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

Re: [Utah-astronomy] Pluto's official status
by Michael Carnes 15 Aug '06

15 Aug '06

>Have you all seen this? > >http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5631291&ft=1&f=1003 > So Pluto, Sedna, Xena, and Quaooriariooaahooee will now be "Asteroids that we'll still call planets so we don't tick off the schoolchildren"? ;-) It would be fun to take a straw poll at the next SLAS meeting. I think Pluto is popular among amateurs because Clyde Tombaugh was basically an amateur as well, even if an extremely dedicated one.

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Conspiratorialists will have fun with this :)
by Patrick Wiggins 15 Aug '06

15 Aug '06

NASA Loses Neil Armstrong Tape NASA has misplaced the original tape of Armstrong's first steps on the Moon. http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=2310830 Patrick

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News, 15 AUG 2006
by Patrick Wiggins 15 Aug '06

15 Aug '06

News, Tuesday, 15 AUG 2006 More New Pictures of Old SLAS Events Thanks to SLAS Webmeister Ken Warner a new page is now on the SLAS web site covering last year's Astronomy Day/Week declaration signing: http://slas.us/gallery/events/AstronomyDay2005.htm Thanks to Boyd McNeil an image showing the official opening (the ribbon cutting ceremony) has been added to the previously announced page covering last year's opening of the Harmons Observatory: http://www.trilobyte.net/paw/slas/SPOC2BUILD09.HTML +++++ SLAS New Member Booklet Updated Updates to the booklet reflect recent changes in the SLAS board and SLAS appointed positions. http://slas.us/docs\NEWMEM2006.pdf +++++ What's New With SLAS SLAS Webmeister Ken Warner has recently made a number of changes to the SLAS web site to bring it up to date. Among those are a number of additions to the "What's New With SLAS" page. http://slas.us/NEWS.HTM +++++ NASA Announces Dark Matter Discovery ' Astronomers who used NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory will host a media teleconference at 11 a.m. MDT Monday, Aug. 21, to announce how dark and normal matter have been forced apart in an extraordinarily energetic collision. http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2006/aug/HQ_M06128_dark_matter.html +++++ Pluto: Is It a Planet? An international panel has unanimously recommended that Pluto retain its title as a planet, and it may be joined by other undersized objects that revolve around the Sun. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5631291&ft=1&f=1003 http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Astronomers_Take_Up_Planet_Debate_At_Inte… +++++ NASA's Spitzer Digs Up Troves of Possible Solar Systems in Orion Astronomers have long scrutinized the vast and layered clouds of the Orion nebula, an industrious star-making factory visible to the naked eye in the sword of the famous hunter constellation. http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/releases/ssc2006-16/release.shtml +++++ NASA Seeds Student Interest Astronauts deployed two new materials experiments and three million basil seeds outside the International Space Station. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/news/releases/2006/06-058.html +++++ Space Travel Will Take Off In Five Years Commercial flights to space could be taking off from Britain within five years, the head of the space travel firm Virgin Galactic said Wednesday. http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Space_Travel_Will_Take_Off_In_Five_Years_… ++++++ Eroded Structures in Jacobi Crater: A Window on the Past This high-resolution image, taken by ESAÂ’s SMART-1 spacecraft, shows part of crater Jacobi in the southern hemisphere of the Moon. http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEM8A7BUQPE_index_0.html +++++ Volunteers Sought For Four-Month Arctic Mars Mission Simulation The Mars Society is seeking seven volunteers to participate as members of the crew of the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station during an extended simulation of human Mars exploration. http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Volunteers_Sought_For_Four_Month_Arctic_M… +++++ Planck Telescope Behaves Well In Cold Vacuum ESA's Planck space telescope was removed last week from the Large Space Simulator after a thorough two-week test in temperatures down to -178 degrees Celsius. http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMKMRY7QQE_index_0.html +++++ Digital Data Â– Here Today, Gone Tomorrow The amount of digital data being produced across various disciplines is increasing at an exponential rate, but this information may not be around for future generations... http://www.esa.int/esaEO/SEM2F5JZBQE_index_0.html +++++ Voyager Update http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/weekly-reports/index.htm +++++ STS Update http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/news/status-20060814.html +++++ ************************************************** ************************************************** Free Telescopes For SLAS Members SLAS has several scopes available for free, long term loan to current SLAS members who have belonged to SLAS for at least 30 days. http://slas.us/membership_benefits.htm +++++ Images and Data From Cassini-Huygens At:s 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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Obs Op: Comet P177/Barnard (1889 M)
by Canopus56 14 Aug '06

