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

What is it? (another one)
by Patrick Wiggins 08 Dec '05

08 Dec '05

Just before Ed posted his "What is it?" message I received another such query from Dan Pope at channel 4. He relayed a message from a lady in Vernal who took these pictures around 5:15 pm the evening of this past Sunday the 4th. http://www.trilobyte.net/paw/temp/WHATISIT.JPG The object was in the western sky, moving west. The pictures do not show it very well but she said the object was U shaped. She estimates she watched it for about 3 minutes before it passed over the horizon. The only thing I can come up with is a high altitude jet reflecting sunset red off its belly and the U shaped extensions being short lived contrails. Any other guesses? Patrick

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Re: Flat Field Frames
by Chuck Hards 08 Dec '05

08 Dec '05

That was my idea exactly, as outlined here on the list, and which drew no comment at all. Oh, well, one less thing to work on. I can tell you that that the profit margin is somewhere around 200%-300%, at least, for that little item. I could make one for considerably less, and probably will when I make the digital conversion. > From: Patrick Wiggins <paw(a)trilobyte.net> > A solution for those with lots of money: > > http://www.astrovid.com/prod_details.php?pid=2629 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

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Earliest sunset of the year
by Canopus56 07 Dec '05

07 Dec '05

For the next week (through Dec. 13th), the Sun will set at its earliest time throughout the year - 5:00PM MST. Between Dec. 13th and the solstice, the shortest day of the year on Dec. 21/22, sunset will occur about 30 seconds later each day, or at 5:04pm on Dec. 21/22. Total daylight still will get shorter because the sunrise occur later each morning through Jan. 8, advancing about 9 minutes through Dec. 21/22. - Canopus56(Kurt) __________________________________________ Yahoo! DSL Â Something to write home about. Just $16.99/mo. or less. dsl.yahoo.com

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Mars and Jupiter in the morning
by Canopus56 07 Dec '05

07 Dec '05

Mars (5-10deg alt) and Jupiter (+30deg alt) are up in the eastern sky at 7:00AM. Cold, but worth a quick look with some binos before shoveling the snow. - Canopus56(Kurt) __________________________________________ Yahoo! DSL Â Something to write home about. Just $16.99/mo. or less. dsl.yahoo.com

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Re: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Flat Field Frames
by astrodeb＠charter.net 07 Dec '05

07 Dec '05

I like Greg's design the best. I like the idea of a cover to keep the dust out. I just need to adapt it for a 4" scope. I'm thinking about doing this in January. The cold weather has me putting astronomy on hold for a while. Maybe I'll get out toward the end of the month if we get some warmer nights. When it gets up to 60 degrees in the daytime, the nights are more tolerable. Debbie > > From: Canopus56 <canopus56(a)yahoo.com> > Date: 2005/12/05 Mon PM 11:14:46 MST > To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> > Subject: Re: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Flat Field Frames > > --- Joe Bauman <bau(a)desnews.com> wrote: > > Thanks very much! I will be studying it but not for > > a while -- the cold weather has chilled my ardor for > > > astronomy for a few months. Best wishes, Joe > > Your'r welcome. Another net posted shook the > following example out of the web. Greg's construction > and method closer to Berry and Burnell, uses just foam > board and glue, and has cleaner construction - > > http://www.gregpyros.com/html/light_box.html > > - Canopus56 > > > > > __________________________________________ > Yahoo! DSL Something to write home about. > Just $16.99/mo. or less. > dsl.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 >

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Re: Green lasers
by Chuck Hards 07 Dec '05

07 Dec '05

Laser tip: If your laser has a "flare" or two extending out from the dot, when projected on a wall, it is probably due to a speck of dust or tiny fiber on the lens. Try blowing it out with canned air. If you use lung power, you will fog the lens and it will take a few minutes to clear- it may also contribute to eventual mold growth down in there, where it's hard to clean. The flares don't hurt anything, really, but they do take energy away from the collimated beam, reducing brightness ever so slightly. It's the same diffraction effect that secondary mirror vanes cause in some Newtonians. __________________________________________ Yahoo! DSL Â Something to write home about. Just $16.99/mo. or less. dsl.yahoo.com

