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Pluto
by Dave Gary 04 Jul '15

04 Jul '15

I looked at the series of dark and light areas in New Horizon's latest photos of Pluto's surface. It appears to be a message. I think it says "Kilroy was here". Damn that Kilroy. If not that, I'm going with Chuck's assessment. Dave

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New Horizons
by Joan Carman 03 Jul '15

03 Jul '15

Flyby of Pluto set for July 14th. Everything on the craft operational at this moment. Long range photos showing interesting features. Let the countdown begin 11 days 7 hours and assorted minutes

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SPOC EVENT
by Jay inUT 02 Jul '15

02 Jul '15

I hate to use Utah Astronomy for SLAS since it is not a "SLAS" site but here are my two bits for the 500 or so that showed up last night. I have a feeling this will be an email I may regret sending also but I will do it anyway. I heard driving around the valley this week the ads on KUER 90.1 for the Star Party and I read a couple of articles tying that in with the event at SPOC on Saturday. Could that even, the conjunction of Venus and Jupiter have driven numbers up so high? Just a thought though I am sure the marketing is helping also. Second will that mean more people at other SPOC events like the General Meeting? I am skeptical. Why? Going to an outreach event is one thing. Going to a meeting is entirely different thing. IF you have on average 40 people show up to a monthly meeting (not sure on the number) and you have 302 members listed on the roll right now, that is a 13.5% turn out by the current membership. You may, MAY is the key word, get another 5 out but I do not hear or see the General Meeting being advertised like the outreach event at SPOC and Harmons. IF the question is how to grow the club, besides traditional outreach I am a strong proponent of getting some volunteers in the club, and I'll offer myself and use the XT10 I have for it, to teach a family of 4 or 5 (kids over 12) how to use a star atlas or sky safarri, how to set up, collimate, and then use a RACI and Telrad to find objects and put an object in the eyepiece. THAT I BELIEVE will over time, grow the membership because young people and younger parents in their 20's and early 30's want to DO things, not just look. You get them doing and you have them. It is a transition that is occurring in education as that field adapts to changes in society among children and adults. Promote via a sign up to spend an evening learning to use a telescope (I'll even bring my Explore Scientific AR102 for them to use for a refractor) and if someone or a group of no more than 4 signs up, I'll show up with the XT10 and the AR102 and we'll have a great evening where I teach, they learn and do. Oh, I won't go through to an outreach event though when done on the two weekends (1 before and 1 of) new moon. I'm at a dark site then doing the hobby for me. So kudos on a huge turnout! I almost came and then didn't. Wish I had now. Brings up the last point. How to get more people out. What keeps me away is to be frank, I am not at the outreach point yet. I love going to dark sites and observing and doing my thing there. I enjoy the club, some of the best people I've ever met are in the club. However, of late (last 2 years or so), I only have time for so much astronomy in a month, and I admit, I'm selfish, I am going to go to the dark site if I can only fit one thing in. That's easier for me. I guess for others it is something similar. They may have other commitments they feel take priority which is fine. Like it or not I would question if having SPOC always on a Saturday is as productive as having it on a Friday and doing Harmon's on a Saturday if the goal is to get more members to take telescopes to SPOC. Why? Like it or not the demographic is that you have a lot of LDS people in this area and Sunday is a huge day in terms of their commitments. If you have to be up and at Church for meetings at 7:00a.m., then taking a telescope out to show the public at SPOC the night before when you live in the SLC Valley, on a Saturday night is not going to be the priority. So if you switch a couple of the SPOC events to a Friday, and a Harmon's to a Saturday I am curious if you would have more members come out with scopes to a SPOC event? Please no bashing of personal beliefs here, I am just trying to bring up some possible solutions that are free, and can be easily dis-guarded and forgotten. Last, for a new member, the core club members can be intimidating with their knowledge and how they go about doing things. There has to be a way for these newer members to integrate into the club and that is by probably branching out what the club does. Some are like me, are in it to observe at a dark site. Some are in it to do outreach. Some both. Some are solar, some are refaractor, some are reflector. We could go on but the more the club appeals to a broader branch of people, the more those people make relationships within the club, the more likely are they to show up to a club event with their equipment. Last thing. I believe the club has some of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific Outreach kits. Why not have a couple of those set up at SPOC to give those in the lines something to do? Modify them so that a few people can walk around and share some of the activities with those in line so they don't lose their place? Print out and make a few Uncle Al's Star Wheels and have a few walk around and show people how to use those or better yet, how to access Google Sky or Sky Saffari or some of the other free programs on their Smart Phone so they can search for constellations in the sky and do a Constellation Scavenger hunt? Okay, I'll stop but hopefully those are some ideas that can be used. Sorry to make this so long but I ask one thing. EVEN if you DISAGREE, DISLIKE what I suggested, don't dish it unless you have a suggestion to replace it. Too much dishing going on and if you want the club to really grow long term, it's time for all involved to seek first to understand, and then be understood. Just some thoughts. -- Thanks! Jay

