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messier marathons
by Josephine Grahn 18 Feb '04

18 Feb '04

Sorry, I honestly meant curmudgeon as an affectionate kidding comment. Both Brent and Kim have repeatedly demonstrated their good humor and helpfulness to everyone in this group many times. If I thought that anyone would have taken me seriously, I would not have said it. I do apologize, and, for the record, I really don't think that either of them qualify for the dictionary term of the meaning. Quite the contrary, they both could probably stand as examples of the antithesis of the word. I just wanted to share a different view of the event. Now, about that go-to scope.... Can it go-to faster than Dave Bernsen :)? It would be fun to have a go-to scope at a marathon, just to help some of us, who occasionally get lost in space, double check our positions. Especially in Leo, where I can find things in the binos, but regularly have to backtrack three or four times in the big scope. Jo At 12:04 PM 2/18/2004 -0800, you wrote: >I suppose that by voicing my opinion I'm a >curmudgeon;) - actually a pretty nasty name, but >whatever. Even getting older allows for preference, >and expression of same. Don't you agree? > >Please realize that I mean no offense to anyone. >Chuck - there are many who enjoy MM. Just not what >floats my boat. > >--- Josephine Grahn <bsi(a)xmission.com> wrote: >> Chuck, >> Ignore the curmudgeons :)!

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RE: [Utah-astronomy] St. George Star Party Whether
by Kim Hyatt 18 Feb '04

18 Feb '04

I'm out. Anyone interested in March? -----Original Message----- From: Brent Watson [mailto:brentjwatson@yahoo.com] Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 9:36 AM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] St. George Star Party Whether This is from the National Weather Service in SLC. This is the St. George forecast. FRIDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 50S. .FRIDAY NIGHT...CLOUDY WITH A 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF RAIN SHOWERS. LOWS AROUND 40. .SATURDAY...CLOUDY WITH A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF RAIN. HIGHS AROUND 50. .SATURDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF RAIN. LOWS IN THE UPPER 30S. Brent --- Jim Gibson <xajax99(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > > > > > > I just went over to the Meteorological Department > (Met) at Dugway Proving Ground and I saw the whether > charts for Friday night. It looks like Friday will > be clear but then by early evening (between 5 - 7 > PM) high clouds will start moving in. This condition > will worsen as the evening goes on unless the system > slows down. The Met models seem to indicate it won't > but we can hope. They have been wrong before, but > usually only when you are not counting on it. > > > > --------------------------------- > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Mail SpamGuard - Read only the mail you want.> _______________________________________________ > 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 > __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail SpamGuard - Read only the mail you want. http://antispam.yahoo.com/tools _______________________________________________ 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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RE: [Utah-astronomy] St. George Star Party Whether
by Josephine Grahn 18 Feb '04

18 Feb '04

Chuck, Ignore the curmudgeons :)! A Messier Marathon can actually be a lot of fun, as long as you look at it as a party, not a serious grind :) It's all about attitude, and everyone should probably try one once. It's like anything else in life, you can make it a great night with friends, doing something totally ridiculous, or you can make it a killer competition, with angst, stress and nasty language. The older I get, the more I tend to take these things as a convenient excuse to be with people I enjoy. Instead of looking at it as a competition to "see" the objects, look at it more as a test of your finding skills, and your skills operating a telescope. It's like a spelling bee. It's not why you learn to read and spell, and it's not your primary reason for learning to read and spell, but it's fun to test that aspect of your skills. Jo At 09:41 AM 2/18/2004 -0800, you wrote: > >I'll never mention a M.M. again. I didn't mean to >trigger any unpleasant memories for anyone. >

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BB on Paul Harvey
by Dale Hooper 18 Feb '04

18 Feb '04

You guys have hit the big time. <g> Paul Harvey just mentioned the bowling ball experiment in his 15 minute broadcast.