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Old rock formations
by Michael Carnes 07 Dec '05

07 Dec '05

Hey Joe, That's a really nice article. I'm glad Patrick put the link in the news (I also put it here for anyone that missed it). I think I know the spot in Big Cottonwood, but I'm going to have to buy the booklet now. I thought that area was Cretaceous. But Precambrian? Way cool. Guess I'm going to have to go find an Anomolacaris. http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/1%2C1249%2C635166352%2C00.html Thanks, Michael

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Re: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Flat Field Frames
by astrodeb＠charter.net 05 Dec '05

05 Dec '05

ditto for me. I was thinking yesterday driving around town that the twilight method wouldn't be very practical even if you get focused by twilight. I'd still have to take the camera off to do the polar alignment because this is done with an eyepiece. So I'm thinking about constructing a lightbox myself. Most of the people on Images Plus yahoo group went this route. Or I could get a doberman to guard my equipment till morning. The lightbox route would be cheaper and more practical. Debbie > > From: Joe Bauman <bau(a)desnews.com> > Date: 2005/11/23 Wed AM 07:46:28 MST > To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> > Subject: Re: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Flat Field Frames > > That is a really nice explanation and I appreciate your supplying it > -- thank you. When you have a nice workable flat-field box, can you > pass along the design and instructions for use? I have little skill > in carpentry but I know a place that will manufacture things like > that. Best wishes, Joe > > > >--- Joe Bauman <bau(a)desnews.com> wrote: > >> Wow, it's much more complicated than I thought. > >> Thanks, Deb. I guess you could take flat-field > >exposures at > >> dawn after a night of observing and before taking > >down your > >> gear. Or maybe a flat-field box is a good way to go, > >sticking > >> it on the telescope during your observing session > >and > >> making an exposure, then taking the box off and > >going on > >> with your project. > > > >The white flat-field picks up grains of defocused dust > >on all the mirror surfaces. You can easily see an > >example of these by taking a white flat field against > >a white wall using your 35mm digital camera and a zoom > >lens focused to infinity. > > > >If you are using filters, which also have color > >variations and dust on them, then I understand that > >you have to make beginning session white frames for > >each session. The reason for this is that each > >combination of filters will have a slightly different > >orientation and set of dust particles on them during > >each session. Thus, I understand that you put all the > >filters you want to use into your filter holder at the > >start of the session, lock your camera in position, > >and then take a series of white flats for each filter. > > > > > >During the session, you do not rotate the camera in or > >remove your camera from the eyepiece holder. Rotation > >or removing the camera will change the rotation > >orientation of the dust particles and dye variations > >in your white flats. > > > >I understand that this situation differs for dark > >flats, which measure variations in the CCD chip. > >Those can be taken across sessions, categorized by > >temperature, and then reused across sessions. > > > >- Canopus56 > > > > > > > > > > > > > >__________________________________ > >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 >

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Earth's Violent Past
by Patrick Wiggins 05 Dec '05

05 Dec '05

Very interesting program on the Science channel right now and will repeat tonight (Monday) at 10:00 p.m. MST. Miracle Planet: The Violent Past Nice computer simulations of the Earth's and Moon's formation. Rather unsettling simulation of what may happen if a really large asteroid were to hit Earth today. Patrick

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Meteor crater pictures
by Patrick Wiggins 05 Dec '05

05 Dec '05

Back in 1973 my late first wife and I visited Meteor Crater in Arizona. This was in the days before the legal system got involved as back then the public was allowed to climb down into the crater (I'm told you can't do that anymore). I scanned a few of the slides I shot on the trip and posted them at: http://www.trilobyte.net/paw/pix/MCAPR73.HTML . This was actually my second time on the bottom. The first was in the mid 60's when my mother, siblings and I made the trek. Unfortunately I have not been able to find my shots from that trip. If I do find them I'll post them too. Patrick

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