November 2005 - Utah-Astronomy - mailman.xmission.com

Re: Moon School Party - List of potential lunar targets
by Chuck Hards 18 Nov '05

18 Nov '05

And his telescope will show every last one of them, right? Best comment I've heard all day, Kurt. ;) > From: Canopus56 <canopus56(a)yahoo.com> > I guess were're back on the GOTO vs. the book chart > thing. You'd need a Rukl's _Atlas of Moon_. Guess > there's no "Crater Plato" button on that controller > thing for your LX200 - the one with 147,000 objects. __________________________________ Yahoo! FareChase: Search multiple travel sites in one click. http://farechase.yahoo.com

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Re: Jupiter
by Chuck Hards 18 Nov '05

18 Nov '05

It's only at about 15-20 degrees altitude by 5:30-6:00 am, but the sky is brightening by then. Fortunately it's bright enough to stand a fair amount of twilight, and the sky is dead calm at that hour. Also not many particulates (that's changing fast) so extinction hasn't been a problem this week even though it's low. An estimate would have it just rising (assuming a flat horizon) around 4-ish, so if you had mountains to the east of your site, you probably missed it by minutes. It's only going to get better! > From: Canopus56 <canopus56(a)yahoo.com> > What time in the morning is it rising? I was out > till > 4am and missed it. - Canopus(Kurt) __________________________________ Start your day with Yahoo! - Make it your home page! http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs

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Jupiter
by Chuck Hards 18 Nov '05

18 Nov '05

It's nice to see Jupiter back in the morning sky post-conjuction. I'm always amazed at just how absolutely huge it is. When at oppostion, it can be nearly 50 arc-seconds in diameter. Right now, on the opposite side of the solar system from earth, it's closer to 30, but even that lower figure is large for the apparent size of a planetary disk- and Jupiter is over a half a billion miles away! Compare it to Mars, which only hovered near 20 arc-seconds during this opposition and was only about 43 million miles away- over ten times closer. Of the planets, only Venus can appear with a larger apparent diameter (64 arc-seconds), but then it's a thin crescent and nearly in conjunction- and only about 33 million miles distant! If you have a reticle eyepiece, note Jupiter's apparent diameter now, then check it again in five or six months with the same set-up, and see how much it's increased. I've been following the motion of the Galilean moons on clear mornings with my 20x80mm binos. Neat. __________________________________ Start your day with Yahoo! - Make it your home page! http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs

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Laser test photos posted
by Chuck Hards 18 Nov '05

18 Nov '05

There is a photo, and a cropped detail posted on my Gallery page: http://www.utahastronomy.com/view_album.php?page=1 Be sure to go to page 2 for the close-up detail shot. Couple of things to note: Ann's laser was not mounted on her telescope, she was aiming by hand, so I didn't see a steady beam, but intermittant flashes, sometimes minutes apart as Ann tried to home-in on my location. The photo is an approximate 30-second time exposure, and most all of the other foreground light sources were constant during that exposure, while the laser was only a brief flash- yet it compares favorably in brightness with all but the brightest foreground sources! Had the beam been continuous during the entire exposure, it would have imaged as easily the brightest object in the frame. The close-up is just a cropped section of Ann's location and the laser source itself. Also the view on-screen suffers. The original print is much sharper, with greater dynamic range than the scanned image on the monitor. I made several more exposures, but the laser was not on-target during any of the others, unfortunately. Next time I hope to have Ann's laser mounted-on and aligned with her telescope so she can aim more easily and precisely. Then I should be able to get a photo that more closely approximates the visual impression of being directly on-axis with the beam. BTW, I am making several adjustable laser-holders, so if you are interested in participating in a future laser "beam-up", let me know. The only requirement is a telescope on a mount with fine-adjustment capability, manual or electric, equatorial or alt-az. An erecting system will make aiming more intuitive (though is not required), and a cross-hair eyepiece is needed, the shorter the focal length, the better. No hand-moved scopes like Dobs or regular pan-tilt tripod mounts, please. They are just not precise enough to get the beam on-target easily. No holes need be drilled, it will mount temporarily with rubber bands or duct tape. And of course you will be supplying your own pen-style laser pointer. Standard size, approximately 6" long x 1/2" diameter. __________________________________ Yahoo! FareChase: Search multiple travel sites in one click. http://farechase.yahoo.com

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Buttars plans a bill on evolution
by Patrick Wiggins 18 Nov '05

18 Nov '05

Sigh... http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635161898,00.html Patrick

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Re: Laser test photos posted
by Chuck Hards 18 Nov '05

18 Nov '05

Try this one: http://www.utahastronomy.com/Chuck Don't know where that other URL came from, sorry! __________________________________ Yahoo! FareChase: Search multiple travel sites in one click. http://farechase.yahoo.com

