U Scorpii Anyone Watching?
Saw the article in S&T about this and also at AAVSO site at http:// www.aavso.org/publications/alerts/alert367.shtml and then the link mentioned in the article: http://www.aavso.org/news/usco.shtml U Scorpii is expected to have a nova flare up from the white dwarf that is its companion as the white dwarf is pulling hydrogen from the companion and when it builds up after 10 +/- 2 years the white dwarf lets off a reaction to let go of the hydrogen its built up. So sometime in the next year according to Dr. Bradley E. Schaefer at LSU this should happen. When it does S&T points out that U Scorpii goes from a 17.6 magnitude star to around an 8 or 9 magnitude star. Once captured and reported, the pro's will focus their scopes here on earth and up above on it to record their data. So just wondering if anyone is monitoring this now that it looks like good weather might be coming around for while? Jay
Hi Jay, Thanks for the suggestion. When I originally read the piece in S&T I figured I'd not be able to get that far south with my observatory but I had the observatory open when your message arrived so I thought I'd give it a shot. As I suspected the roof of my house and south wall of the observatory are in the way but I was able to get a shot using about half aperture. Of course there were clouds (only place in the sky) and the near full Moon was right near by but the shot does show the correct field even if only down to mag 16. Hopefully tomorrow the sky will be clear and with the Moon further to the east I'll be able to get a bit deeper. Then maybe once each night I'm working I'll shoot the area and see what pops up. Clear skies, patrick p.s. Joe, this is something you might consider from your back yard. With only a 30" or so exposure you would not have to be all that accurately polar aligned. On 06 Jul 2009, at 00:19, JayLEads wrote:
Saw the article in S&T about this and also at AAVSO site at http://www.aavso.org/publications/alerts/alert367.shtml and then the link mentioned in the article: http://www.aavso.org/news/usco.shtml
U Scorpii is expected to have a nova flare up from the white dwarf that is its companion as the white dwarf is pulling hydrogen from the companion and when it builds up after 10 +/- 2 years the white dwarf lets off a reaction to let go of the hydrogen its built up. So sometime in the next year according to Dr. Bradley E. Schaefer at LSU this should happen. When it does S&T points out that U Scorpii goes from a 17.6 magnitude star to around an 8 or 9 magnitude star. Once captured and reported, the pro's will focus their scopes here on earth and up above on it to record their data. So just wondering if anyone is monitoring this now that it looks like good weather might be coming around for while?
Jay
On 06 Jul 2009, at 00:19, JayLEads wrote:
Saw the article in S&T about this and also at AAVSO site at http://www.aavso.org/publications/alerts/alert367.shtml and then the link mentioned in the article: http://www.aavso.org/news/usco.shtml
Anyone here followed up on Jay's suggestion yet? Looks like a useful project and something that can be done with relatively simple equipment. I've worked it several night's since Jay suggested it and find it to be easy to work. while I am using a CCD imager, I'm sure useful data could be obtained with just a DSLR since long exposures are not required. And unlike doing light curves, you really only need to get one shot per night. I'm guessing the idea is to just get a single shot per night whenever you can until it blows and for several days (weeks?) after. Strung together the pictures could make a nice "movie". If anyone would like to give it a try and has some questions just post them here or contact me off list. On a totally different and off topic matter that I'm really stoked about, I finally managed to make jump #500 yesterday, a bit more than 44 years after making #1. And just for fun I used my second oldest canopy (circa 1965) and arranged to borrow the belly mounted instruments my instructor wore when he put me out on that first jump. What a hoot! http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/01.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/02.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/03.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/04.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/05.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/06.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/07.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/08.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/09.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/10.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/11.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/12.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/13.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/14.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/15.JPG clear skies! patrick
You're looking good, Patrick! Congratulations! Ken ----- Original Message ----- From: "Patrick Wiggins" <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> To: "Utah Astronomy" <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Monday, August 03, 2009 4:19 AM Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] U Scorpii Anyone Watching? (and a fun OT)
On 06 Jul 2009, at 00:19, JayLEads wrote:
Saw the article in S&T about this and also at AAVSO site at http://www.aavso.org/publications/alerts/alert367.shtml and then the link mentioned in the article: http://www.aavso.org/news/usco.shtml
Anyone here followed up on Jay's suggestion yet? Looks like a useful project and something that can be done with relatively simple equipment.
I've worked it several night's since Jay suggested it and find it to be easy to work. while I am using a CCD imager, I'm sure useful data could be obtained with just a DSLR since long exposures are not required. And unlike doing light curves, you really only need to get one shot per night.
I'm guessing the idea is to just get a single shot per night whenever you can until it blows and for several days (weeks?) after. Strung together the pictures could make a nice "movie".
If anyone would like to give it a try and has some questions just post them here or contact me off list.
