June 2006 - Utah-Astronomy - mailman.xmission.com

RE: [Utah-astronomy] NGC 6946
by Tyler Allred 28 Jun '06

28 Jun '06

Nice image Joe! You are off and running. :) Tyler

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RE: [Utah-astronomy] New Image - NGC7050 - The Pelican Nebula in Ha
by Tyler Allred 28 Jun '06

28 Jun '06

Joe, Email the images to me and I will combine and process them for you. Or, if you have Photoshop, I can talk you through it. Let me know. Cheers, Tyler ____________________________ Joe said: <Many thanks, Tyler. I took a nice view of a galaxy and made the final print by first combining the colors, then making a final version. I'll go back and try it the other way. I can take a luminosity photo by using the "clear filter" option in my SBIG's color wheel. But I don't know how to combine it with the color data.>

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News, 28 JUN 2006
by Patrick Wiggins 28 Jun '06

28 Jun '06

News, Wednesday, 28 June 2006 ESA's Envisat Views Earth The European Space Agency today donated a composite satellite image of global land cover provided by its Envisat satellite to the United Nations in Geneva http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM2CXEFWOE_Protecting_0.html +++++ Hubble Reveals Two Dust Disks Around Nearby Star Beta Pictoris The images offer tantalizing new evidence for at least one Jupiter-size planet orbiting Beta Pictoris. http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/releases/2006/25/ +++++ NASA's Cassini Spacecraft Marks Mission Halfway Point As the Cassini spacecraft reaches the halfway mark in its four-year tour of the Saturn system, discoveries made during the first half of the mission have scientists revved up to find out what's in store for the second act. http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/press-release-details.cfm?newsID=670 +++++ NASA Issues Hubble Space Telescope Status Report NASA engineers continue to examine the issues surrounding a problem related to the Advanced Camera for Surveys aboard the Hubble Space Telescope. http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2006/jun/HQ_06252_HST_status_report.html +++++ Old US Satellite Passes Space Station Without Incident An old U.S. Air Force spy satellite named Hitch Hiker 1 passed close but harmlessly by the International Space Station... http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Old_US_Satellite_Passes_Space_Station_Wit… +++++ STS Update http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/news/status-20060627.html +++++ ************************************************** ************************************************** Images and Data From Cassini-Huygens At: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/latest/index.cfm http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/press-releases.cfm +++++ Information On The Mars Rovers At: http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html +++++ SLAS 2006 Star Party Schedule http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/LOCAL.HTML +++++ SSA / UMNH 2006 Southern Utah Public Star Party Schedule http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/STARPARTIES.HTML +++++ ************************************************** News is being sent to you because of your affiliation with the Salt Lake Astronomical Society or because you are subscribed to the Utah Astronomy Listserve. To unsubscribe please send your request to paw at wirelessbeehive dot com. Check out my NASA Solar System Ambassador web site at: http://www.umnh.utah.edu/utahsky and mirrored at http://utahastro.info/ For astronomy clubs in Utah see: http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/UTAHCLUBS.HTML For the Utah Astronomy Listserve see: http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy ************************************************** -- Patrick Wiggins NASA Solar System Ambassador to Utah & NE Nevada paw at wirelessbeehive dot com http://www.umnh.utah.edu/utahsky http://utahastro.info/ 435.882.1209 801.918.9092

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RE: [Utah-astronomy] New Image - NGC7050 - The Pelican Nebula in Ha
by Tyler Allred 27 Jun '06

27 Jun '06

Joe B. said: <Hi Tyler, Very fine photo! Hey, I have a question about stacking using SBIG software. I do three color without a luminosity exposure (I don't think I can combine that one). Anyway, do you combine the best X number of blue images, the same number of best green, and the same number of best red, then put them together as a single image? Or do you make three separate color images and then combine them?> __________________________ Thanks Joe. I always create three separate images (RGB) and then combine into a single color image. Quite often I actually work on the individual RGB images before combining, just to remove defects etc. I have been using MaxIm for all my deep sky stacking to date, but I just tried CCDStack and was very impressed with it. I may post a new version of the Pelican Nebula that was done with CCDStack just for comparison purposes. I like the CCDStack version much better than the one I posted. I'll let you know how I like the program as I have more time to run it through its paces. BTW - I spend most of my imaging time taking luminosity data and only a little on the color. It really makes a difference to concentrate on the L data because the eye is much more sensitive to luminosity than it is to color. Quite often I blur the color data substantially and rely solely on the L for detail. Cheers, Tyler

