We have several telescopes set up in front of the visitor center and have had maybe 150 to 200 people milling around watching the transit. No clouds and I didn't set up my scope for pics as I had intended because of the wind. Saw 1st and 2nd contacts in white light. The black drop effect was very cool and obvious even to a couple of people to whom I described it who knew nothing about the transit. I remember not being able to see the black drop in 2003 with Mercury. Maybe we just didn't have enough magnification on it. Going back outside now. Kim
Current opinion is that the black drop effect is due to inferior seeing and/or optics. On Jun 5, 2012 4:59 PM, "Kim" <kimharch@cut.net> wrote:
We have several telescopes set up in front of the visitor center and have had maybe 150 to 200 people milling around watching the transit. No clouds and I didn't set up my scope for pics as I had intended because of the wind. Saw 1st and 2nd contacts in white light. The black drop effect was very cool and obvious even to a couple of people to whom I described it who knew nothing about the transit. I remember not being able to see the black drop in 2003 with Mercury. Maybe we just didn't have enough magnification on it.
Going back outside now.
Kim
_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy
Send messages to the list to Utah-Astronomy@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".
Hadn't heard that the black drop was a problem with the optical path; I thought it was simply an illusion. After all, you can create the same effect by lightly pinching your fingers together at arms length. I was observing with a Williams Optics refractor - it belongs to someone else so I don't know the specs but I think it is an optically superior instrument. Seeing has been about what you'd expect for a warm and windy afternoon. Another effect I observed but forgot to report earlier was the arc of Venus, at about 10 minutes into the transit, or 2nd contact minus 4 or 5 minutes. Again, this was in white light. I had a long line at the scope and I didn't want to upset anyone by staying at the eyepiece for too long. Anyone else see the arc? Debbie, I understand that there have been delays posting the images that a volunteer here is taking for the NASA webcast. You may simply be seeing a slightly delayed image. Kim
Your Bryce image looks like the dot is moving toward the 3:30 position on the sun's limb. My view is moving toward the 2 o'clock position on the sun's limb. Like the Georgia image. Debbie On Tue, Jun 5, 2012 at 6:46 PM, Kim <kimharch@cut.net> wrote:
Hadn't heard that the black drop was a problem with the optical path; I thought it was simply an illusion. After all, you can create the same effect by lightly pinching your fingers together at arms length. I was observing with a Williams Optics refractor - it belongs to someone else so I don't know the specs but I think it is an optically superior instrument. Seeing has been about what you'd expect for a warm and windy afternoon.
Another effect I observed but forgot to report earlier was the arc of Venus, at about 10 minutes into the transit, or 2nd contact minus 4 or 5 minutes. Again, this was in white light. I had a long line at the scope and I didn't want to upset anyone by staying at the eyepiece for too long. Anyone else see the arc?
Debbie, I understand that there have been delays posting the images that a volunteer here is taking for the NASA webcast. You may simply be seeing a slightly delayed image.
Kim
_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy
Send messages to the list to Utah-Astronomy@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".
Just heard about the black drop. When getting the initial Astronomical Unit value Halley needed less than one percent error, the black drop cost him that accuracy so it too over 100 years to get the measurement needed for an accurate AU.
We have several telescopes set up in front of the visitor center and have
had maybe 150 to 200 people milling around watching the transit. No clouds and I didn't set up my scope for pics as I had intended because of the wind. Saw 1st and 2nd contacts in white light. The black drop effect was very cool and obvious even to a couple of people to whom I described it who knew nothing about the transit. I remember not being able to see the black drop in 2003 with Mercury. Maybe we just didn't have enough magnification on it.
Going back outside now.
Kim
_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy
Send messages to the list to Utah-Astronomy@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".
The Bryce Canyon view is lower on the solar limb than what I'm observing here in St George, UT. Funny how a slight change in latitude makes a different view. My view is higher up on the limb of the sun. Debbie On Tue, Jun 5, 2012 at 5:32 PM, <erikhansen@thebluezone.net> wrote:
Just heard about the black drop. When getting the initial Astronomical Unit value Halley needed less than one percent error, the black drop cost him that accuracy so it too over 100 years to get the measurement needed for an accurate AU.
