I was in Moab for a couple of weeks in September teaching night classes. During the day I was able to do some hiking in Arches and Canyonlands. It was a wonderful work and play time. While in Arches one day, I had the opportunity to talk to a senior ranger about astronomy programs in the Parks. He remembers the day when our group used to come there and set up our scopes at Panorama Point. He says that he would love for us to come back and will do anything he can to accommodate us. He says they would like solar viewing at the Visitors Center and programs followed by stargazing in the campgrounds. While they are on solar lighting that makes it impossible to turn off some lights, they would cover them up it they were in our way. NASA's Night Sky Network loves us for our Park programs. We have been featured on their web site last week and have also received some prizes (we will probably raffle them off at the Solstice Festival). However, when I reported this news to President Lyon, he stated that as he remembers his viewing days there the southern exposure suffered from Moab city glow. Unfortunately, I never got to the park at night to check it out as my classes were in the evening. Has anyone been out to Arches lately with a telescope? Can you tell us about the night skies there? If Lowell remembers city glow several years ago, the glow has got to be worse now. Please let me know your thoughts. I need to get back in touch with the ranger. He was so grateful to our group for our past star parties. He said that they would do all the advertising, save us the group campsite, etc... Our viewing at Bryce and at Capitol Reef is exquisite and well worth our time and effort. We enjoy showing the public the sky (such as the Europeans who have never seen the Milky Way before) but for us to travel and set up our scopes, we need some good skies for our own pleasure. Is Arches worth it? Also, I have a new Night Sky Network toolkit. This one is called Shadows and Silhouettes. It is about how eclipses work. Additionally, I have a wonderful kit that Kurt Fisher put together on lenses. If anyone is interested in checking out these kits (or any of the other ones) please feel free to contact me. -A
Just to play devil's advocate here, what's the main point of such star-parties, Ann? Public relations & education (community outreach), or personal gratification? Is it Lowell's position that the club should only conduct a star-party at a particular location if the sky is up to a certain high standard? If so, one would think that this would make a good rallying point for local light-pollution reduction efforts in Moab (and lots of other rural areas). --- Ann House <ann@annhouse.org> wrote:
However, when I reported this news to President Lyon, he stated that as he remembers his viewing days there the southern exposure suffered from Moab city glow.
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Ann, I have a lot of customers in that part of the state. They are always looking for something new to shoot at. Perhaps turning out the lights in Moab, one light at a time, might be more challenging than say hitting a stop sign. What night did you want to hold this event? ;) Just kidding... or, am I??? ;) Quoting Chuck Hards <chuckhards@yahoo.com>:
Just to play devil's advocate here, what's the main point of such star-parties, Ann? Public relations & education (community outreach), or personal gratification? Is it Lowell's position that the club should only conduct a star-party at a particular location if the sky is up to a certain high standard?
If so, one would think that this would make a good rallying point for local light-pollution reduction efforts in Moab (and lots of other rural areas).
--- Ann House <ann@annhouse.org> wrote:
However, when I reported this news to President Lyon, he stated that as he remembers his viewing days there the southern exposure suffered from Moab city glow.
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--- Chuck Hards <chuckhards@yahoo.com> wrote: <snip> If so, one would think that this would
make a goodrallying point for local light-pollution reduction efforts in Moab (and lots of other rural areas).