14 Aug '06

A 8.4 mag 10' arcmin comet currently in Her. Courtesy finder chart for SLC: http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/plan/20060815_P177Barnard.… Crinklaw's page with finder chart: http://www.skyhound.com/sh/comets.html - Canopus56 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

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Obs opps - transits notes for 40-50 deg alt band for 8/15-8/28
by Canopus56 14 Aug '06

14 Aug '06

Based on a W112 op with objects transiting beginning 4:30 UTC through 6:00 UTC for North Am. observers With the Moon now rising after 11:00 pm local time, the August dark-sky frame has begun and continues through about August 27. Since the summer orientation of the Milky Way is north to south in the local horizon system, not suprisingly there are no transiting galaxies in this note. It's the beginning of the season for the prime Milky Way galactic plane show starting with the galactic core at the south horizon, Cygnus at the zenith and the Perseus Double Cluster at the northeast end of the horizon. I) In the 40 deg - 50 deg alt transit zone for 41N latitude The start of this transit zone is 57 Aql and del Sct. 57 Aql (J195438.40-081348.0) is a bright wide (35") double in Mullaney's celestial harvest described as yellow and blue in color. 57 Aql is about 102 parsecs distant. del Sct is a prototype star the class of delta Sct type pulsating variables. At 4.71 mags, it is bright enough to use your Rainbow Optics low-dispersion spectrometer on. More info on delta Sct at: http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/deltasct.html and in Kaler's classic book, Stars and their Spectra. Three degrees below eta Aql, lies NGC6712 (Herschel 47-1, Clark534, J185302.40-084218.0), a small (3') mag. 8.7 globular located 6.7 kpc distant. This globular is unusual in that is a contradiction in characteristics. Globulars are divided into two populations: the larger group of clusters that are more metal-poor than (Fe/H) = -0.8 are distributed in a spherical halo beyond 7kpc from the galactic core. The smaller group of Clusters more metal-rich than (Fe/H) = -0.8 are distributed in a disk system around and within the Milky Way galactic disk. NGC6712 is less that 7kpc distant from the core, is near the plane of the Milky Way at galactic latitude -4.3, but its metallicity [Fe/H] at -1.01 is less than -0.8. NGC6712 lies near the metallicity border between old-halo and young disk globular populations. The contradiction in characteristics is probably just a case of fuzzy classification. Zinn's 1985 paper on the two populations of globulars: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=1985ApJ...293..424Z Less than 1/2 degree from alf Sct, is mag. 7.8 open cluster (dia. 18') NGC6664 (Herschel 12-8, J183640.80-081257.6). At 1.16 kpc distant, this open cluster appears to be positioned in the Sagittarius-Carina Arm. At that distance, its true physical size is estimated at about 6 parsecs. Positionally, it is near Lynds large dark nebulae 616 and 617, which are not optical objects for amateur class telescopes. Considering the density of molecular clouds generally in the Aquilia Rift direction, it is a wonder that any inter-arm open clusters can be seen in this direction. Between alf Sct and NGC6664 and eta Aql lies the positional center of the giant Aquila Rift, a giant molecular cloud about 0.22 kpc distant. The Rift itself spans an apparent 25.5 x 10 degrees - a function of its nearby location and size. At that close distance, it is estimated to be about 97 parsecs or 316 light-years on its semi-major axis. Compare that to the 1.2 parsec 3.9 light-year distant alf Cen. That's one big cloud. A window in the molecular clouds in the Aquila direction, the Great Scutum Star Cloud (J184321.60-065403.6) contains the mag 5.8 "Wild Duck" open cluster M11 (NGC6705, dia. 