We have several telescopes set up in front of the visitor center and have
had maybe 150 to 200 people milling around watching the transit. No clouds and I didn't set up my scope for pics as I had intended because of the wind. Saw 1st and 2nd contacts in white light. The black drop effect was very cool and obvious even to a couple of people to whom I described it who knew nothing about the transit. I remember not being able to see the black drop in 2003 with Mercury. Maybe we just didn't have enough magnification on it.
Going back outside now.
Kim
_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy
Send messages to the list to Utah-Astronomy@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@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".
I'm packing it in. One minute of total observation for a 4-1/2 hour long event. At least I can say that I saw Venus on the sun's face. 46 years in this hobby. Still bucking the weather trend from SLC. Crap weather capital of the astronomical world. On Jun 5, 2012 6:07 PM, "Debbie" <astrodeb@beyondbb.com> wrote:
The Bryce Canyon view is lower on the solar limb than what I'm observing here in St George, UT. Funny how a slight change in latitude makes a different view. My view is higher up on the limb of the sun.
Debbie
On Tue, Jun 5, 2012 at 5:32 PM, <erikhansen@thebluezone.net> wrote:
Just heard about the black drop. When getting the initial Astronomical Unit value Halley needed less than one percent error, the black drop cost him that accuracy so it too over 100 years to get the measurement needed for an accurate AU.
We have several telescopes set up in front of the visitor center and have
had maybe 150 to 200 people milling around watching the transit. No clouds and I didn't set up my scope for pics as I had intended because of the wind. Saw 1st and 2nd contacts in white light. The black drop effect was very cool and obvious even to a couple of people to whom I described it who knew nothing about the transit. I remember not being able to see the black drop in 2003 with Mercury. Maybe we just didn't have enough magnification on it.
Going back outside now.
Kim
_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy
Send messages to the list to Utah-Astronomy@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@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@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".
Who was doing the h-alpha webcast from bryce canyon. We really enjoyed the view of it while we waited for the clouds to part. Dave ----- Original Message ----- From: Kim [mailto:kimharch@cut.net] Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2012 04:57 PM To: 'Utah Astronomy' <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Transit in progress We have several telescopes set up in front of the visitor center and have had maybe 150 to 200 people milling around watching the transit. No clouds and I didn't set up my scope for pics as I had intended because of the wind. Saw 1st and 2nd contacts in white light. The black drop effect was very cool and obvious even to a couple of people to whom I described it who knew nothing about the transit. I remember not being able to see the black drop in 2003 with Mercury. Maybe we just didn't have enough magnification on it. Going back outside now. Kim _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Send messages to the list to Utah-Astronomy@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".
A young GeoCorps intern working for the interpretive division ran the scope and camera right up to sunset. She did a great job. I'll pass on your comment. Kim -----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Dunn, David Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2012 10:15 PM To: utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Transit in progress Who was doing the h-alpha webcast from bryce canyon. We really enjoyed the view of it while we waited for the clouds to part. Dave
I hope she was paid. Unpaid internships are immoral and unethical. On Jun 6, 2012 2:57 PM, "Kim" <kimharch@cut.net> wrote:
A young GeoCorps intern working for the interpretive division ran the scope and camera right up to sunset. She did a great job. I'll pass on your comment.
Kim
-----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Dunn, David Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2012 10:15 PM To: utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Transit in progress
Who was doing the h-alpha webcast from bryce canyon. We really enjoyed the view of it while we waited for the clouds to part.
Dave
_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy
Send messages to the list to Utah-Astronomy@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".
Yes, she is being paid - but not much. The GeoCorps interns get great experience, though. -----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Chuck Hards Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2012 4:05 PM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Transit in progress I hope she was paid. Unpaid internships are immoral and unethical.
Labor of love then? They did a great job! Debbie On Fri, Jun 8, 2012 at 3:46 PM, Kim <kimharch@cut.net> wrote:
Yes, she is being paid - but not much. The GeoCorps interns get great experience, though.
-----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Chuck Hards Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2012 4:05 PM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Transit in progress
I hope she was paid. Unpaid internships are immoral and unethical.
_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy
Send messages to the list to Utah-Astronomy@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".
participants (5)
-
Chuck Hards -
Debbie -
Dunn, David -
erikhansen＠thebluezone.net -
Kim