September 2008 - Utah-Astronomy - mailman.xmission.com

NOW they worry.
by diveboss＠xmission.com 10 Sep '08

10 Sep '08

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,418741,00.html

3 2

3 1/2
by Patrick Wiggins 10 Sep '08

10 Sep '08

I just received a very short message from the Minor Planet Center. It read: UOFU09 K08R77V Loose translation: Patrick's asteroid discovery # 3 1/2. A bit of a story behind this. Monday morning I was imaging an exo-planet transit (thanks Cindy and Jerry for getting me into that) when it got too low in the sky to follow. It was still a few hours before dawn so to kill some time I just pointed the scope at a random part of the sky near the south meridian and shot some pictures. Examining those images I spotted something moving that was not in my database so I checked with MPC and they had no record either. So I suspected I might have something new but also knew one can not claim discovery credit until getting two nights' data. As you might remember, Monday had clear blue skies right up until it got dark. And then it clouded over. I spent hours trying to shoot through holes to no avail. So I put out a call for help on the Minor Planet Mailing List and within hours I had an observatory in Chile and another in Hawaii looking. The next day it was still cloudy here but a guy in Kansas emailed saying he'd obtained data. So putting all of that together I sent the last of the data to MPC early this morning and at 14:51 this afternoon the message shown above arrived. Reality check: On the one hand I realize that with some 400,000 minor planets known finding one more is no big deal. But then I get to thinking that with all of the automated searches going on with all of the big telescopes, it is kind of fun that photons from a relatively bright (Mag 18-19) space rock slipped through the big guys' nets and fell into my scope. All in all not a bad start for the day. patrick :)

10 9

Re: [Utah-astronomy] 3 1/2
by zaurak＠digis.net 10 Sep '08

10 Sep '08

Why wait, lets blame him now while we are all still around. It will be too late afterward. Seriously, we have come to expect Patrick discovering these things. Congratulations anyway Patrick. Erik --- rcfry(a)comcast.net wrote: From: "Rodger C. Fry" <rcfry(a)comcast.net> To: "Utah Astronomy" <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] 3 1/2 Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:37:11 -0600 A comment to Richard Tenney. It probably doesn't give Patrick the right to mine the asteroid but if it is the one the strikes the Earth and wipes out all of mankind, we should reserve the right to blame Patrick. In all seriousness Patrick, Way to go. I am jealous. Rodger Fry ----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard Tenney" <retenney(a)yahoo.com> To: "Utah Astronomy" <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 2008 4:02 PM Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] 3 1/2 > Terrific Patrick! Does discovery give you mining rights when the time > comes to venture out there...? ;o) > > > --- On Wed, 9/10/08, Patrick Wiggins <paw(a)wirelessbeehive.com> wrote: > >> From: Patrick Wiggins <paw(a)wirelessbeehive.com> >> Subject: [Utah-astronomy] 3 1/2 >> To: "utah astronomy listserve utah astronomy" >> <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> >> Date: Wednesday, September 10, 2008, 3:55 PM >> I just received a very short message from the Minor Planet >> Center. It >> read: >> >> UOFU09 K08R77V >> >> Loose translation: Patrick's asteroid discovery # 3 >> 1/2. >> >> A bit of a story behind this. >> >> Monday morning I was imaging an exo-planet transit (thanks >> Cindy and >> Jerry for getting me into that) when it got too low in the >> sky to >> follow. It was still a few hours before dawn so to kill >> some time I >> just pointed the scope at a random part of the sky near the >> south >> meridian and shot some pictures. >> >> Examining those images I spotted something moving that was >> not in my >> database so I checked with MPC and they had no record >> either. So I >> suspected I might have something new but also knew one can >> not claim >> discovery credit until getting two nights' data. >> >> As you might remember, Monday had clear blue skies right up >> until it >> got dark. And then it clouded over. I spent hours trying >> to shoot >> through holes to no avail. So I put out a call for help on >> the Minor >> Planet Mailing List and within hours I had an observatory >> in Chile and >> another in Hawaii looking. The next day it was still >> cloudy here but >> a guy in Kansas emailed saying he'd obtained data. >> >> So putting all of that together I sent the last of the data >> to MPC >> early this morning and at 14:51 this afternoon the message >> shown above >> arrived. >> >> Reality check: On the one hand I realize that with some >> 400,000 minor >> planets known finding one more is no big deal. But then I >> get to >> thinking that with all of the automated searches going on >> with all of >> the big telescopes, it is kind of fun that photons from a >> relatively >> bright (Mag 18-19) space rock slipped through the big >> guys' nets and >> fell into my scope. >> >> All in all not a bad start for the day. >> >> patrick :) >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> 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://gallery.utahastronomy.com >> Visit the Wiki: 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://gallery.utahastronomy.com > Visit the Wiki: 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://gallery.utahastronomy.com Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com