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OT !!! But for all - no replies necessary Re: [Utah-astronomy] Buttars plans a bill on evolution
by Jim Stitley 18 Nov '05

18 Nov '05

Diveboss: My sister has taught in this small rual Dover school since 1975. It wasn't until this subject came up that this town of kind, loving, Christain people were thrust into this mess by mandate. The (first time ever) radical right wing School Board members led by a minister principal rapidly overshadowed the rights and wishes of the clear majority. Teachers, parents and students suffered in unimagined ways, and I KNOW this first hand. It was a terrible situtation. No scientific foundation for their position - just a mandate forced on everyone, despite the top scholars testifying for science based education, not religious, in our public schools. My wife and I are strong believers in our faith BUT we would NEVER mandate that schools take this path in tying church and state so closely together - our country's founders were SO, SO, SO VERY very clear about this!!! What are you thinking! What about our Constitution??? My forefathers came here to get away from religious persecution (one was murdered "in the name of God") so don't tell me about sniffing glue - its about religious freedom for EVERYONE, not just religious, minority right wing zealots. We don't all hold this extreme view and yet we are still very grounded in our faith - the difference is we see the difference! AND, I have a right as much as others, to my view without personal attack. I spoke of collective extremes of ultraconservative thinking but you made your reply to me on a personal level - therein lies the difference. The true majority of Americans are getting fed up with this extreme and is reflected in the President's ratings falling every month - why is that??? We MUST take back control of our great country before its too late. Our great country is at it lowest world standing in the history of its founding. Why is that? Our two historically strongest mideast allies have been Egypt and Jordan. Last week they released information saying that their support of the US has dropped to 4% and 2% respectively. Why is that? We now want a CIA POLICY to allow torture the very same day Bush says we don't. Why is that? As we have now crossed this torture line, what makes us think our own soldiers captured, especially women, will not be treated differently than they were in the past when we did abide by the Geneva Convention like the rest of the world. Why is that? These are a very few, scratching the surface issues the REAL majority of good Americans are concerned about and we resent being insulted because we believe in the higher road to the higher cause for all people! The world has never become SO UNSAFE since we became the World Bully under this administration. And, why is that? I'm not done, but I rest my case. No replies necessary!!!! Just pray for our nation's survival!!! diveboss(a)xmission.com wrote: Off list here: You ain't sniffing glue are you? You sound a little bit like that whacky Rocky Anderson. Quoting Jim Stitley : > I suggest Buttars look at the outcome in Dover, PA. My sister > teachers there in that school and said this subject has so polarized > the community. It resulted in recall of ALL the School Board members > pushing for this church sponsored 'education' mandate! I know Utah is > "different" but we can get Utah into the national media attention > each step of the way. This country was founded on separation of > church and state and now we have a governement intent on rewriting > history with their own slant, BUT(tars), this far right fraction is > NOT the majority of this great country - at best its only 30+% - they > only ones till supporting this corrupt, ideological misdirected > thinking. Wake up America and take your power back unitl we can get a > change in leadership and our great country back on track representing > the majority of the people and everyones beliefs. > Jim > > Patrick Wiggins wrote: > Sigh... > > http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635161898,00.html > > Patrick > > _______________________________________________

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Re: Re: The Parable
by Chuck Hards 18 Nov '05

18 Nov '05

Remember Shatner's Saturday Night Live "Get a Life" sketch? It's not true, at least back when I attended ST conventions. Terrific venue for wild-oat sowing. Put on a gold Command tunic, strap-on a phaser, pick up a bottle of Saurian Brandy, and some girls will be your (green Orion) slave... > From: Richard Tenney <retenney(a)yahoo.com> > Oh, do tell Chuck! I'm all (pointy) ears! :o) __________________________________ Start your day with Yahoo! - Make it your home page! http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs

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Re: Re: The Parable
by Chuck Hards 18 Nov '05

18 Nov '05

Vulcans, actually, but when you save it up for seven years... > From: diveboss(a)xmission.com > Dobermans? ;) __________________________________ Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 http://mail.yahoo.com

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Re: The Parable
by Chuck Hards 18 Nov '05

18 Nov '05

Thanks, Ed. I'll try and remember some astro-related stories. One of these days I should transfer some 8mm footage to video. I have footage of Patrick from 1975, with an orange c-8- and yes, he looks just about exactly the same! Many of the interesting stories, though, concern my preoccupation with the fairer sex, pointed ears, and Bacardi 151 at Star Trek conventions in the '70's and early '80's- and are not suitable for "family entertainment"! ;) > Enough philosophy, I would sooner hear about more of > your experiences. I thought your parable was most > enjoyable to read. > Ed __________________________________ Yahoo! FareChase: Search multiple travel sites in one click. http://farechase.yahoo.com

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