December 2004 - Utah-Astronomy - mailman.xmission.com

Re: racetrack
by Chuck Hards 23 Dec '04

23 Dec '04

Agreed theres probably little anyone can do about it at this stage, but to just dismiss the whole thing, blindly trust the government and financial captains, and take a "not rock the boat" attitude is so typical of the population of this state. I don't live in Tooele or Stansbury, but if I moved there for the skies I'd certainly be anti-growth. Even full-cut-off lighting contributes to light pollution, albeit to a lesser extent than uplighting, that just means you get to install more lights before the same pollution level is reached. Power must be generated for even "correct" lighting and this will contribute to increased air pollution for someone somewhere. Light pollution aside, where are the water resources for more growth going to come from? I refuse to put good "spin" on a bad situation but since most of you think Im dead wrong or tilting at windmills, I'm done with it too. Merry Christmas, and God Bless Us, Everyone! __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Find what you need with new enhanced search. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250

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near miss asteroid: see Bowling Ball Drop
by James Helsby 23 Dec '04

23 Dec '04

Saw this story early this morning. Could have had a giant bowling ball experiment, without planning. http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/asteroid_close_041222.html Summary: 16-foot asteroid passes withing the 36,000 km geo-stationary satellite altitude. Wasn't seen approaching because of the sun blind spot. Cheers, James.

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Wal Mart - race track lights update
by Michael Carnes 22 Dec '04

22 Dec '04

Thanks for checking on this Patrick. Of course the proof's in the pudding, but this is very encouraging. Speaking as a relative newcomer, I'm curious about Tooele having such strong lighting ordinances. What catalyzed them into being so forward-looking? ------ Wal Mart I drove past the new Wal Mart distribution center Friday night and saw that all of the parking lot/yard lights visible from the road employed full cut off shielding....

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Wal Mart - race track lights update
by Patrick Wiggins 22 Dec '04

22 Dec '04

Wal Mart I drove past the new Wal Mart distribution center Friday night and saw that all of the parking lot/yard lights visible from the road employed full cut off shielding. There was a lot of fog at the time and it was good to see the cones of light going down and not out. Race track I just spoke with the Tooele County engineering department (they are the ones that formulated and put teeth into the Tooele County light pollution ordinance). As soon as I said I was with the observatory she said she knew what I was calling about. She said there will be no night racing and no lights at the race track. BTW, it may be helpful to note that this is the same outfit and saw to it that the existing track had shielded lights. Other Note that this follows on the heels of all new billboards in Tooele county now have lights that shine down and highway lights are cobra style with full cut off shielding. Patrick

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Re: Dark-sky site
by Chuck Hards 22 Dec '04

22 Dec '04

I've heard several times that "most members won't use a dark-sky site". I wonder; the evidence seems to the contrary. Many SLAS members go to dark sites quite frequently so I have a hard time believing that a dark site would go unused. During warm weather this list is mostly a message board for the Wedge or Wolf Creek, or other remote sites all over the state. While I personally am not currently an active observer, my recent (last few years) attendance has actually been more at the remote locations than SPOC or other suburban star-parties. What folks want in a remote site are a few conveniences and a bit of security. The issue is whether enough clubbers want to commit club money to a remote property purchase or lease, and that is easily determined by a vote. I have to admit to ignorance on this. Has the entire membership ever been polled, or has it always been informal queries at meetings of the percentage who attended that night? If a subset of members got together and formed a co-op to purchase or lease a remote site outside of SLAS, would the membership at large feel offended or ostracized at not having access-on-demand of their own dark site? Would it lead to a duplication of efforts? Good visual astronomy requires a dark site; that is indisputable, so the issue simply must be re-examined from time-to-time by any urban-based club, as time goes by, members come-and-go, interests shift. Discussion should never be considered a waste of time or a reason to roll ones eyes. Back to my cave, thanks for your time. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Meet the all-new My Yahoo! - Try it today! http://my.yahoo.com

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Re: other Erata
by Chuck Hards 22 Dec '04

22 Dec '04

Nate, good to see you post! What is planned makes the current track look puny, and is really intended for a different style/scale of racing. This thing has been concieved as two full-sized tracks that can be linked into a "super track" for grand-prix style racing. It will be lit like south State Street in Murray, along "auto row", and about the same acreage; that is, square miles. I'm guessing there will also be endurance races lasting through the night. And as Guy pointed out, endless traffic. :( > From: "Nathaniel Goodman" <ngoodman(a)lgcy.com> > We already have one facility "Rocky Mountain > Raceway" do we really need another. That Track with > it's unshielded stadium lighting is still fully lit > at two or three in the morning when I drive past it > on my way home from SPOC Events, long after the > racing is over. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Helps protect you from nasty viruses. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail

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"Meteorite trail" redux - and partial consensus
by Dale Hooper 22 Dec '04

22 Dec '04

The alleged Australian meteorite trail discussed here was also featured on the Astronomy Picture of the Day for 7 Dec 2004. There was a discussion there to attempt to come to a consensus. The discussion generated 118 pages (yes, apparently - some people really do have too much time on their hands) and a partial consensus was reached - that it "may" be a flying insect. If you are interested, you can see all the gory detail here: http://bb.nightskylive.net/asterisk/viewtopic.php?t=249 Clear skies, Dale.

