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Tooele racetrack
by Chuck Hards 13 Dec '04

13 Dec '04

I just saw a story on KSL to the effect that Larry Miller is planning to build a huge, "world-class" car-racing facility on the road between Grantsville and Tooele. The renderings and siteplans I saw were for a very large facility, tens of thousands of seats, acres and acres of track. Like a Daytona or Indianapolis... I hope this doesn't compromise SPOC or the Lakeside site; to say nothing of the traffic problems it will bring to highway 201 & I-80. Anybody have further info on this? Do they race at night? __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Helps protect you from nasty viruses. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail

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RE: [Utah-astronomy] Re: Comet Machholtz
by David Dunn 13 Dec '04

13 Dec '04

I went out at about 10pm Saturday night and took a look thru my 10 X 50mm binoculars. Orion was real high and there was no obscuring clouds or glow. The comet looked really large. I haven't seen Omega Centauri but is did look bigger that M22 does in a telescope. When I first started looking at it I thought I saw a tail headed up and left, towards Orion. Has anyone else seen a tail or heard of anyone reporting seeing the tail. Dave -----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces+david.dunn=albertsons.com(a)mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces+david.dunn=albertsons.com@mailman.xmissio n.com] On Behalf Of Patrick Wiggins Sent: Saturday, December 11, 2004 1:20 AM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Re: Comet Machholtz astrodeb(a)charter.net wrote: > > ...Anyway, I found this big, bright round fuzzy object about > the size of Omega Centauri. I'm not kidding, this thing is big. > It was bigger and brighter than I had expected to see it. I > thought "wow, this thing is going to only get brighter next > month". I couldn't detect a tail but I'm thinking I should > go east of town next time to a truly dark site and take some > photos of this comet. It did not disappoint me. It is going > northward more each night and the show will get better from now on. > > Debbie I just had a go at the comet here in Stansbury. Debbie was right. I started with naked eye but some thin clouds to the south hid the comet from view. However, with cheap 7x35 binoculars it was very easy to see, despite the clouds. If it's this good now I can only drool at the thoughts of what it might be like at its brightest. Patrick _______________________________________________ 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.utahastronomy.com

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O'Keefe leaving NASA?
by Patrick Wiggins 12 Dec '04

12 Dec '04

I just heard on CNN that administrator Sean O'Keefe is leaving NASA. Can't help but wonder what effect (if any) this might have on HST. Patrick

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Comet Machholtz
by astrodeb＠charter.net 11 Dec '04

11 Dec '04

Hi, I drove out to the Kayenta desert community, west of Ivans UT last night around 9:30 pm. I wanted to wait a few minutes while Orion and Lepus were rising out of the St. George sky glow. I turned my 15 X 70 binoculars toward Auriga and viewed M38 and M37, my two favorite clusters in Auriga. I then viewed M35 in Gemini, a real treat in binoculars. After that I viewed the Hyades in Taurus and then the Pleaides above. I love the blue stars in that cluster. My arms were getting tired since I don't have a tripod or parallelagram mount for the binoculars so I let my arms rest for a few minutes. By that time, Lepus was a little higher in the sky so I searched west into the constellation Eridanus. Anyway, I found this big, bright round fuzzy object about the size of Omega Centauri. I'm not kidding, this thing is big.It was bigger and brighter than I had expected to see it. I thought "wow, this thing is going to only get brighter next month". I couldn't detect a tail but I'm thinking I should go east of town next time to a truly dark site and take some photos of this comet. It did not disappoint me. It is going northward more each night and the show will get better from now on. Debbie

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Re: Fisheye lens
by Chuck Hards 09 Dec '04

09 Dec '04

When I was working in the lab I used one of the high-dollar lenses for the big Durst (this enlarger ran on rails on the floor, what a huge beast, took up to 11x14 negs) in a similar manner (also 4x5 format, which in retrospect was probably too large for the exposure times I used and the emulsions of the day), being an old copyscope builder myself. I was never satisfied, even though that lens was worth tens of thousands of dollars, none of them are designed for an infinity focus. But I too was awed by a piece of equipment that was worth more than I was at the time! You know, thinking about it, the only time I ever saw the Digistar in action was a demo done for the astro club about the time the original was installed. I haven't seen a real, scheduled star show since the late '70's I guess. Lotsa laser shows back then, though! Thanks everyone who had input on the fisheye lens topic. >Brent Watson wrote: > Chuck, > > I did shoot a couple of photos through the original > Digistar lens. It was a 43 mm f2.8 160 degree FOV > lens and covered a 5 inch circle. I put a 4X5 > adapter > on it and attached it to my Byers mount. I let it > go > unguided for about 30 minutes. I was using > Ektachrome > - probably ISO64(???) > > My recollection is that I didn't get much in the way > of stars. I could barely see the Andromeda Galaxy. > I > also did not see much trailing either. I didn't > look > for trailing due to atmospheric refraction, so I am > afraid your original question is unanswered here. > > It was fun to use a $25,000 (1980 dollars) large > format fisheye lens though. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - You care about security. So do we. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail

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Ho Ho Ho
by Chuck Hards 09 Dec '04

09 Dec '04

I have a gently used, older pair of 7x50mm generic-brand binos that I would like to give to a deserving individual or family. Please email me OFF-LIST if you have a need or know someone who does. They will have to be picked-up, day and time TBD. Please, no otherwise well-off "bargain hunters", I want these to go to someone who deserves them. The first respondent who has a qualifying case gets them. Thanks, Merry Christmas! __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Meet the all-new My Yahoo! - Try it today! http://my.yahoo.com

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OT: JPL van crash
by Dale Hooper 08 Dec '04

08 Dec '04

I heard on the radio that there was a JPL van with ~10 people that fell about 200 feet this morning. According to my JPL contact - it was an employee vanpool vehicle that went off the Angeles Crest Highway on Mount Wilson. There are at least three fatalities. I'm not sure what project they were working on.

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And you thought your day was bad... (OT)
by Patrick Wiggins 07 Dec '04

07 Dec '04

Next time you're having trouble with some project, just think of this: http://www.trilobyte.net/paw/temp/BADDAY01.JPG http://www.trilobyte.net/paw/temp/BADDAY02.JPG http://www.trilobyte.net/paw/temp/BADDAY03.JPG :-) Patrick

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Fisheye lens
by Chuck Hards 07 Dec '04

07 Dec '04

Has anyone (Rob? Patrick?) tried tracking fairly long-exposures with a "fisheye" lens? I'm wondering if, guiding on a star near the center of the field, if the edge stars trail because of differential atmospheric refraction? A few years ago I acquired a nice fisheye lens with a FOV darned near 90 degrees, and would like to try it on the sky when the weather warms up. Any meaningful input based on experience is welcome. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - You care about security. So do we. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail

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Re: Fisheye lens question
by Chuck Hards 07 Dec '04

07 Dec '04

Without waiting for the digest, it hit me on the way home tonight, and Debbie provided the clue when she sent me a frame she shot with a 50mm lens. (nice shot, BTW) The image scale is too small (with extremely short f.l. lenses) to even worry about differential refraction causing tracking errors on different parts of the frame. It shouldn't be a problem at all. Thanks Debbie! __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Find what you need with new enhanced search. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250

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