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mag 11 near-earth asteriod XP14 on 7/3/2006 Midnight to 3:00am MDT
by Canopus56 27 Jun '06

27 Jun '06

On July 3, 2006 starting at midnight through 3:00am (7/3/2006 6UTC-9UTC), mag 11 near-earth asteriod 2004 XP14 will streak through Andromeda and Cass. See the June 27, 2006 Spaceweather article for the full details and observing tips. http://spaceweather.com/ - Canopus56 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

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New Image - NGC7050 - The Pelican Nebula in Ha
by Tyler Allred 27 Jun '06

27 Jun '06

Hello everyone, I ran my camera all night last night on the Pelican Nebula in Cygnus. Here is a link to the result. http://tinyurl.com/p52wh Click the small version for a larger one. I hope you enjoy this image of a very interesting part of the sky. Cheers, Tyler

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Planets and Moon at sunset 27-29
by Canopus56 27 Jun '06

27 Jun '06

There will be three planets and the Moon within 15 degs of each other in the western sky at sunset between the 27th and 29th. See - http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/ataglance/article_110_1.asp Jovian GRS transits for the next week include: 6/29/2006 2:33am (8:33 UTC) 7/2/2006 12:03 AM (6:03 UTC) 7/4/2006 9:33PM (7/5 3:33 UTC) (may be too light, sunset is at 9:02PM, followed by an ISS overflight at 10:44pm) 7/6/2006 3:20am (9:20 UTC, may be too light, sunset is at 9:01pm, followed by an ISS overflight at 9:55pm) 7/9/2006 12:50 am (6:50 UTC) See - http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/planets/article_107_2.asp - Canopus56 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

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News, 27 JUN 2006
by Patrick Wiggins 27 Jun '06