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RE: [Utah-astronomy] St. George Star Party Whether
by Kim Hyatt 18 Feb '04

18 Feb '04

Cheater. Can I join you? -----Original Message----- From: Joe Bauman [mailto:bau@desnews.com] Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 11:31 AM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: RE: [Utah-astronomy] St. George Star Party Whether I'm thinking of doing it with my go-to scope!!!! _______________________________________________ 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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RE: [Utah-astronomy] St. George Star Party Whether
by Kim Hyatt 18 Feb '04

18 Feb '04

Curmudgeon?? I resemble that remark... Sorry, Chuck - didn't mean to offend anyone. I agree with Jo, except for the curmudgeon label. :) I may show up for a Messier Marathon, but to try and bag all 110 objects just to say I did it in one night wouldn't be my goal. I remember that the one time I did try and do that, I learned a lot from star hopping around the sky. I finally had to quit when my optics frosted over around 5:00 in the morning, so I didn't catch the last few objects in the morning sky. I had fun - just wouldn't do it that way again. I might be talked into trying it with binos. -----Original Message----- From: Josephine Grahn [mailto:bsi@xmission.com] Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 12:13 PM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: RE: [Utah-astronomy] St. George Star Party Whether Chuck, Ignore the curmudgeons :)! A Messier Marathon can actually be a lot of fun, as long as you look at it as a party, not a serious grind :) It's all about attitude, and everyone should probably try one once. It's like anything else in life, you can make it a great night with friends, doing something totally ridiculous, or you can make it a killer competition, with angst, stress and nasty language. The older I get, the more I tend to take these things as a convenient excuse to be with people I enjoy. Instead of looking at it as a competition to "see" the objects, look at it more as a test of your finding skills, and your skills operating a telescope. It's like a spelling bee. It's not why you learn to read and spell, and it's not your primary reason for learning to read and spell, but it's fun to test that aspect of your skills. Jo At 09:41 AM 2/18/2004 -0800, you wrote: > >I'll never mention a M.M. again. I didn't mean to >trigger any unpleasant memories for anyone. > _______________________________________________ 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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RE: [Utah-astronomy] St. George Star Party Whether
by David Dunn 18 Feb '04

18 Feb '04

I usually attend the OAS Messier Marathon every year. I have only attempted it seriously once. I got 98 of them. Since then, I usually go out, try to find M74, can't see it even though I am looking in the right place, quit the Marathon and enjoy a great night of viewing. The only bad thing will be if I ever see M74 and then have to continue with the Marathon. Maybe I will get lucky and still wont be able to get M33. A Messier Marathon is a great excuse to go out and observe all night in March. Dave -----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces+david.dunn=albertsons.com(a)mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces+david.dunn=albertsons.com@mailman.xmission.co m] On Behalf Of Kim Hyatt Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 10:05 AM To: 'Utah Astronomy' Subject: RE: [Utah-astronomy] St. George Star Party Whether I did a Messier Marthon once - only once. Yes, too much like work, but it reminded me of something I saw many years ago. First, don't think for a minute that I am or ever was a fan of Liberace (you know, the "entertainer") but I may have been watching one of his TV shows with my Mom or Dad - I was just a kid. Anyway, Liberace bragged that he would perform the Minute Waltz in under one minute! He sat at the piano with a big 60-second clock above him and pounded out the minute waltz as fast as he could, and yes, he did it in about 58 seconds, to the applause and cheers of his adoring studio audience. I've often thought since how silly the stunt was - he and his audience entirely missed the point of the music. And that's how I usually think of a Messier Marathon. Please, nobody take offense... -----Original Message----- From: Brent Watson [mailto:brentjwatson@yahoo.com] Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 9:52 AM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: RE: [Utah-astronomy] St. George Star Party Whether That's too much like work. Astronomy is a hobby for me. --- Chuck Hards <chuckhards(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > The moon favors a Messier marathon this year, I > believe, if that influences anyone. > > --- Brent Watson <brentjwatson(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > > I'm possibly interested in March. > > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Mail SpamGuard - Read only the mail you want. > http://antispam.yahoo.com/tools > > _______________________________________________ > 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 __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail SpamGuard - Read only the mail you want. http://antispam.yahoo.com/tools _______________________________________________ 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 _______________________________________________ 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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RE: [Utah-astronomy] St. George Star Party Whether
by Kim Hyatt 18 Feb '04

