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Cassini picture of Saturn
by Patrick Wiggins 08 Dec '03

08 Dec '03

For those who have not seen it already (I mentioned it in News) Cassini just sent back a very nice picture of Saturn. If it's this good now, think how it'll look in a few months. I just hope that during its many orbits around Saturn, Cassini will get far enough away from Saturn to get some nice wide field shots of the planet and rings. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04913 Carpe Noctem! Patrick

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Re: Huygens probe
by Patrick Wiggins 08 Dec '03

08 Dec '03

Chuck Hards chuckhards at yahoo.com wrote: > I've read variously that the Huygens probe was > designed to send data from the surface of Titan for > only one to three minutes. Can this be true? > Patrick, can you shed some light on this? > I'd think that at least an hour would be required to > make sure good data is recovered. As Ken stated in his reply "officially" there will not be much time for science on the surface. However, unofficially I'm hearing folks on the project feel they'll probably get more than a few minutes. Of course, there for a while it looked like we might not get anything. Seems someone forgot that two separating spacecraft will encounter old Mr. Doppler's shift and so did not allow for that in the transmitter or receiver. Happily they seem to have come up with a work around. Let's hope they got it right. And let's also hope that when the orbiter's mission comes to an end and Cassini takes a one way trip into Saturn, all of that nasty nuclear material it's carrying doesn't cause Saturn to go critical and explode.... (hey, that's what folks were telling Art Bell would happen when Galileo hit Jupiter.) :-) Patrick

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Re: Huygens probe
by Chuck Hards 07 Dec '03

07 Dec '03

Done a little surfing. You know, this takes a lot of time on a slow modem, and especially if one doesn't bookmark many sites! Now, I'm all for space travel, but I don't wear a NASA jumpsuit or rubber-stamp my appoval on every press release that comes out of NASA or JPL. As a taxpayer, though, I've got a right to question, even at this late date. Apparently the lander has no camera! It is a ESA craft, only the orbiter section's design and constuction was NASA managed. I had many problems even loading some of the ESA pages, but couldn't find anything on surface imaging. The entire lander science package is geared toward atmospheric measurement. There was one link that didn't work that said something like 'surface science'. Good luck, folks, you've got maybe 180 seconds, so get it right! Heck, I'd trade weather data for pictures or video on the first mission to any planetary or "dirt" target, any day. I'm also reminded that the entire lander sequence has been re-scripted since launch because it was discovered that at the relative speeds of the two craft after separation, they could'nt communicate with each other. Seems that the bandwidth on the orbiters receiver is too narrow to receive the Doppler-shifted transmitions of the lander! No kidding! So the new separation scenario calls for a much slower approach. C'mon, this is basic engineering for spacecraft. How could they have botched this? A project manager should have lost his/her job for that one. And the cost of the mission deducted from their check! And with the power situation being as tightly budgeted as it is, there won't be a second chance to transmit the lander data. Joe, the lander only has batteries, no nuke fuel. I really hope this mission works as advertised. After what I've read today, though, I'm not quite as optimistic as I was. Have we sent a K-car to Saturn? my 3 cents (and all typed with one hand!). C. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Free Pop-Up Blocker - Get it now http://companion.yahoo.com/

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Re: Barska 9x63mm
by Chuck Hards 07 Dec '03

07 Dec '03

Local bino guru Glen Warchol stopped-by yesterday and tried out the Barska 9x63mm binos in daylight. He feels that they are probably roof prisms, due to the slenderness of the housings; the tiny offset of the eyepiece axis from the objective axis. He also thought that the imagery was above average. He confirmed my impression of a fairly flat field with minmal distortion. He noted color, but again not bad, especially considering the price. He thought that due to their heft, either there are some monster prisms in there, or they are cast metal. All things considered he gave a good pronouncement and is considering getting a pair for himself, despite the non-retractable eyeguards. C. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New Yahoo! Photos - easier uploading and sharing. http://photos.yahoo.com/

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Off-topic: Tobacco cessation
by Chuck Hards 07 Dec '03