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Sprinklers (Was: Wow!)
by Bruce Hugo 02 Jul '15

02 Jul '15

Hmmmm... alien conspiracy! Obviously they don't want you to remedy the sprinkler issue! Trying to keep us from spying on them with our scopes. Touche little green men... touche! Heheheheeee!!! Thanks for working on the sprinkler issue Patrick.Bruce >I went over to SPOC tonight and waited for the sprinklers to come on so I could see if pavers alone >will suffice. >But of course since there were no telescopes present the sprinklers never came on. >Will try again tomorrow. >patrick

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Wow!
by Patrick 01 Jul '15

01 Jul '15

Incredible turnout at spoc tonight. Well over 200 public (most now in line for the Clark). Many, many scopes and perfect weather.

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Sprinklers (Was: Wow!)
by Bruce Hugo 30 Jun '15

30 Jun '15

I've never operated the valve nor know of its location (guess I need to attend more star parties!), but just a thought: Properly mark the valve positions on/off. <======= Important. To make the valve operation second nature, tie the valve adjustment (on/off) to a major action such as whomever opens the access gate must turn the valve to off. Whomever locks up the gate must turn the valve to on. Or, because of it's high priority (wet astronomy equipment is frowned upon) a task could be added to the Observatory opening and closing tasks which is a very well thought out deliberate list. Hoping to help! Clear skies all,Bruce Hugo

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Today's EPOD
by Wiggins Patrick 30 Jun '15

30 Jun '15

Well lookie here. Local boy makes good: http://epod.usra.edu/blog/2015/06/conjunction-of-venus-jupiter-and-the-cres… patrick :)

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Venus - Jupiter Conjunction
by M Wilson 29 Jun '15

29 Jun '15

Those two planets are rapidly converging in the western sky. What a beautiful sight!! Here's a couple of photos that I've taken so far:June 19th with the moon: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=6498Tonite (June 28th): http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=6495

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Wow!
by Bruce Hugo 28 Jun '15

28 Jun '15

I had a line at my Dob that was typically 2 to 8 deep. That never happens! I barely had time between groups to align my laser pointer so I could swing to M13 & 57 later in the night. Whoa! A quicky panoramic from my phone fore the wave of public descended:https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10205650153750755&set=pcb… Bruce Hugo

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Club openness -- of interest only to SLAS
by Joseph M. Bauman 28 Jun '15