1 0

Re: [Utah-astronomy] NOW they worry.
by zaurak＠digis.net 10 Sep '08

10 Sep '08

I guess chaos rules. --- diveboss(a)xmission.com wrote: From: diveboss(a)xmission.com To: Utah-Astronomy <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> Subject: [Utah-astronomy] NOW they worry. Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2008 09:41:49 -0600 http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,418741,00.html _______________________________________________ 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://gallery.utahastronomy.com Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com

1 0

Star party discussion at SLAS BOD
by Patrick Wiggins 10 Sep '08

10 Sep '08

With all the discussion here recently about star party locations I thought I'd mention that one of the items on the agenda of tomorrow's SLAS board meeting is going to be next year's SLAS public star party schedule. SLAS members with an interest in the subject might want to attend. Details on the SLAS website. patrick

1 0

Re: [Utah-astronomy] Natural Bridges Saturday Night
by zaurak＠digis.net 09 Sep '08

09 Sep '08

We had the road to little mountain backed up to I-80 for Haley's. Hyakutake I went to west desert and saw it in all its glory, some Astronomy Events are better without public. --- outwest112(a)yahoo.com wrote: From: daniel turner <outwest112(a)yahoo.com> To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Natural Bridges Saturday Night Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2008 17:47:21 -0700 (PDT) Little Mountain is not for setting up a large or expensive telescope. But whenever there is an eclipse or a meteor shower or comet that makes the evening news, it's the place people just naturally think of and go to. It can be rather dauntinhg when they all show up and their cars overflow the lot for a quarter mile down the road in either direction. But it's fun to mingle with a crowd of people interested in astronomy and strike up conversations with them. When it happens, it completely swamps other activities and is a force to be recond with. It's like a bikers convention of astronomy geeks. No need to schedule anything there, just keep it in mind when astronomy events just happen. DT --- On Tue, 9/9/08, zaurak(a)digis.net <zaurak(a)digis.net> wrote: > From: zaurak(a)digis.net <zaurak(a)digis.net> > Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Natural Bridges Saturday Night > To: "Utah Astronomy" <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> > Date: Tuesday, September 9, 2008, 11:54 AM > Dan > > Little Mountain is OK for a few people, but the upper > parking lot is needed to host public events. > It was well known as an astronomy site, unfortunately it > was also popular for activities frowned on by > the water shed manager. It is not surprising people still > go there. Don't the headlights from road interfere? > > Erik > > --- outwest112(a)yahoo.com wrote: > > From: daniel turner <outwest112(a)yahoo.com> > To: Utah Astronomy > <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> > Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Natural Bridges Saturday > Night > Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2008 10:32:24 -0700 (PDT) > > Erik: > > Little Mountain is still being used for hit and run > astronomy events. Even in just the lower parking lot you > will meet people during non telescope events like lunar > eclipses and meteor showers. It's great for when events > fall on a school or work night and you only have time for a > quick peek with hand held binoculars. I ran into club > members there for comet Hyakutake, a Leonid shower, and a > lunar eclipse. Strangely I didn't see any one when > comet Holmes was visable to the unaided eye. It's > always worth a try when a bright comet is in the eastern sky > just before dawn. > > DT > > > --- On Tue, 9/9/08, zaurak(a)digis.net > <zaurak(a)digis.net> wrote: > > > From: zaurak(a)digis.net <zaurak(a)digis.net> > > Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Natural Bridges Saturday > Night > > To: "Utah Astronomy" > <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> > > Date: Tuesday, September 9, 2008, 8:30 AM > > Hi All, > > > > > > Little Mountain we no longer have access to upper > parking > > area, lower parking area not big enough. The water > shed > > manager does not really > > want us up their. Non-board members sometimes got a > key to > > the gate by posing as board member. The water shed > manager > > was not happy about > > multiple keys being issued. They would change or add > locks > > without notice, this was when the site was dropped. > > > >> > > Erik > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > 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://gallery.utahastronomy.com > Visit the Wiki: 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://gallery.utahastronomy.com > Visit the Wiki: 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://gallery.utahastronomy.com Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com

