tents in the astronomers camp. If you plan to attend and volunteer contact Kelly As soon as possible!There is space in the regular campgrounds for those with trailers or small RV's but these spaces cannot be reserved. It will be first come first served.There will also be a Volunteers dinner Friday night at The Border Inn. This is a free dinner for volunteers but does have a limited number of spaces. I have been asked to see if I can get an estimate of how many SLAS and Utah Astronomy folks might be wanting to attend the Volunteers dinner. If you are volunteering and want to eat let me know OK? Any more than that, lets go off list but again, This is gonna be good and you are all invited.Steve

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Advice to Mod a Scope
by Jay Eads 16 Jul '11

16 Jul '11

A question to ask, well several and I would welcome opinions. I sent an email to Mat but I don't think he'll get it before Monday. If I were to put a 14 inch diameter mirror that is 1 inches thick or so, compared to the current 2 inch mirror that is currently in my 14 inch, I know I would need to adjust the counterweights to accommodate for the loss in weight to balance the scope, and thus my first question. On the XX14i that i own, it came with 3 counterweights in the back behind the mirror that screw on. If I replaced these with a heavier counterweight that was slightly larger than what is there, would the additional counterweight impact cooling time? I would assume not since the Carl Zambuto mirror would be lighter and already take a shorter cool down time. Is that correct? I also know I could keep the current counterweight system and add a bag full of lead shot and attach it to the lower tube for increase weight. That option seems to work also. Next question. Since the weight of the scope would change would this require a build of the lower base to correct for the new center of gravity the scope would have or would the current system still work? Just thinking aloud here and testing a few ideas among other tests so just seeing what a lighter mirror's impact would be at the 14 inch level. I know when I tested the 10 inch Zambuto mirror, the new mirror worked just fine in the stock tube and mirror cell. I had no balance issues. Anyway, if you have a thought let me know what it is please as I study for finals this weekend for Monday. -- Jay Eads

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Sky Atlas 2000
by Mark Shelton 15 Jul '11

15 Jul '11

Hello all, I have 2 brand new copy's of Sky Atlas 2000.0 Deluxe Version. This is the large desk version wire bound, lays flat on desk. My wife got me one as a gift and I ordered one at the same time. If you are interested in acquiring a copy let me know. I do not need 2 of them. Mark Shelton

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Pics
by Joe Bauman 15 Jul '11

15 Jul '11

Cool Milky Way pics from Down Under: http://tinyurl.com/6zbs5ra -- Joe

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Vesta
by Canopus56 14 Jul '11

14 Jul '11

Vesta has a diameter of about 530km. The relative size of the positive mountain feature and the Roche Limit type striations (similar to Mars's captured asteroid Phoebes) are striking. Speculatively, I am wondering if the positive feature is an aggregated planetesimal and whether NASA will find that the geologic structure of Vesta is an aggregated object that has not coalesced and differentiated. - Kurt

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] All Sky Cam
by Canopus56 14 Jul '11

14 Jul '11

This proposal could also function as the core beginning of a Utah video meteor network, that is cameras mounted at SPOC, the cosmic ray center in Delta, and perhaps a school in Wendover. - Kurt

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House Committee Votes: JWST to be Canceled
by Patrick Wiggins 14 Jul '11

14 Jul '11

From the Planetary Society http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/00003099/ patrick

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