18 Feb '04

I did a Messier Marthon once - only once. Yes, too much like work, but it reminded me of something I saw many years ago. First, don't think for a minute that I am or ever was a fan of Liberace (you know, the "entertainer") but I may have been watching one of his TV shows with my Mom or Dad - I was just a kid. Anyway, Liberace bragged that he would perform the Minute Waltz in under one minute! He sat at the piano with a big 60-second clock above him and pounded out the minute waltz as fast as he could, and yes, he did it in about 58 seconds, to the applause and cheers of his adoring studio audience. I've often thought since how silly the stunt was - he and his audience entirely missed the point of the music. And that's how I usually think of a Messier Marathon. Please, nobody take offense... -----Original Message----- From: Brent Watson [mailto:brentjwatson@yahoo.com] Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 9:52 AM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: RE: [Utah-astronomy] St. George Star Party Whether That's too much like work. Astronomy is a hobby for me. --- Chuck Hards <chuckhards(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > The moon favors a Messier marathon this year, I > believe, if that influences anyone. > > --- Brent Watson <brentjwatson(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > > I'm possibly interested in March. > > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Mail SpamGuard - Read only the mail you want. > http://antispam.yahoo.com/tools > > _______________________________________________ > 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 __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail SpamGuard - Read only the mail you want. http://antispam.yahoo.com/tools _______________________________________________ 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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Re: [Utah-astronomy] St. George Star Party Whether
by Brent Watson 18 Feb '04

18 Feb '04

This is from the National Weather Service in SLC. This is the St. George forecast. FRIDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 50S. .FRIDAY NIGHT...CLOUDY WITH A 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF RAIN SHOWERS. LOWS AROUND 40. .SATURDAY...CLOUDY WITH A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF RAIN. HIGHS AROUND 50. .SATURDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF RAIN. LOWS IN THE UPPER 30S. Brent --- Jim Gibson <xajax99(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > > > > > > I just went over to the Meteorological Department > (Met) at Dugway Proving Ground and I saw the whether > charts for Friday night. It looks like Friday will > be clear but then by early evening (between 5 7 > PM) high clouds will start moving in. This condition > will worsen as the evening goes on unless the system > slows down. The Met models seem to indicate it wont > but we can hope. They have been wrong before, but > usually only when you are not counting on it. > > > > --------------------------------- > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Mail SpamGuard - Read only the mail you want.> _______________________________________________ > 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 > __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail SpamGuard - Read only the mail you want. http://antispam.yahoo.com/tools

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St. George & discussion of a plan
by Joe Bauman 18 Feb '04

18 Feb '04

Thanks to Patrick for passing along Jim's invitation re. a St. George jaunt. I have been planning for quite a while to drive to that vicinity on Friday, the new moon. Actually, I thinking about going a bit farther than St. George, maybe to the vicinity of Mesquite, just to get away from St. George lights and because it seemed likely to be warmer there. But I haven't made up my mind. Since I don't work on Fridays (that's why I'm here at work writing a note on Sunday afternoon), I want to get an early start so I can set up in full daylight. I would be delighted to join with the group going down, but I doubt you'll want to leave that early. If so, it would be fun to drive along with you. If not, I could meet you somewhere, if you have chosen a place. Please let me know what you've decided. ALSO, please tell me what you think of this plan, anyone who has opinions about it: This will be my first attempt to winch my 12" LX200 up. At 74 pounds for the 'scope alone, I can't quite lift it onto the Superwedge and tighten the bolts. Believe me I've struggled with that, getting the tube to the right angle and still finding myself unable to make the bolt slip in, let alone tighten it. So I have devised a plan in which I'll get the tripod and Superwedge assembled and aligned correctly, then attach straps at the ground to the ends of two of the legs so they can't slip. I will be using heavy-duty tent stakes, pounded into the ground, to keep the straps in place. Then I'll put down a blanket, lay the tripod back onto it with the single unattached leg in the air, and bolt the telescope to the Superwedge while it is down. Finally, my plan calls for using a winch attached to my Jeep to pull the whole assembly upright. If this seems nuts, or if it seems like a good idea, please let me know. One catch is that I will need really firm ground, not sand, so the straps won't pull loose while I'm winching. Also, I've considered adding a strap to the rear, connected to one or two heavy cinderblocks, so that they will drag on the ground when I winch -- that way the telescope would not as likely to tip over when the front comes down, and the front leg will not hit the ground as hard. Do you folks think that's a good idea? Best wishes, Joe

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