12', J185100.00-061557.6) and showcase Barnard Dark Clouds B111 (J185000.00-045700.0) and B119a (J185438.40-051012.0). The Wild Duck cluster (M11) is about 1.8 kpc distant and like the NGC6664 that you previously looked at it is part of the Sagittarius-Carina Arm. But M11 lies another 0.7 kpc beyond NGC6664 and is about 6.5 parsecs in physical diameter. M11 is about 150 million years old or about 70% of a galactic year (220M years). That's about entering middle age for an open cluster. See - http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/Clarkxref/img/OpClAgeChart… I do not have a distance for B111 or B119a. Also of interest in this area dark clouds B103, B112 and B318. To find Barnard Dark Clouds, try the Georgia Institute of Technology Online Edition of E.E. Barnard's "A Photographic Atlas of Selected Regions of the Milky Way" (1927) at: http://www.library.gatech.edu/about_us/digital/barnard/index.html Download charts, tables, text and plates for Plates 36 and 37. (The charts, text, tables and plates are available as single click, combined pdf file.) I also have a website with supplemental J2000 charts that show how to orient the Barnard plates to the night sky. http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/cat/bdcc/BDCCProjectpage.h… Aqu Region Chart: http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/cat/bdcc/Bdcc_aql7_1.gif There are many Barnard clouds in this region. The best way to visualize them is to use Barnard's original charts. 5.7 kpc in the direction of the Scutum Star cloud is the end of the 4.5 kpc Milky Way galactic bar, although this is not optically visible to amateurs. For a top-down view, look for photos of Milky Way analogue galaxy M95. http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m095_more.html Read Lopez's 2001 study on the Milky Way galactic bar: Lopez-Corredoira, M. et al. Jul. 2001. Searching for the in-plane Galactic bar and ring in DENIS. 2001A&A...373..139L http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=2001A%26A...373..13… Returning the near sky of the Local Bubble, 26 Aql is, a bright unequal binary (4.5 G8III, 11.9) with a wide separation (116" Epoch 2000). 26 Aql is a 3.5 deg R.A. sweep from lambda Aql. 26 Aql (HD181391) is part of the 6th orbit catalogue and a short period of 266.5 days. It is 47.2 parsecs distant. An orbit plot is available at the 6th Orbit catalogue website: http://ad.usno.navy.mil/wds/orb6/PNG/wds19205-0525u.png Two bright unequal colorful doubles round out this 41 North transit window: 15 Aql - listed in Mullaney's Celestial Harvest - and 23 Aql - an entry in the Belmont Society colorful doubles observing list. 15 Aql has a KIII mag 5.5 primary and a 7.2 secondary separated by 38.4" (Epoch 2000). Mullaney describes it as white and lilac. It is located about 1 deg northwest of lambda Aql. 23 Aql has a K2Iab primary at mag 5.3 and a secondary at mag 9.3, but separated at only 3.1". So 15 Aql can probably be reached by smaller apertures while 23 Aql will require a larger aperture scope. 23 Aql is located about 2/3 the distance between del Aql and lambda Aql. Bright stars 57 Aql (B), del Sct (F), 26 Aql (G) and 15 Aql (K), discussed above, provide an opportunity for a low dispersion spectrometer spectral class tour. For those of you who want to try your hand at short-period variables, eta Aql (AAVSO1947+00) is a bright (mag. 3.5) delta Cephid variable with a period of 7.1 days. The AAVSO lists the magnitude range as 3.5 to 4.3. The next maxima is 2006-8-14 at about 4:00 UTC; the next minima at 2006-8-19 at about 1:00 UTC. A light curve generator is available at the AAVSO. Plot about 40 days of data to get a feel for the light curve. Making a series of astrophotos also is a good approach considering the max-min range is 0.8 mags. http://www.aavso.org/ - Canopus56 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