07 Dec '03

Today marks 31 days since my wife and I quit smoking. I know several list members who smoke and let me just say that if I can give it up, you all can too. The first few days were terrible but it gets easier every day. I don't mean to preach, good grief I had my fill of it myself. What I want to do is encourage you to keep trying, never give up. Not even a broken hand and reconstructive surgery broke my resolve, this time it's for keeps. THANK YOU to the list friends who knew what I was attempting, and going through, and encouraged me to stick with it. It helped A LOT! Back to astronomy. C. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Free Pop-Up Blocker - Get it now http://companion.yahoo.com/

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RE: [Utah-astronomy] Off-topic: Tobacco cessation
by Kim Hyatt 07 Dec '03

07 Dec '03

Chuck, I've told you before but I'll reiterate here. I know how hard it is to quit smoking - I was a two-pack-a-day Pall Mall smoker myself once. Quitting was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but also one of which I am proudest. I tip my hat to anyone who can overcome such an habit and I'm very happy for you and your wife. By now you've realized many benefits, but I will suggest one more. I'm convinced that tobacco smoke (and smoke from other substances that I won't get into here) obscures one's spiritual perception. No, I'm not talking about religion but the ability to perceive the mystical aspects of the universe. As astronomers, we are probably more sensitive to these matters anyway, but I wouldn't be surprised if you find that you have a renewed sense of wonderment as you observe the night sky and other natural phenomena. I could be wrong - just a thought. Anyway, congratulations to you both and good luck to maintain this change in your life! -----Original Message----- From: Chuck Hards [mailto:chuckhards@yahoo.com] Sent: Friday, December 05, 2003 3:54 PM To: Utah-Astro Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Off-topic: Tobacco cessation Today marks 31 days since my wife and I quit smoking. I know several list members who smoke and let me just say that if I can give it up, you all can too. The first few days were terrible but it gets easier every day. I don't mean to preach, good grief I had my fill of it myself. What I want to do is encourage you to keep trying, never give up. Not even a broken hand and reconstructive surgery broke my resolve, this time it's for keeps. THANK YOU to the list friends who knew what I was attempting, and going through, and encouraged me to stick with it. It helped A LOT! Back to astronomy. C. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Free Pop-Up Blocker - Get it now http://companion.yahoo.com/ _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] binocular power ratings help
by Rich Allen 07 Dec '03

07 Dec '03

Thanks Jim! I purchased a 12x30 pair from SurplusShed last week, and was curious how the numbers related to the binos being discussed here. My main use will be daytime, so I'm happy with my $20 purchase. :) I have a 6" MCT, so aperture envy is nothing new to me. <grin> Rich Allen

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binocular power ratings help
by Rich Allen 07 Dec '03

07 Dec '03

I've been following these threads about astronomy suitable binoculars with interest. I'm curious to learn about how the power rating translate. What's the difference between a 12x30 vs. 15x70, for example? Are there any good web sites that explain this? My initial Google searches came up with lots of irrelevant hits. Thanks! Rich Allen

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Off-topic: Tobacco cessation
by UTAHDEB＠aol.com 05 Dec '03

05 Dec '03

Chuck, I had the same experience with quitting coffee. I missed my morning coffee but I've managed to drink herb tea and still get some hot liquid in my stomach. I know quitting tobacco is harder than quitting coffee so keep up the good work. Live Healthy and Happy, Debbie

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RE: [Utah-astronomy] Very inexpensive laser
by Griffin Louis A Civ OO-ALC/MAKGBA 03 Dec '03

03 Dec '03

Chuck, I would be very interested in the barlowed laser collimator design/plan please keep me posted... Broskeyper(a)aol.com -----Original Message----- From: Chuck Hards [mailto:chuckhards@yahoo.com] Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2003 10:52 AM To: Utah-Astro Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Very inexpensive laser http://www.surplusshed.com/pages/item/m2122.html These are only $2.75 + s&h. I will have a "Barlowed" collimator design available sometime soon, using this laser as a light source. For the "do-it-yourselfers" on the list. Would also make a great "stocking stuffer". C. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Free Pop-Up Blocker - Get it now http://companion.yahoo.com/ _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy

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