On a totally different and off topic matter that I'm really stoked about, I finally managed to make jump #500 yesterday, a bit more than 44 years after making #1. And just for fun I used my second oldest canopy (circa 1965) and arranged to borrow the belly mounted instruments my instructor wore when he put me out on that first jump. What a hoot!
http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/01.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/02.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/03.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/04.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/05.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/06.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/07.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/08.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/09.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/10.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/11.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/12.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/13.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/14.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/15.JPG
clear skies!
patrick
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Patrick, I think you could have been stunt-double for the motion picture version of "The Right Stuff"!!!! Fantastic!!! I appreciate photo #2....Old School meets New School!!! What field were you jumping at? -Rich
On 03 Aug 2009, at 11:32, Ilove2getSpam@gmail.com wrote:
What field were you jumping at?
Erda airport (home of Skydive Utah, http://skydiveutah.com ). Cheers, patrick
Great pics! Awesome that you are actually smiling in #6; I would probably be showing full-on panic... ;) --- On Mon, 8/3/09, Patrick Wiggins <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> wrote:
From: Patrick Wiggins <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] U Scorpii Anyone Watching? (and a fun OT) To: "Utah Astronomy" <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Date: Monday, August 3, 2009, 4:19 AM On 06 Jul 2009, at 00:19, JayLEads wrote:
Saw the article in S&T about this and also at AAVSO site at http://www.aavso.org/publications/alerts/alert367.shtml and then the link mentioned in the article: http://www.aavso.org/news/usco.shtml
Anyone here followed up on Jay's suggestion yet? Looks like a useful project and something that can be done with relatively simple equipment.
I've worked it several night's since Jay suggested it and find it to be easy to work. while I am using a CCD imager, I'm sure useful data could be obtained with just a DSLR since long exposures are not required. And unlike doing light curves, you really only need to get one shot per night.
I'm guessing the idea is to just get a single shot per night whenever you can until it blows and for several days (weeks?) after. Strung together the pictures could make a nice "movie".
If anyone would like to give it a try and has some questions just post them here or contact me off list.
On a totally different and off topic matter that I'm really stoked about, I finally managed to make jump #500 yesterday, a bit more than 44 years after making #1. And just for fun I used my second oldest canopy (circa 1965) and arranged to borrow the belly mounted instruments my instructor wore when he put me out on that first jump. What a hoot!
http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/01.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/02.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/03.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/04.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/05.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/06.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/07.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/08.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/09.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/10.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/11.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/12.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/13.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/14.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/15.JPG
clear skies!
patrick
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What, a pilot that wants to jump out of a perfectly good airplane?
Great pics! Awesome that you are actually smiling in #6; I would probably be showing full-on panic... ;)
--- On Mon, 8/3/09, Patrick Wiggins <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> wrote:
From: Patrick Wiggins <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] U Scorpii Anyone Watching? (and a fun OT) To: "Utah Astronomy" <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Date: Monday, August 3, 2009, 4:19 AM On 06 Jul 2009, at 00:19, JayLEads wrote:
Saw the article in S&T about this and also at AAVSO site at http://www.aavso.org/publications/alerts/alert367.shtml and then the link mentioned in the article: http://www.aavso.org/news/usco.shtml
Anyone here followed up on Jay's suggestion yet? Looks like a useful project and something that can be done with relatively simple equipment.
I've worked it several night's since Jay suggested it and find it to be easy to work. while I am using a CCD imager, I'm sure useful data could be obtained with just a DSLR since long exposures are not required. And unlike doing light curves, you really only need to get one shot per night.
I'm guessing the idea is to just get a single shot per night whenever you can until it blows and for several days (weeks?) after. Strung together the pictures could make a nice "movie".
If anyone would like to give it a try and has some questions just post them here or contact me off list.
On a totally different and off topic matter that I'm really stoked about, I finally managed to make jump #500 yesterday, a bit more than 44 years after making #1. And just for fun I used my second oldest canopy (circa 1965) and arranged to borrow the belly mounted instruments my instructor wore when he put me out on that first jump. What a hoot!
http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/01.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/02.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/03.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/04.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/05.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/06.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/07.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/08.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/09.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/10.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/11.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/12.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/13.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/14.JPG http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/keep/500/15.JPG
clear skies!
patrick
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_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com
LOL, every time someone mentions jumping, the first thing that I think of is "was the plane on fire?" My meek little wife was a jumper before we got married, but you couldn't pay me enough to do it. Well, maybe you could pay me enough to do it. Let's hear some offers... ;o) On Mon, Aug 3, 2009 at 2:21 PM, <erikhansen@thebluezone.net> wrote:
What, a pilot that wants to jump out of a perfectly good airplane?
participants (8)
-
Chris -
Chuck Hards -
erikhansen＠TheBlueZone.net -
Ilove2getSpam＠gmail.com -
JayLEads -
Ken Harris -
Patrick Wiggins -
Richard Tenney