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SLC obs opps: Weekend 8/12 and 8/13 and Monday 8/14
by Canopus56 12 Aug '06

12 Aug '06

SLC obs opps: Weekend 8/12 and 8/13 and Monday 8/14 It looks like a overcast weekend for Salt Lake but here's a list anyway. I) Supernova in NGC 5587 (Boo) mag 14.5 Low probability of seeing due to altitude. Supernova 2006dy, a rising Type Ia sn in galaxy NGC 5587 in Boo, has brightened to mag 14.5 and presents an astrophotography opportunity. I am hesitant to list it because at 9:30pm, NGC5587 is at about 43 deg alt from SLC in the western sky. Extinction as the target sets may prevent reaching this target. The details are: Galaxy NGC5587 Constellation: Bootes Dimension: 2.9' Magnitude: 14.00 Surface Brightness: 16.05 J2000 RA: 14h22m12.00s DE:+13Â°55'00.0" Date RA: 14h22m31.06s DE:+13Â°53'12.2" NGC5587 is about 4 degrees in R.A. west sweep from zet Boo and is about 1 deg northeast of 18 Boo. Per the Puckett Supernova Search page at: http://www.rochesterastronomy.org/supernova.html#2006dy 2006dy, IAUC 8736 discovered 2006/07/22.22 by Koichi Itagaki Found in NGC 5587 at R.A. = 14h22m11s.55, Decl. = +13Â°55'13".8 Located 10" east and 9" north of the center of NGC 5587 (Discovery image) Mag 14.5 and rising, Type Ia (References: CBET 586 587) Discovered by Koichi Itagaki (Japan). This one is a nicely placed type Ia found on the rise. We have a DSS Photometry reference image made by Odd Trondal. Icon generated from the discovery image. The following is a list of images of this SN, in chronological order. Koichi Itagaki image 2006/07/22.22 16.6 C Discovery LOSS image 2006/07/26.20 16.5 C JosÃ© Hernandez image 2006/07/26.885 16.53 C color Koichi Itagaki image 2006/07/29.45419 15.2 C Koichi Itagaki image 2006/07/30.46493 14.9 C Rodrigo Losada image 2006/07/31.896 14.8 CR JosÃ© Hernandez image 2006/07/31.907 14.84 C Lode Stevens image 2006/08/02.847 C Koichi Itagaki 2006/08/04.45384 14.5 C II) Mon 8/14/2006 at 9:56 PM 8/15/2006 3:56 UTC Galileo Project lunar astrophoto opportunity. European amateur Jim Mosher has an extensive website regarding his project to obtain photographs that replicate Galileo's first telescopic wash drawings of the Moon from the 1600s. Since all of the lunar positions to replicate the drawings cannot be reached from one point on the Earth, he has solicited help from amateurs to take photos of the Moon at specific dates and times. This event is one listed at the "Reliving Galileo" website that is accessible to North American observers: http://www.pacifier.com/~tpope/Reproducing_Observations.htm My impression from Jim's web posts is that he is happy to get any whole Moon photographs taken at the proper date and time. Super high quality whole Moon lunar imaging is not a prerequisite. III) Mercury Mercury continues brighting through 8/16. I viewed it rising over the Wasatch on Thursday morning at about 6:05am. It barely visible to the naked eye, but is easily seen in scope or binos. IV) ISS overpasses from Calsky. In addition to the obvious Perseid Meteor shower peak, this weekend begins 9 straight days of ISS overpasses. Three days will have double overpasses. Sat 8/12/2006 5:36am May have nautical twilight interference Appears 5h36m15s 1.9m az:311.2d NW Transit 5h41m01s 0.4m az: 29.3d NNE h:33.4d dist:587.3km alt:342.4km Disappears 5h45m44s 3.4m az:107.4d ESE Sun 8/13/2006 6:03am -2.1m Possible sunrise interference Appears 5h58m28s 1.7m az:305.1d NW Transit 6h03m20s -2.1m az:217.8d SW h:78.8d dist:346.1km alt:341.1km Disappears 6h08m08s 2.7m az:130.2d SE Mon 8/14/2006 4:50AM 0.4m Appears 4h48m05s 0.9m az:324.9d NW h:12.1d Transit 4h50m25s 0.4m az: 28.9d NNE h:32.0d dist:606.7km alt:342.8km Disappears 4h55m07s 3.0m az:106.4d ESE Time uncertainty of about 2.4 seconds V) Ongoing previously posted: A) AG Dra eruptive symbiotic variable is at maximum brightness. B) chi Cyg is at maximum brightness and is nearly the second brightest star in the constellation Cyg. - Canopus56 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

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Obs op: For Saturday's Sun party - massive sunspot 904
by Canopus56 12 Aug '06

12 Aug '06

A massive sunspot (100,000 km+) has developed on the Sun. See http://spaceweather.com/ for details. It was photographed yesterday by English urber-amateur astrophotographer Peter Lawerence during a flare. - Canopus56 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

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News, 12 AUG 2006
by Patrick Wiggins 12 Aug '06