1 0

Re: [Utah-astronomy] Natural Bridges Saturday Night
by zaurak＠digis.net 09 Sep '08

09 Sep '08

Dan Little Mountain is OK for a few people, but the upper parking lot is needed to host public events. It was well known as an astronomy site, unfortunately it was also popular for activities frowned on by the water shed manager. It is not surprising people still go there. Don't the headlights from road interfere? Erik --- outwest112(a)yahoo.com wrote: From: daniel turner <outwest112(a)yahoo.com> To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Natural Bridges Saturday Night Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2008 10:32:24 -0700 (PDT) Erik: Little Mountain is still being used for hit and run astronomy events. Even in just the lower parking lot you will meet people during non telescope events like lunar eclipses and meteor showers. It's great for when events fall on a school or work night and you only have time for a quick peek with hand held binoculars. I ran into club members there for comet Hyakutake, a Leonid shower, and a lunar eclipse. Strangely I didn't see any one when comet Holmes was visable to the unaided eye. It's always worth a try when a bright comet is in the eastern sky just before dawn. DT --- On Tue, 9/9/08, zaurak(a)digis.net <zaurak(a)digis.net> wrote: > From: zaurak(a)digis.net <zaurak(a)digis.net> > Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Natural Bridges Saturday Night > To: "Utah Astronomy" <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> > Date: Tuesday, September 9, 2008, 8:30 AM > Hi All, > > > Little Mountain we no longer have access to upper parking > area, lower parking area not big enough. The water shed > manager does not really > want us up their. Non-board members sometimes got a key to > the gate by posing as board member. The water shed manager > was not happy about > multiple keys being issued. They would change or add locks > without notice, this was when the site was dropped. > >> > Erik > _______________________________________________ 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://gallery.utahastronomy.com Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com

2 1

Wherever life gets you down, Mrs. Brown...
by Patrick Wiggins 09 Sep '08

09 Sep '08

For the Monty Python/Astro fans on the list: http://dingo.care-mail.com/cards/flash/5409/galaxy.swf

1 0

Re: [Utah-astronomy] Freedom 7 Project Mercury Savings Bond Ephemera
by Beverley B Getzen 09 Sep '08

09 Sep '08

Oh, that would be very nice. My cousin, Jim Tillman, is still involed in many activities and it will give him a nice boost, I'm sure. Thanks! Did you mean attachment to e-mail or snail mail? In case it's snailmail (I can pay postage) it's PO Box 202, Wadesboro, NC 28170-0202 Thanks, Beverley Getzen Beverley Getzen Retired, US Army Corps of Engineers PO Box 202 213 Brent St. Wadesboro, NC 28170-0202 (704) 694-7022 "There are times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time we fail to protest." Elie Weisel

1 0

Freedom 7 Project Mercury Savings Bond Ephemera
by Ann Blanchard 09 Sep '08

09 Sep '08

I was cleaning out old books at home in one is a little pamphlet that says is a souvenir of the 1962 national tour of the freedom bond drive. The front is a picture of the project mercury manned spacecraft, inside is more about bonds and about the McDonnell's Project Mercury. A third leaf has black and white head shots of 7 astronauts and a short bio on each one (Shepard, Grissom, Glenn, Carpenter, Slayton, Cooper, and Schirra). It has survived this long, so I'd like to pass it on to anyone who collects this kind of thing and would enjoy it (gift, not sell). Anyone interested? Ann M. Blanchard Executive Assistant to the Associate VP Undergraduate Studies 110 Sill University of Utah (801) 581-3188 a.blanchard(a)ugs.utah.edu

4 9