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The Comet, Dark Sky Sites and other Erata.
by Nathaniel Goodman 21 Dec '04

21 Dec '04

Viewed the Comet from my Holladay ,Utah light poluted house site on the 16th, found it fairly easly with a pair of 9x63 Little Big Giant Binoculars, looked like a sort of smaller M13 or 22 no tail visible. Attempts to see it the next night 17th were Fogged out and have been ever since. I don't know why there is so much intrest in a Dark Sky Site when SLAS had a committee and it died at the end for lack of intrest and competition from the Startup of SPOC II OBSERVATORY. I'am not counting new comer astronomers to Utah who have always or may now be intrested in Dark Site, but others now coming out of the wood work and championing a Dark Site, where were y'all way back when I was on the original SLAS Dark Sky Committe with others and we had just gotton to the stage where we were investigating finding land that we could use. I would welcome a Dark Site, but it appears no one wants it as a Salt Lake Astro thing. Oh well. Now on to NASCAR Racing and the proposed Larry Miller Raceway in Toole County. We already have one facility "Rocky Mountain Raceway" do we really need another. That Track with it's unshielded stadium lighting is still fully lit at two or three in the morning when I drive past it on my way home from SPOC Events, long after the racing is over. Now I 'am pretty sure that a new track would be no different, can anyone who is a Lighting Engineer tell me if they even produce shielded lighting or LP (Low Power) lighting that would meet the needs of Race Track owners ? Hey I recieved an invation (Solicitation) in the mail the other day to purchase NASCAR tickets for events in Arizona sounds kinda Cool. Naw think I'll just watch it on ma TB. I'am sure Miller has already Jumped thru the Necessary Hoops, or greased a few palms with the local county wags, however the only way to fight it as I see it is for Locals who are Astronomers to at least bring up the issue, even if they don't have a chance. Just like it will take local Astronomers to go to the Mosquito Abatement People and find out if they ever come out and SPRAY AROUND THE POND at Stansbury, not just in the housing areas. I bet they don't. Hey! This is a topic for another discussion, just don't get me started. OK! I have rambled on and ranted enough.Nate Goodman (NATO).

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Comet Machholz obs report 20041217 8:30 UTC
by Canopus56 21 Dec '04

21 Dec '04

Richard Tenney wrote on 2004-12-19 23:08 -700 > I also detected what seemed to be a hint > of a short tail extending West NW. I also thought I saw the tail on the 12-19, but it was so tenuous I didn't want to claim an "acquire" - at least until I see it on two successive nights. - Canopus56 (Kurt) __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Meet the all-new My Yahoo! - Try it today! http://my.yahoo.com

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Comet Machholz obs report 20041217 8:30 UTC
by Canopus56 21 Dec '04

21 Dec '04

Supplemental observing report on 20041219 8:30am: I wasn't satisfied with my diameter measurement taken on 20041217, so I went back to the same site and retook a measurement at 20041219 8:30AM and after manually rechecking the apparent fields of my lenses. At 20041219 8:30am, the comet had an estimated diameter of 16.8 arcminutes at 27.5 magnification. Repeated measurements were not taken, so I'd assign an arbitrary confidence interval of +- 2.2 arcminutes (13%). This size was estimated visually as 1/7 the TFOV of a 40mm lens with a 54 deg AFOV used in an scope with an 1100mm fl, or 27.5x. This measurement comported with an asterism in a nearby stellar field. Machholz was within 1 1/2 degs of "Y" shaped asterism involving HD27113 (v8.4) and HD27217 (v8.4). The 16.8 arcminute measurement appeared portional to the 22.3 arcminute distance between HD27113 (v8.4) and HD27217 (v8.4). A 12mm graduated reticule was used to remeasure the size of the bright core of the comet at 91.6 power. The bright core seen at the magnification was measured at approx. 1.75 arcminutes. Repeated measurements were not taken, so I'd assign an arbitrary confidence interval of 0.6 arcminutes or (30%). This corresponds to one-tick mark on the linear scale of the reticule. Some updated finder charts were prepared to mag 10 for the comet's path of Taurus and the Pleaides for January 2 through January 10. All the finder charts can be found at: http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/finder/ Finder charts: Overview 70 deg finder to 1/10/2005 with Moon phase and transit notes http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/finder/CometC2004Q270degTo… (Prime viewing time starts after sunset on January 2, 2005 through January 13, 2005) 25 deg finder with Tau orientation (north of Pleaides) to 1/10/2005 http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/finder/CometC2004Q2Tau1_10… 25 deg finder with Tau orientation (near Pleaides) to 1/08/2005 http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/finder/CometC2004Q2Tau1_8_… 25 deg finder with Tau orientation (west of Haydes) to 1/5/2005 http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/finder/CometC2004Q2Tau1_2_… 25 deg finder with Eri orientation - good through 12/27/2004 Stars to mag 10 http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/finder/CometC2004Q2Eriv10t… 25 deg finder with Lep orientation - good through 12/23/2004 Stars to mag 10 http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/finder/CometC2004Q2Lepv10t… Moon blocking and Comet C/2004Q2 (Machholz) to 2/3/2005 http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/finder/CometC2004Q2Moonto2… - Canopus56 __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Read only the mail you want - Yahoo! Mail SpamGuard. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail

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