January 2013 - Utah-Astronomy - mailman.xmission.com

Timpanogos - last thoughts
by Kim 03 Jan '13

03 Jan '13

Chuck and DeLoy, I enjoyed your comments earlier but I've been off-list for a few days and didn't respond. I lived in Orem, sort of - mostly moved out by the time my parents moved there when I was 17. But I remember the annual contest about the last snow to be seen on the west slope. I seem to remember one year when the snow never did fully melt in the high couloirs. As I recall the aluminum structure has pretty stout posts at the corners, maybe enough to conduct a lightning charge. There is no floor, just the natural rocky surface, and it isn't large enough for more than four or five persons. I don't remember whether or not it has become a de facto latrine. There is still some debate about the nature of the "glacier". There is some evidence that it may be a rock glacier, and still some that it is indeed the glacial ice remnant of an alpine glacier, but no longer moving. Kim

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Museum Solar Party a Success
by Ann House 02 Jan '13

02 Jan '13

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: "Ann House" <ann(a)annhouse.org> Date: Jan 2, 2013 9:29 AM Subject: Re: Museum Solar Party a Success To: <dustynebula(a)gmail.com> Our new county mayor, Ben McAdams, wants to highlight ZAP in his inaugural speech by addressing free events put on by ZAP grantees. I heard that he will mention our solar parties at the museum. I agree with Nate and lets put on a good show for the public this month. I will be there with my solar scope and NASA kit. A On Jan 1, 2013 5:57 PM, "SLAS Announcements" <announce(a)slas.us> wrote: > With the weather mostly co - operating SLAS got to hold a solar party > on the outside terrice at the new Utah Museum of Natural History. Five SLAS > members and three Solar Scopes participated in the event. Museum Staff > members were very welcoming,when Solar Party SLAS members thought there > should be some kind of banner or sign letting the public know what we were > doing, the museum printed up a large sign in one of their display stands to > be used each time we come up reading:"Sun Viewing with the Salt Lake > Astronomical Society". There were > several large sucker holes that allowed almost two hours of viewing,and > several smaller ones that alowed ten to fifteen minute views. Both members > present and Museum Staff estimited the visitor count to be between 100 and > 125 persons, that included couples and families with children. The heated > concrete deck and the sun reflection from the large window kept us all > nicely warm. There were several sun spot > groups and pleanty of Flare activity. We hope to see more of you there at > the next Saturday event January 12th weather permiting. Nate Goodman > >

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Kudos to OPT
by Debbie 02 Jan '13

02 Jan '13

Happy New Year! Last week I sent my DDG focuser in to OPT for an adjustment. My buddy Dave and I tinkered with it but we could not get it to go in focus with a 17mm Nagler eyepiece. Tried the tension knob but we still failed. So I waited till the holiday rush was over and sent it to OPT last Thursday. They got the focuser today and fixed it with a 31mm Nagler and they are shipping it back to me. They said no charge for the adjustment. In this hobby you hear horror stories about bad customer service so I thought I'd give them some free positive advertising. They have fast and prompt shipping service too when I buy stuff from them. Debbie

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Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON)
by Chrismo 02 Jan '13

02 Jan '13

Anyone had eyes on this one yet? The reports and predictions are pretty impressive! http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/brighter-than-a-full-moon-the-big… http://astrobob.areavoices.com/2012/09/25/new-comet-c2012-s1ison-could-be-s…

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NASA Books
by Mark Shelton 02 Jan '13

02 Jan '13

Hi, I really wish to thank the person (cant remember who) that sent out the link to the NASA books. They are very nice and great on my NEW I PAD. You get to interact within the books with videos and lots of different multimedia imbedded in the books. I just finished the book on Hubble and am starting the one on James Web. Thank you for the download link. Mark Shelton

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Venus
by Chuck Hards 02 Jan '13

02 Jan '13

I watched Venus rise this morning. Beautiful sight. Venus will reach superior conjunction on March 28 and pass behind the sun. For the rest of the year, Venus will be back in the evening sky and a nice target for star party scopes as it's phase changes. It won't reach inferior conjunction and be a morning object again until January 11, 2014. The days are getting longer again!

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Clear skies / Looking back
by Joe Bauman 01 Jan '13

01 Jan '13

Hey Patrick, What happened to the Galileo-Newton books excursion? Thanks, Joe ------------------------------ On Tue, Jan 1, 2013 7:15 PM MST Wiggins Patrick wrote: >Tonight is looking good and data are coming in as I "speak". > >But December was definitely not a good month for visible light astronomy in northern Utah. Only 5 nights good enough to work. > >But 2012 as a whole wasn't bad as my observing log shows I was able to get usable data on 181 nights. This compares to 178 in 2011, 138 in 2010, 169 in 2009. I had to go back to 2008 to find a year that was slightly better at 185. > >Clear skies, > >patrick > > > >_______________________________________________ >Utah-Astronomy mailing list >http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy > >Send messages to the list to >Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com > >The Utah-Astronomy mailing list is not affiliated with any astronomy club. > >To unsubscribe go to: >http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy >Then enter your email address in the space provided and click on "Unsubscribe or edit options".

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Clear skies / Looking back
by Wiggins Patrick 01 Jan '13

01 Jan '13

Tonight is looking good and data are coming in as I "speak". But December was definitely not a good month for visible light astronomy in northern Utah. Only 5 nights good enough to work. But 2012 as a whole wasn't bad as my observing log shows I was able to get usable data on 181 nights. This compares to 178 in 2011, 138 in 2010, 169 in 2009. I had to go back to 2008 to find a year that was slightly better at 185. Clear skies, patrick

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Fwd: [Family] Happy New Year
by Joe Bauman 01 Jan '13

01 Jan '13

YOU TOO, my friend! ------------------------------ On Tue, Jan 1, 2013 12:11 AM MST Larry Holmes wrote: >Everybody! 73, Larry & Carol > > >_______________________________________________ >Utah-Astronomy mailing list >http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy > >Send messages to the list to >Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com > >The Utah-Astronomy mailing list is not affiliated with any astronomy club. > >To unsubscribe go to: >http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy >Then enter your email address in the space provided and click on "Unsubscribe or edit options".

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New aircraft flies inside out
by Wiggins Patrick 01 Jan '13

01 Jan '13

How'd ya like to see this thing slowly creep past your window one moonlit night? From New Scientist: http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/nstv/2012/12/best-videos-of-2012-inside-o… patrick

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