- Utah-Astronomy - mailman.xmission.com

Exoplanet names.
by Daniel Holmes 24 Jul '15

24 Jul '15

Now we can get on with our lives. Here’s a handy dandy chart for what exoplanets should be named… http://xkcd.com/1555/ Dan -- Daniel Holmes, danielh(a)holmesonics.com "Laugh while you can, monkey boy!" -- Lord John Whorfin

1 0

Earth 2.0
by Joel Stucki 24 Jul '15

24 Jul '15

Anyone watching the developments from NASA today? Exciting stuff. A new earth to explore as soon as we get warp drive working correctly. http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-kepler-mission-discovers-bigger-olde…

3 3

Star Party tonight?
by Kathy 24 Jul '15

24 Jul '15

I saw two dates listed for the public Star Party at Harmons at Bangerter Crossing. Is SLAA planning to host the event tonight, July 24? Thanks

4 3

First High-Quality Real Stereo Image of Pluto
by Wiggins Patrick 24 Jul '15

24 Jul '15

We're going to try to spot Pluto with the Grim at Saturday's star party. Somehow I don't think it will look this good. :) patrick First High-Quality Real Stereo Image of Pluto http://epod.usra.edu/blog/2015/07/first-high-quality-real-stereo-image-of-p…

8 18

Jeff McGrath's Lunar Eclipse Image
by Ivo Stutznegger 23 Jul '15

23 Jul '15

I'd like to congratulate Jeff on, and bring to the attention of anyone that might have missed it, the terrific eclipse image in the recently issued September S&T. The image was taken by local, Jeff McGrath, last October at SPOC. It takes up more than half of page 27 as part of their cover story on total lunar eclipses. Nicely done Jeff!

2 1

Re: [Utah-astronomy] First High-Quality Real Stereo Image of Pluto
by Joseph M. Bauman 23 Jul '15

23 Jul '15

I can do the cross-eyed technique but it hurts my eyes, which is the reason I vastly prefer the relaxed eyes method. On July 23, 2015, at 9:45 PM, Ed <utnatsedj1(a)xmission.com> wrote: Chuck, Very good explanation. Thanks for that post and the posted pair. Too bad the EPOD editor doesn't see fit to post them as sets of 3 images, left two for cross-eyed viewing and right two for parallel line-of-sight viewing, then everyone can take their pick, and enjoy the 3D experience. BTW, I think when we mention cross-eyed viewing it puts people off because they think they "can't cross their eyes" as children often do. For stereo viewing we are talking about "crossing one's eyes" no more than when we read a book, which everyone with normal vision does. Ed Stimpson ---------------------------------------- Quoting Chuck Hards <chuck.hards(a)gmail.com>: > The EPOD stereo pair is not for the crossed-eyes method. You can fuse > the images with crossed eyes, but the relief will be reversed. > > For those who can't perform the image swap that Ed kindly posted, here > is a link to a pair that I reversed, for using the crossed-eyes > method: > > > http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii24/JethroTull1958/Pluto%20Stereo%202_z… > > Remember that for the "free-fusing" method to work, the center of each > image can't exceed your interpupilary distance. But the crossed-eye > method works for any size pair, and you need not cross your eyes more > than you normally would if you were looking at something about a foot > in front of your face. Just back away from your monitor if you feel > you are forcing it. It shouldn't cause any discomfort. > > One of the image pairs is much lower resolution than the other, which > detracts from the effect. > > Another thing to remember is what's called the "scale model effect". > For images like these to appear 3-D, the pair must be taken at a > separation much, much greater than a person's interpupilary distance. > It makes the object look much smaller than it would in reality, if you > were really that close, while at the same time, accentuating the > topographical relief. > > Still, it's a neat image pair. We now have a mental image of Pluto to > think of when contemplating it, instead of just that star-like speck > we've seen in the eyepiece. > > _______________________________________________ > 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". > _______________________________________________ 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".

1 0

Re: [Utah-astronomy] Pluto Planet Status
by Bruce Hugo 23 Jul '15

23 Jul '15

Chuck, Then if you baked a pie on the star-moon would it be a moon pie? Bruce Date: Wed, 22 Jul 2015 12:05:35 -0600 From: Chuck Hards <chuck.hards(a)gmail.com> To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Pluto Planet Status Message-ID: <CAHmuOYoCCSaiP-u05ysBk+ThY0Vpw=9-WdNX4ya7xpa_JFA4DA(a)mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Why aren't planets called "star-moons"? Then moons would be star-moon moons. ;-)