12 Aug '06

News, Saturday, 12 AUG 2006 SLAS Web Site Updated SLAS President Lowell Lyon reports he has updated SLAS's on line events calendar with information on all of the year's remaining general meetings. A quick check of the site shows that lecture topics will include archaeoastronomy, astrophotography and astrobiology. http://slas.us/CALENDAR.ASP +++++ SLAS Board Nominations Due This Month According to the SLAS constitution "Members wishing to run for office shall file their candidacy with the Secretary during August but no later than the end of the August general meeting. All candidates will be announced during the August general meeting." +++++ Post Readiness Review Press Conference NASA officials will host a news conference no earlier than noon MDT, Wednesday, Aug. 16, following a two-day detailed assessment of the readiness of Space Shuttle Atlantis for launch. http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2006/aug/HQ_M06125_readiness_review.html +++++ 1000th Sungrazing Comet Discovered by SOHO Polish amateur comet hunter Arkadiusz Kubczak recently discovered his third comet in SOHO LASCO coronagraph images, but this one was special... http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMQ0AJZBQE_index_0.html +++++ Earth From Space: Raging Fires This Envisat image taken on 9 August 2006 captures some of the fires raging across north-western Spain and Portugal. http://www.esa.int/esaEO/SEMMDJY7QQE_index_0.html +++++ Opportunity Recovers from Brief Operational Anomaly While Opportunity was collecting images with the panoramic camera on the rover's 902nd Martian day a spacecraft anomaly caused the rover's fault protection software to interrupt operations... http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status_opportunityAll.html#sol900 +++++ Spirit Survives Second Winter Solstice on Mars Spirit has now survived the rover's second Martian winter solstice -- the shortest day of the year with the least amount of sunlight and solar energy. http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status_spiritAll.html#sol922 +++++ Danish Expedition Tracked by Envisat Satellite The purpose of the expedition is to carry out research on climate and weather changes, earthquakes, tsunamis and animal and plant marine life. http://www.esa.int/esaEO/SEMA29JZBQE_index_0.html +++++ Barcelona Footballers Call Space Station Crew On board the International Space Station the Expedition 13 crew were delighted to receive a phone call from some of the world's most famous football stars earlier this week. http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMJ5MY7QQE_FeatureWeek_0.html +++++ Ariane 5 launches two telecommunications satellites On 11 August 2006, an Ariane 5 ECA launcher lifted off from EuropeÂ’s Spaceport in French Guiana on its mission to place two telecommunications satellites into geostationary transfer orbits. http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMDW969PQE_index_0.html +++++ U of U Display Captures Range Creek Secrets Previously hidden treasures of Range Creek Canyon are featured in an extensive new exhibit in the Utah Museum of Natural History, opening today. http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/1%2C3949%2C%2C00.html +++++ Rosy Tan Moon Unlike most of the dull grey moons in the Solar System, Hyperion's color is a rosy tan, as this view shows. http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/image-details.cfm?imageID=2229 +++++ Science: Glaciers Important Factor in Sea Level Rise The Greenland Ice Sheet is melting at an increasing rateÂ—three times faster than in the preceding five years, according to new research published in the 11 August 2006 issue of the journal Science. http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2006/0811scipak.shtml +++++ SR-71 Blackbird Simulator Leaves NASA Dryden for New Home One of the last vestiges of the SR-71 high-speed flight project at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center was hauled away on a flatbed truck in early July. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/news/NewsReleases/2006/06-30.html +++++ BostonÂ’s Classy Telescope Auction The Skinner auction in Boston featured a stunning array of Â“brass and glass.Â” http://skytonight.com/news/3513326.html +++++ Bigelow's Bigger Ambitions In a provocative announcement, Bigelow Aerospace says that the success of its Genesis 1 inflatable orbital module has led it to make some "bold decisions"... http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/08/11/1993.aspx +++++ Jonathan's Space Report - Latest Issue http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html +++++ STS Update http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/news/status-20060811.html +++++ Cassini Update http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/sig-event-details.cfm?newsID=683 +++++ ISS Update http://spaceflight1.nasa.gov/spacenews/reports/issreports/2006/iss06-37.html +++++ ************************************************** ************************************************** Free Telescopes For SLAS Members SLAS has several scopes available for free, long term loan to current SLAS members who have belonged to SLAS for at least 30 days. http://slas.us/membership_benefits.htm +++++ Images and Data From Cassini-Huygens At:s 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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Americans Less Likely To Accept Evolution Than Europeans
by Patrick Wiggins 12 Aug '06

12 Aug '06

Surveys by a Michigan State University researcher find that about one-third of the American population does not believe in evolution, a figure which is much higher than those found in similar surveys in European nations and Japan. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060811192101.htm

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Obs opp: AG Dra symbiotic variable erupting
by Canopus56 12 Aug '06

12 Aug '06

Per AAVSO Notice 16, symbiotic eruptive variable AG Dra (J160141+664810) is brightening. http://www.aavso.org/publications/specialnotice/16.shtml The current AAVSO light curve shows AG Dra at near maximum of v8.6-8.8 http://www.aavso.org/data/lcg/ About Z And symbiotic eruptive variables http://www.aavso.org/vstar/vsots/1000.shtml AG Dra is a symbiotic Z And type binary likely containing a cool KIIIep giant and a white dwarf, similar in class to RS Oph that erupted earlier this year. AAVSO Charts at: http://www.aavso.org/news/AG_DRA.pdf http://www.aavso.org/charts/DRA/AG_DRA/AGDRA-B.GIF http://www.aavso.org/cgi-bin/searchcharts3.pl?name=AG%20Dra - Canopus56 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

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