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

Re: [Utah-astronomy] Re: Caldwell catalog - and go-to vs. star-hopping
by sjseebergp＠webtv.net 17 Nov '05

17 Nov '05

Whether you're looking for Messier objects, NGC or Caldwell ones or just want to see closer and brighter things, I see advantages to each approach. I've never used a go-to system and prefer the alt-azimuth type mounting for its simplicity and convenience so thus far have used star-hopping to locate objects. Nevertheless, with a go-to arrangement, one will see far more objects than without it. We have a friend who practically swears by the go-to feature on his 8-inch SCT and tells us that with his very long days of work, it allows him to peruse the sky wonderfully during the very brief times he has time to observe. The saying, "To each his own" applies to stargazing as well as to many other of life's endeavors..... the most important thing, regardless of your approach, is to go outside and marvel at the great beauty of our incredible universe! Stan

2 1

Re: [Utah-astronomy] Re: Caldwell catalog
by Olhomorto＠aol.com 17 Nov '05

17 Nov '05

I agree with you, Chuck, about the satisfaction of using an Atlas and hunting for deep sky objects. Along with the simultaneous sensations of humility and feeling that I am part of it all when I stand under a dark Utah desert sky, learning and hunting were the biggest draw for me in astronomy. Mike Bailey

3 2

Re: [Utah-astronomy] Buttars plans a bill on evolution
by Michael Carnes 17 Nov '05

17 Nov '05

As I said to Kim privately, this is a fight that should be fought. We already had a 1000 year period where religious orthodoxy dictated the way the world was to be perceived. We now call that time the Dark Ages, with good reason. Buttars may be a cynic who sees this as his path to power. Or he may just be an ignorant fool. Doesn't matter which. Can we find some hot tar and feathers around here somewhere?

1 0

Fwd: failure notice
by Jim Stitley 17 Nov '05

17 Nov '05

Note: forwarded message attached.

1 0

Re: [Utah-astronomy] Re: Re: Caldwell catalog
by Michael Carnes 17 Nov '05

17 Nov '05

Great story Chuck. Thanks for taking the time to post it. >A parable:

1 0

Notes on NGC891, The Outer Limits Galaxy
by Canopus56 16 Nov '05

16 Nov '05

Some misc notes on Ed's picture of NGC891 (Caldwell 23), The Outer Limits Galaxy http://www.utahastronomy.com/album24/NGC891_Mew_1_6x4_150dpi Distance: 31 M l/yr Diameter: 100,000 l/yr - similar to the Milky Way Discovered: Caroline Herschel, 1784 Coordinates: RA 02h22.6m Dec +42h21m S&T Article: Block, Adam. Nov. 2004. Galaxy NGC 891 in Andromeda. S&T 108(5):136. 2004S&T...108e.136B Analogues: Milky Way; NGC4565 in Coma B (Caldwell 38) Ed's picture images a couple of the distinguishing features of this edge-on spiral: vertical chimneys aka galactic fountains. These are dark nebula "sticks" extending perpendicular to NGC's galactic disk. In Ed's picture a prominent one is seen set-off against the galactic bulge. These chimneys are thought to be the result of nova or supernova heating gas and supporting the dark nebula gas tube against galaxy's gravity. In our own Milky Way, these chimneys are identified as low velocity molecular clouds (LVMC) and/or galactic fountains. These chimney clouds continue to rise, cool and slow. Eventually, gravity becomes dominate and then the clouds fall as high-velocity molecular clouds (HVMC). When HVMC's crash back into the gas and dust of the galactic disk, they set off a burst of stellar birth - snr's and novae that create bubbles. Sol is currently transiting the 500-1000 parsec diameter Local Bubble, which is believed to probably be the result of this process (Olano 2000). Sol is also transiting the smaller 50 parsec diameter Local Chimney, a vertical tube of thin hydrogren gas, which is also believed to be the result of a nova remanent of unknown origin. Like most galaxies, we see only a visible fraction of its total extent. The rotational curve of the NGC 891 galaxy implies an enveloping disk of hydrogren gas extending out many times it's visible diameter. A radio-astronomy contour map of HI gas super-imposed on an optical black/white picture of NGC 891 can be seen in Figure 1 of this article: Swaters, R.A. 12/1997. The HI Halo of NGC 891. 1997ApJ...491..140S http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/ApJ/journal/issues/ApJ/v491n1/36835/36835.… Because NGC 891 distance is 31 M l/yr, it is foreground to and not part the more distant (200+ M /yr) Perseus-Pisces supercluster at RA 03h19m and the nearly the same declination (see Caldwell 24, NGC1275). NGC 891 is a member of group of galaxies defined by Tully (1988) as the Triangulum Spur. In popular TV culture NGC 891 was the galaxy shown in the opening credits of the original 1960s "Outer Limits" TV series. For a blast from the past, listen to "Outer Limits" intro using the link "Listen to Samples," at: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000001P19/002-9010935-681366… - Canopus56 Other sources: O'Meara, S. 2002. The Caldwell Objects. Sky Pub. pp. 96-99. __________________________________ Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 http://mail.yahoo.com

2 5

RE: Showdown Could Break Up Internet
by Robert Taylor 16 Nov '05

16 Nov '05

To clarify some of the comments that are going around regarding "Taxing the Internet" the US proposals that everyone is referring to is being driven by the State Governors who see a loss in sales tax revenue due to internet sales which are currently exempt from sales tax for out of state sales. This tax would be limited to items purchased on-line. The French proposal would any and all tax internet use, not purchases. It would be a "Use Tax" based on a sliding scales with richer countries paying more depending on the per-capita income of that country, poorer countries would be exempted from the use tax. There is a fundamental difference between the two taxes, the comparison being made is not a good one.