1 0

Pluto Planet Status
by Joan Carman 22 Jul '15

22 Jul '15

Some one trying to explain Pluto's existence. The square peg never fit in the round hole. In order to be a moon, Pluto would have to orbit Neptune. It doesn't, it orbits the sun. :) There are a number of KBO's that are in resonance with Neptune besides Pluto. However, doing a little research before my post to ensure the facts were correct, I learned Saturn is in resonance with Jupiter 2:3. Interesting, by you suggestion Saturn should be a moon of Jupiter <grin> That research turned up some more interesting tidbits. Due to finding so many hot Jupiters orbiting other stars, p lanetary scientists have been scrambling to explain their existe nce and why our system doesn't have one. Solar system formation isn't as cut and dried as it used to be. Uranus and Neptune formed closer in and migrated out. Allegedly the migration has stopped , but in the process, they have swept a lot of little chunks of matter into a "scattered disk" which is the actual source of short period comets (orbits less than 200 years). Initially, the Kuiper belt was proposed to be the repository of those short period comets. The Kuiper belt is believed to be fairly stable. Which answers my question as to why Pluto (and Charon), bigger than most KBOs, never "fell toward the sun."

3 3

Re: [Utah-astronomy] Utah-Astronomy Digest, Vol 149, Issue 37
by John R. Peterson 22 Jul '15

22 Jul '15

Whatever happened to the idea of Pluto actually being a satellite of Neptune, due to its synchronized orbit-crossing nature? John R. Peterson -----Original Message----- >---------------------------------------------------------------------- > >Message: 1 >Date: Tue, 21 Jul 2015 17:03:48 -0400 (EDT) >From: Joan Carman <jcarman6(a)q.com> >To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> >Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Pluto Planet Status >Message-ID: > <1816009185.132639.1437512628791.JavaMail.root(a)md30.quartz.synacor.com> > >Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > > > > >Finally, a discussion of Pluto based on reasoned argument and not emotion!? Thank you all for your perspectives.? > >? > >Science, in this case, planetary science, is self-correcting.? Something is found, it is fitted into current knowledge and when further research is conducted and the situation changes, so does the perception of? the object found.? Pluto was always an enigma.? It was a square peg trying to fit into a round hole.? To understand it all, one should look at the historic perspective, which has?not yet been mentioned on this thread. > >? > >Neptune was discovered due to a perceived gravitational effect on Uranus.? Planet X, so named by Percival Lowell, was predicted due to a gravitational effect on Neptune.? Lowell looked for it for many years and did not find it (actually he did, but missed it - the earliest photos of Pluto date back to 1909).? When Planet X, soon named Pluto, was discovered, it turned out to be another mystery rather than a s olution.? Pluto's size in 1931 was determined to be approximately that of Earth, still not large enough to cause the perceived gravitational effect needed on Neptune.? Then it's orbit was determined.?While all the known planets at the time were approximately 6 degs off the plane of the solar system, Pluto was a whopping 30 degs off.? Square peg indeed.? By 1948, Pluto's mass had been reduced to that of Mars and by 1976 it was determined to be 1% of Earth's mass.? In 1978, when methane was discovered in Pluto's atmosphere, it was decided methane caused an object to appear larger than it was and so Pluto's mass was reduced yet again to 0.2% of Earth's.??With Voyager 2's flyby of Neptune, it's size was reduced and the need for any object having a gravitational effect on it's orbit disappeared altogether.?? > >? > >When the Kuiper belt was first proposed and/or named, it was theorized the belt was to be found between 30-50 AUs from the sun and between 30 degs, either side, of the solar plane, not specifically mentioned, Pluto was smack dab in it, at 40 AU distance and 30 degs from the solar plane.? Further research determined?Pluto's composition to be that of rock and frozen volatiles, in other words, ice.? Similar composition?to a?comet.? > >? > >Perhaps the icing on the cake (or the nail in the coffin - depending on your perception), in 1992 the first official KBO was discovered.? Since then over 1,000 KBOs have been found.? Since 2000, 14 KBOs half the size or larger of Pluto have been discovered.? Most have been named, some have not.? Further research determined Pluto as well as a number of other KBOs are in resonance with Neptune. > >? > >If it looks like a duck, acts like a duck and quacks like a duck - it's a duck.? It may be the biggest duck/goose/bird out there, but it's part of that family.? Pluto has challenged our perception of the solar system, what it is and how it formed.? Human understanding of the system has evolved and continues to evolve thanks to Pluto.? Pluto is unique, it has a twin (Charon) and by it's size, small as it is, has managed to capture a few KBOs to make a small country (or system).? It's fascinating in its own right and continues to challenge humanity.?? > >? > >Yep science is self-correcting and continually evolving, which is one of the great things about science! > >------------------------------ >

1 0

"Five known moons"
by Joe Bauman 22 Jul '15

22 Jul '15

This was the subject of a recent discussion on Utah Astronomy. http://earthsky.org/space/pluto-moons-nix-and-hydra-revealed?utm_source=Ear… Sent from my iPhone

1 0