In general, Smokey (the National Park Service) and astronomy clubs are going to be natural allies in the future. Except for premire parks like Zions, camping in national parks dropped precipatiously by 30% over the last couple of years. One of the fastest growing areas of national park attendence is the gen public going night sky watching. One of the informal NPS initiatives to bring attendance back up is trying to preserve night skies in national parks from encroaching light pollution. - Kurt Off-topic P.S. - The NPS guy in an article in the Tribune on this a few weeks ago, did not attribute the decline in park attendance primarily to high gas prices - although the price of gas is a factor. Rather, it is an age related trend from the "stranger danger" generation entering adulthood. Out of fear of child abduction, parents kept an entire generation of kids either indoors or shuttling between supervised activities. The kids never learned how to camp or hang out outdoors. So, they don't go to the national parks. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
I had read that article in the Tribune, too, Kurt. Interesting. And the Park ranger at Arches told me that camping is way down at Arches. He told me that he would love to have us do the night viewing at the Visitor's Center to bring in the Moab residents and Moab hotel guests, but it isn't possible because they can't turn off the solar-powered lights there. The campground would be the darkest place and the place where there would be a ready audience. I agree with Kurt, that if night skies are going to be preserved, the Parks are the most natural place to do so. This summer there were stories about the Parks trying to preserve silence, keeping out the noise of civilization. I think the purpose of our astronomy in the Parks is two-fold. We love the education we bring to the visitors, as well as our chance to view dark skies. And that brings my question to all of you - IF the sky is not pristine in Arches, is it worth our effort to bring a star party there or would we rather have private parties at dark places such as Wolf Creek and leave the public outreach to SPOC and Harmons? And are we content to focus on Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef? Though Guy has a point - vividly told in Guy's own special way. What if we are responsible for Moab becoming light-pollution conscience? I am an old Hippy - I still think our generation can change the world... I doubt that Guy was ever a Hippy, but he gets it. -A
Opportunity's views of Mars are getting really interesting. I am having trouble figuring out what is shown in the latest panoramic camera view, Sol 961. -- Joe
Joe Bauman wrote:
Opportunity's views of Mars are getting really interesting. I am having trouble figuring out what is shown in the latest panoramic camera view, Sol 961. -- Joe
I looked at the panorama page for each rover (http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/panoramas/opportunity/ and http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/panoramas/spirit/) and did not see anything for Sol 961. Which one are you talking about? Patrick
Hi Patrick, It's here: http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/opportunity_p961.html BTW, are you around today? I'd like to talk with you about Elko. Thanks, Joe
Hi Joe (et al), I see what you mean. Weird. Maybe a land mine or the Martian version of "the hatch" on Lost? :) I tried to reach my MER contact at JPL but she was out of the office. I'll let you know when I hear back from her. Patrick Joe Bauman wrote:
Hi Patrick, It's here:
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/opportunity_p961.html
BTW, are you around today? I'd like to talk with you about Elko. Thanks, Joe
Looks alot like the spectrometer was pressed into the surface, I have a picture very similar to that on my Space Desktop calendar for today's date coincidentally enough. Howard --- Patrick Wiggins <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> wrote:
Hi Joe (et al),
I see what you mean. Weird. Maybe a land mine or the Martian version of "the hatch" on Lost? :)
I tried to reach my MER contact at JPL but she was out of the office. I'll let you know when I hear back from her.
Patrick
Joe Bauman wrote:
Hi Patrick, It's here:
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/opportunity_p961.html
BTW, are you around today? I'd like to talk with
you about Elko. Thanks,
Joe
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Hi Joe, I just heard back from JPL. Turns out the circular thing is a RAT hole. :) http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/spacecraft_instru_rat.html http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20051115a.html I knew they used the RAT on rocks but it never occurred to me they might use it to make holes in the regolith. Cheers! Patrick Joe Bauman wrote:
Hi Patrick, It's here:
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/opportunity_p961.html
BTW, are you around today? I'd like to talk with you about Elko. Thanks, Joe
Well, RATS! I'll be happy to get a couple of copies of the article, too. Thanks, Joe
Joe, that's obviously a smashed beer can, mostly buried in the sand, left by a careless space camper. --- Joe Bauman <bau@desnews.com> wrote:
Opportunity's views of Mars are getting really interesting. I am having trouble figuring out what is shown in the latest panoramic camera view, Sol 961. -- Joe
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And that brings my question to all of you - IF the sky is not pristine in Arches, is it worth our effort to bring a star party there or would we I wonder if we're not on the edge of over-extending. Bryce is pretty much in the club DNA by now, and I hope the same will become true of Capitol Reef. And if the scheduling can work out, it feels like we might give Great Basin another go. Is there room for more than three events without either moving into the marginal weather months or trying to do two National Parks at the same time?
I enjoy the outreach aspects of Bryce and Capitol Reef. The crowds are well-controlled, engaged and gone by 11:00. This means we get in our missionary work and get rewarded with dark, dark skies. Not so sure I'd want to put in the same effort to look at the skyglow of Moab. Are there any astronomers who live in the Moab area who could be approached to help out the NPS? MC
participants (8)
-
Ann House -
Canopus56 -
Chuck Hards -
diveboss＠xmission.com -
Howard Jackman -
Joe Bauman -
Michael Carnes -
Patrick Wiggins