1 0

Re: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Re: Caldwell catalog
by astrodeb＠charter.net 16 Nov '05

16 Nov '05

Here is one of my favorite Caldwell objects, the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1097. It is a little low in the sky but definetely worth hunting down. http://astrosurf.com/antilhue/ngc_1097_in_fornax.htm Debbie > > From: diveboss(a)xmission.com > Date: 2005/11/16 Wed AM 04:02:50 MST > To: utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com > Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Re: Caldwell catalog > > Actually, with a web cam set up and a Satellite dish, me and my buds can run > the telescope and scan the sky on channel 3, watch 'Tool Time' re-run on > channel 264, and NASCAR all from the comfort of the couch in the "Gun-geon". > Now if we can just get the beer and pizza delivery folks to quick getting > hung up in the razor wire and sand bags... Ah technology! Just don't get the > remotes mixed up... What channel was M-13 on??? ;) > > > > Quoting Chuck Hards <chuckhards(a)yahoo.com>: > > > You know, soon there will be a battery-powered gadget > > that will look through the eyepiece for you and say > > "oooh, cool", so you won't even have to open your eyes > > or get off the couch! > > > > I prefer a "hard-copy" in the form of a book or atlas > > to a CRT or alpha-numeric display, and consider the > > hunt part of the fun. I suppose that's the reason I > > still buy the books instead of the CD's and gadgets! > > Instant gratification isn't a selling point for me, I > > suppose that too keeps me in the anachronism category. > > To each his own. > > > > > >> From: diveboss(a)xmission.com > > > >> Unfortunately all I have is a computer controller > >> with an on board library > >> containing some 147,000 objects and a few extra > >> buttons that say besides > >> "slew speed" and "power focus", things like NGC, > >> I.C., Messier etc. There is > >> even one that say's "Caldwell". > >> > >> I suppose as part of the paper work reduction act, > >> to cut down on paper waste, > >> there is another button that gives the objects > >> coordinates, and another button > >> that gives a full description of the object > >> including the time it rises and > >> sets, it's size, distance and magnitude. Of course, > >> the power pack could die > >> and then I would have to be forced to go here: > >> > >> http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/similar/JCaldw.html > >> ;) > > > > > > > > > > __________________________________ > > Yahoo! FareChase: Search multiple travel sites in one click. > > http://farechase.yahoo.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Utah-Astronomy mailing list > > Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com > > http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy > > Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.utahastronomy.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Utah-Astronomy mailing list > Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com > http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy > Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.utahastronomy.com >

3 2

Re: Caldwell catalog
by Chuck Hards 16 Nov '05

16 Nov '05

You know, soon there will be a battery-powered gadget that will look through the eyepiece for you and say "oooh, cool", so you won't even have to open your eyes or get off the couch! I prefer a "hard-copy" in the form of a book or atlas to a CRT or alpha-numeric display, and consider the hunt part of the fun. I suppose that's the reason I still buy the books instead of the CD's and gadgets! Instant gratification isn't a selling point for me, I suppose that too keeps me in the anachronism category. To each his own. > From: diveboss(a)xmission.com > Unfortunately all I have is a computer controller > with an on board library > containing some 147,000 objects and a few extra > buttons that say besides > "slew speed" and "power focus", things like NGC, > I.C., Messier etc. There is > even one that say's "Caldwell". > > I suppose as part of the paper work reduction act, > to cut down on paper waste, > there is another button that gives the objects > coordinates, and another button > that gives a full description of the object > including the time it rises and > sets, it's size, distance and magnitude. Of course, > the power pack could die > and then I would have to be forced to go here: > > http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/similar/JCaldw.html > ;) __________________________________ Yahoo! FareChase: Search multiple travel sites in one click. http://farechase.yahoo.com

2 1

Re: RE: Showdown Could Break Up Internet
by Chuck Hards 15 Nov '05

15 Nov '05

I tend to agree with Michael and others on certain points- There is certainly enough blame to go around for all the problems of the Internet, and even our own government has attempted to get into my pockets via this route. I'm not surgically attached to the Internet. I managed to live a full life for decades without it and could get by just fine without it in the future- in fact as the amount of time I spend maintaining my system approaches the amount of time I actually use it to get work done (the point of diminishing returns), the more I lean toward just pulling the plug. Once my daughter "leaves the nest" I'm pretty sure the Internet connection will disappear from the Hards household, unless it gets a lot more "friendly" and benign in the next few years. Most of the professional work I do on the computer can be done independent of an Internet connection, and any required downloads or uploads can be done from my office computer (where the work should stay, really)- I'll let my employer deal with the IT nightmares and legislative fallout. __________________________________ Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 http://mail.yahoo.com

1 0