27 Jun '06

News, Tuesday, 27 June 2006 SLAS Meeting Tonight Don't forget the SLAS meeting tonight at the Salt Lake County Government Center at 2001 S. State Street, North Building. Brent A. Sorensen from Southern Utah University will be our guest speaker. http://slas.us/displayevent.asp?EventID=810 +++++ 2006 SLAS New Member Handbook Posted Thanks to some first rate work by SLAS Board Member-At-Large Karla van Hemert the 2006 version of the SLAS New Member Handbook is finished. It's temporarily located at the following URL until it can get posted to the SLAS web site. Kudos to Karla for a job well done! http://utahastro.info/slas/NEWMEM2006.PDF +++++ Attention 2006 SPOC Graduates If you have completed level 2 training on any of the 3 SPOC telescopes this year please check the draft version of the next Nova to see if I have your name listed (and if I spelled it correctly). Please report any errors to paw(a)wirelessbeehive.com. http://utahastro.info/slas/nova/ja2006/NOVAJA2006.HTML +++++ Bruce Seeks Painter(s) Bruce Grim is wondering if it was a SLAS member who painted over the graffiti in the skate board park next to SPOC. Bruce can be contacted at bgrim(a)erda.net. +++++ Lunar Swirls Pale swirls on the surface of the Moon have been puzzling researchers for decades. Fresh clues are in the offing as NASA prepares a new round of lunar exploration. http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/26jun_lunarswirls.htm?list864576 +++++ Moons of Interest Wrinkled and cracked Enceladus hangs in the distance as the pitted ring moon Janus, at right, rounds the outer edge of the F ring. http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/image-details.cfm?imageID=2179 +++++ Lunar West Side Story - The SMART-1 Movie This video was compiled with a sequence of images taken by ESA's SMART-1 during a full lunar orbit, when the spacecraft was flying over the west 'side' of the Moon. http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMN1GL8IOE_index_0.html +++++ NASA and NSF Computers Simulate Sun's Corona For the first time, researchers have developed a computer simulation that can accurately create a model of the sun's outer atmosphere, or corona. http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2006/jun/HQ_06247_sun_corona.html +++++ Double Vortex at Venus South Pole Unveiled! ESAÂ’s Venus Express data undoubtedly confirm for the first time the presence of a huge 'double-eye' atmospheric vortex at the planet's south pole. http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMYGQEFWOE_index_0.html +++++ Top Court is Tackling Global Warming The Supreme Court plunged on Monday into the acrimonious debate over global warming and whether the government should regulate `greenhouse` gases, especially carbon dioxide from cars. http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/1%2C3949%2C%2C00.html +++++ NASA's "Weightless Wonder" Host Experiments NASA has selected six proposals to fly experiments aboard NASA's "Weightless Wonder," a C-9 aircraft that flies a series of rollercoaster-like dips and climbs to produce periods of weightlessness. http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2006/jun/HQ_06248_Weightless_Wonder_final.h… +++++ Hubble, Hubble: Toil and Trouble HST's most versatile camera is down for the count Â— but hopefully not for good. http://skyandtelescope.com/news/article_1747_1.asp +++++ Exploration Systems Progress Report NASA engineers are in the midst of a new series of tests that will aid development of the agency's future space transportation systems. http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2006/jun/HQ_06249_ESMD_Status_Report.html +++++ STS Update http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/news/status-20060626.html +++++ ISS Update http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2006/jun/HQ_SS06030_ISS_status_report.html +++++ ELV Update http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/launchingrockets/status/2006/elvstatus-… +++++ ************************************************** ************************************************** Images and Data From Cassini-Huygens At: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/latest/index.cfm http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/press-releases.cfm +++++ Information On The Mars Rovers At: http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html +++++ SLAS 2006 Star Party Schedule http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/LOCAL.HTML +++++ SSA / UMNH 2006 Southern Utah Public Star Party Schedule http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/STARPARTIES.HTML +++++ ************************************************** News is being sent to you because of your affiliation with the Salt Lake Astronomical Society or because you are subscribed to the Utah Astronomy Listserve. To unsubscribe please send your request to paw at wirelessbeehive dot com. Check out my NASA Solar System Ambassador web site at: http://www.umnh.utah.edu/utahsky and mirrored at http://utahastro.info/ For astronomy clubs in Utah see: http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/UTAHCLUBS.HTML For the Utah Astronomy Listserve see: http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy ************************************************** -- Patrick Wiggins NASA Solar System Ambassador to Utah & NE Nevada paw at wirelessbeehive dot com http://www.umnh.utah.edu/utahsky http://utahastro.info/ 435.882.1209 801.918.9092

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ISS/STS in Utah skies (maybe)
by Patrick Wiggins 26 Jun '06

26 Jun '06

While it's always possible that things will change, as it stands now and assuming the shuttle launches on time the 1st of July, we may have a few excellent chances to see the ISS and STS in our skies. The night of the launch ISS will pass high (74Â°) in Utah's skies. Two nights later (3 July) ISS will make another high altitude (71Â°) pass. Depending on how you read the sketchy details on the NASA web site the shuttle will be either close to or docked with ISS at that time. Personally I'm hoping we'll see the two close together, one chasing the other across the sky. The night of the 4th they should be docked during a low (31Â°) pass. The night of the 5th the docked duo will reach 69Â° followed the next night with a 32Â° pass. Other than a very poor (10Â°) pass on the 7th that will probably do it for Utah for the rest of the mission. Patrick

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An astronomy parapegma for Salt Lake City
by Canopus56 25 Jun '06

25 Jun '06

The following links goes to a modern form parapegma for astronomical twilight for Salt Lake City, that I threw together: http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/plan/2006ParapegmaSLCUT.ht… A parapegma is a table of rising constellations after sunset. In Greek and Roman times, persons would memorize their parapegma as common knowledge - much like we would memorize multiplication tables today. The columns labelled "Zenith Constellation", "Transiting Equator", and "Transiting Zodiac" are useful for observation planning - supplementing the more commonly used planisphere or laptop software. The transiting constellations are the constellations that will be most favorably positioned for viewing. Use this table to enter your guidebooks that are organized by constellation name. It is useful to look at the following month in the table when planning a night. Two hours after astronomical twilight, transiting constellations will be the ones listed in the following month. - Canopus56 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

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