News, Friday, 30 June 2006 Welcome to SLAS Shane Scott has just joined SLAS. Welcome aboard! +++++ New Nova Mailed The paper copies of Nova were placed in the mail yesterday. The on line version is posted at: http://utahastro.info/slas/nova/ja2006/NOVAJA2006.HTML http://utahastro.info/slas/nova/ja2006/NOVAJA2006.PDF +++++ SPOC Update from Bruce Grim SLAS members Bruce Grim and Roger Butz met with Stansbury Parks Manager Jeff Terry this morning to discuss a few issues regarding SPOC: 1. Within the next week or two Jeff will provide us with a schedule of times for the sprinklers at the ball park and in the immediate vicinity of the SPOC grounds. This will allow us to plan our Group Star Parties and individual observing sessions without being surprised by the sprinkler sequence. This information will be published periodically in Patrick's News and will eventually be accessible on the website for members to plan their observing sessions. Jeff will alternate the sprinklers on the north and south sides of the sidewalk on different nights - this will allow you to set up portable scopes in a sprinkler free area. Saturday nights will continue to be sprinkler free. 2. On Saturday Star Party nights the first people through the gate will set Orange Cones on top of the Valve Cover boxes to prevent breakage of the lids by vehicles. This only involves 2 locations. 3. Future Group Star Parties at Stansbury will be set up based on the sprinkler schedule. 4. Individuals reserving SPOC telescopes should be minimally impacted by the sprinklers unless conditions are windy, as the sprinkler pattern tends to be aimed from the bldg outward. Some of the sprinkler heads around the refractor house will have to be replaced/reaimed to readjust the pattern. 5. Another Issue: While we do not believe that any SLAS members have ever painted over the graffiti at the skateboard park, the Park management has a special gray paint that they use for this purpose - so please do not try to obliterate graffiti on Park property. SLAS will take care of any graffiti on the SPOC buildings. We anticipate there will be some problems as we try to work around the sprinklers, but we hope to iron these out as we go. We will place a few buckets with weights in the observatory to use for emergency situations like we had the other night. Jeff has offered to plant several Plum trees around the perimeter of SPOC to help block lights from surrounding residences. --- Bruce Grim, Observatory Director +++++ Enceladus Exudes an Air of Mystery Atomic oxygen could never be confused with expensive perfume. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/features.cfm?feature=1126 +++++ New Moon This magnified view shows tiny Polydeuces, a moon that was discovered by the Cassini spacecraft and is a mere 3 kilometers across. http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/image-details.cfm?imageID=2183 +++++ Student Dust Counter Renamed "Venetia," Honoring Girl Who Named Pluto The student-built science instrument on New Horizons has been renamed to honor one of astronomy's most famous students - the "little girl" who named the ninth planet more than 75 years ago. http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/news_center/news/062906.html +++++ The Hooked Galaxy Life is not easy, even for galaxies. Some indeed get so close to their neighbours that they get rather distorted. But such encounters between galaxies have another effect: they spawn new generations of stars, some of which explode. http://www.eso.org/outreach/press-rel/pr-2006/pr-22-06.html +++++ The Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Goes WideÂ… in the Infrared Too! (submitted by Richard Tenney) With MegaCam, the largest wide-field digital camera ever operated on a telescope, CFHT has delivered exciting science as well as stunning pictures of the universe for the past three years. MegaCam images are, however, limited to the visible light. http://www.cfht.hawaii.edu/News/WIRCam1stLight/ +++++ Stretched View Showing 'Beagle Crater' This imagery from the panoramic camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows the outcrop-rimmed "Beagle Crater"... http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20060628a.html +++++ Spirit Examines Light-Toned 'Halley' (False Color) Stretching along "Low Ridge" in front of the winter haven for NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit are several continuous rock layers that make up the ridge. http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20060628a.html +++++ Black Hole Booted from Galaxy Did a bizarre supernova dropkick a black hole out of the Milky Way's disk? http://skyandtelescope.com/news/article_1749_1.asp +++++ Heavenly Sky Show for 4th of July Who needs fireworks? As night falls on the 4th of July, a moon, a giant planet and a spaceship will emerge from the twilight for a sky show of their own. http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/29jun_july4th.htm?list864576 +++++ MetOp Website As MetOp-A prepares to launch on 17 July 2006 from the Baikonur Space Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, you can stay informed on the latest news and mission updates as well as access animations and multimedia features by visiting the MetOp website at: http://www.esa.int/metop +++++ Thomas Reiter's Thoughts on Spaceflight An astronaut's thoughts on space, weightlessness and planetary travel in the future. Podcast: http://www.esa.int/ESApod/SEMLSIVT0PE_0.html +++++ STS Update http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/news/status-20060629.html +++++ ************************************************** ************************************************** Images and Data From Cassini-Huygens At: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/latest/index.cfm http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/press-releases.cfm +++++ Information On The Mars Rovers At: http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html +++++ SLAS 2006 Star Party Schedule http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/LOCAL.HTML +++++ SSA / UMNH 2006 Southern Utah Public Star Party Schedule http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/STARPARTIES.HTML +++++ ************************************************** News is being sent to you because of your affiliation with the Salt Lake Astronomical Society or because you are subscribed to the Utah Astronomy Listserve. To unsubscribe please send your request to paw at wirelessbeehive dot com. Check out my NASA Solar System Ambassador web site at: http://www.umnh.utah.edu/utahsky and mirrored at http://utahastro.info/ For astronomy clubs in Utah see: http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/UTAHCLUBS.HTML For the Utah Astronomy Listserve see: http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy ************************************************** -- Patrick Wiggins NASA Solar System Ambassador to Utah & NE Nevada paw at wirelessbeehive dot com http://www.umnh.utah.edu/utahsky http://utahastro.info/ 435.882.1209 801.918.9092