28 Jun '15

The club would seem much more accessible -- and deserving of more participation -- if it were fully transparent in its workings. It has a board of directors who are required to meet monthly in a session that all members can attend. That's as it should be. But this apparent transparency is thwarted by the directors having an email system by which all sorts of decisions could be made outside the knowledge of the membership. The system is in place and operating. As a career-long newspaperman, I fought for the public's right to know; it is fundamental to our democracy; it is the reason we have Freedom of the Press. Without this right, the election process -- democracy itself -- would be undermined. It is a most precious right. And yet our small democracy of an astronomy club continues to hold secret communications among board members, some of whom have resisted attempts to open up their deliberations to scrutiny. Yet they are carrying out work in the name of all the members. In the latest general meeting I suggested that we institute a policy whereby all board communications regarding the club be open to monitoring by members. In response, Joan asked that people write to her with their concerns. This is a note to her and to the membership, advocating a more open system. As many probably wouldn't be interested in the nuts and bolts of club business, I advocate that the emails should be distributed only to those members who sign up for them. Note that, unlike the situation in board meetings, I am not advocating that members who aren't on the board should be able to chime in on the discussions, as that would lead to far too many diverging topics and arguments. I only ask that these email discussions become open to monitoring by members as they happen and that they be archived for member peruse, just as the minutes of board meeting are. We would trust our officers not to dodge the intention of this requirement by phone calls, individual emails or other stunts. Since President Joan asked for members to give their input on the matter, I would urge those who are interested to do so. Thanks, Joe On June 28, 2015, at 6:52 PM, Jay inUT <jayleads(a)gmail.com> wrote: I hate to use Utah Astronomy for SLAS since it is not a "SLAS" site but here are my two bits for the 500 or so that showed up last night. I have a feeling this will be an email I may regret sending also but I will do it anyway. I heard driving around the valley this week the ads on KUER 90.1 for the Star Party and I read a couple of articles tying that in with the event at SPOC on Saturday. Could that even, the conjunction of Venus and Jupiter have driven numbers up so high? Just a thought though I am sure the marketing is helping also. Second will that mean more people at other SPOC events like the General Meeting? I am skeptical. Why? Going to an outreach event is one thing. Going to a meeting is entirely different thing. IF you have on average 40 people show up to a monthly meeting (not sure on the number) and you have 302 members listed on the roll right now, that is a 13.5% turn out by the current membership. You may, MAY is the key word, get another 5 out but I do not hear or see the General Meeting being advertised like the outreach event at SPOC and Harmons. IF the question is how to grow the club, besides traditional outreach I am a strong proponent of getting some volunteers in the club, and I'll offer myself and use the XT10 I have for it, to teach a family of 4 or 5 (kids over 12) how to use a star atlas or sky safarri, how to set up, collimate, and then use a RACI and Telrad to find objects and put an object in the eyepiece. THAT I BELIEVE will over time, grow the membership because young people and younger parents in their 20's and early 30's want to DO things, not just look. You get them doing and you have them. It is a transition that is occurring in education as that field adapts to changes in society among children and adults. Promote via a sign up to spend an evening learning to use a telescope (I'll even bring my Explore Scientific AR102 for them to use for a refractor) and if someone or a group of no more than 4 signs up, I'll show up with the XT10 and the AR102 and we'll have a great evening where I teach, they learn and do. Oh, I won't go through to an outreach event though when done on the two weekends (1 before and 1 of) new moon. I'm at a dark site then doing the hobby for me. So kudos on a huge turnout! I almost came and then didn't. Wish I had now. Brings up the last point. How to get more people out. What keeps me away is to be frank, I am not at the outreach point yet. I love going to dark sites and observing and doing my thing there. I enjoy the club, some of the best people I've ever met are in the club. However, of late (last 2 years or so), I only have time for so much astronomy in a month, and I admit, I'm selfish, I am going to go to the dark site if I can only fit one thing in. That's easier for me. I guess for others it is something similar. They may have other commitments they feel take priority which is fine. Like it or not I would question if having SPOC always on a Saturday is as productive as having it on a Friday and doing Harmon's on a Saturday if the goal is to get more members to take telescopes to SPOC. Why? Like it or not the demographic is that you have a lot of LDS people in this area and Sunday is a huge day in terms of their commitments. If you have to be up and at Church for meetings at 7:00a.m., then taking a telescope out to show the public at SPOC the night before when you live in the SLC Valley, on a Saturday night is not going to be the priority. So if you switch a couple of the SPOC events to a Friday, and a Harmon's to a Saturday I am curious if you would have more members come out with scopes to a SPOC event? Please no bashing of personal beliefs here, I am just trying to bring up some possible solutions that are free, and can be easily dis-guarded and forgotten. Last, for a new member, the core club members can be intimidating with their knowledge and how they go about doing things. There has to be a way for these newer members to integrate into the club and that is by probably branching out what the club does. Some are like me, are in it to observe at a dark site. Some are in it to do outreach. Some both. Some are solar, some are refaractor, some are reflector. We could go on but the more the club appeals to a broader branch of people, the more those people make relationships within the club, the more likely are they to show up to a club event with their equipment. Last thing. I believe the club has some of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific Outreach kits. Why not have a couple of those set up at SPOC to give those in the lines something to do? Modify them so that a few people can walk around and share some of the activities with those in line so they don't lose their place? Print out and make a few Uncle Al's Star Wheels and have a few walk around and show people how to use those or better yet, how to access Google Sky or Sky Saffari or some of the other free programs on their Smart Phone so they can search for constellations in the sky and do a Constellation Scavenger hunt? Okay, I'll stop but hopefully those are some ideas that can be used. Sorry to make this so long but I ask one thing. EVEN if you DISAGREE, DISLIKE what I suggested, don't dish it unless you have a suggestion to replace it. Too much dishing going on and if you want the club to really grow long term, it's time for all involved to seek first to understand, and then be understood. Just some thoughts. -- Thanks! Jay _______________________________________________ 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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