March 2009 - Utah-Astronomy - mailman.xmission.com

Mars Mecury Jupiter 6:35-6:50am MST Mon Mar 2
by Canopus56 01 Mar '09

01 Mar '09

Although a weather cloudout is most likely, as you are driving to work tomorrow between about 6:35 and 6:50 (moments before civil sunrise), Mecury (mag -0.2) will be less than 1 deg away from Mars (mag 1.2) and about 7 degrees aways from mag -2.0 Jupiter at the eastern horizon. At 6:50, Mercury will be alt 5.75 degs, az 117. Mars will be 0.7 degrees in north alt from Mercury. Jupiter will be at az 120, alt 10. This wide planetary conjunction will strongly constrained by the low alitude of Mercury, the east horizon cut-off by the Wasatch Mtns, the rising Sun and weather. But it may be worth pulling over to the side of the road and whipping out some binoculars during "drive time". The Moon will be about 2.5 degs from the Pleiades at 9pm. Clear Skies (here's hopeing) - Kurt P.S. - The Moon will occult the Pleiades after midnight.

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Colorful Doubles - Mon to Cnc
by Canopus56 01 Mar '09

01 Mar '09

Jim, Glad you enjoyed it. As for running the list with respect to this lunation, it looks like by the time the weather starts to cooperate on March 3, the Moon will intrude into this area. If you cannot see anything before then, the next window would open around March 12-14 after the next full Moon on March 10. The East of Orion area (mislabeled West Orion on the original list) will still be high enough and Cnc will be near transit at 9pm. - Kurt

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ATM - Small scope lightbox
by Canopus56 01 Mar '09

01 Mar '09

Here's a small astrophotography lightbox I threw together for 4 1/4" to 6" class telescopes using a "moon" tap light, an 8"x8" UPS shipping box, two pieces of milk plastic, one 20"x32" artist whiteboard and white duct tape. The box is 8 inches on a side. http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/atm/smlightbox.jpg It was inspired by Russell Croman's 2005 design. http://www.rc-astro.com/equipment/light_box/ I have not tested the field for white light flatness with a camera, but visually it looks fine with an eyepiece at 40x. Clear Skies - Kurt

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Galileoscopes
by Rodger C. Fry 01 Mar '09

01 Mar '09

Has anyone tried to purchase a Galileoscope as part of the 2009 International Year of Astronomy? I tried to logon to www.galileoscope.org to order one for my grandson and it appears that the website has been hijacked. Just wondering if anyone else out there has the same problem that I am having or if it is something in my security software (Norton). Thank You, Rodger C. Fry Consulting Geologist

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HH 2x2
by Patrick Wiggins 01 Mar '09

01 Mar '09

Here's the latest kit (probably the last for a while). http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/temp/HH2X2.ZIP Again of the Horsehead but this time binned 2x2 (less sensitive that 3x3 but finer grain). All are 2 minute, guided exposures. 26 MB. Contains: 10-Luminance 4-Red 4-Green 6-Blue 1-Dark 1-Flat for each color and the luminance This is what I was able to make from it: http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/temp/HH2X2C.JPG More yellow stars. Grumble. Considering others were able to get whiter stars using my 3x3 data and I keep getting yellow I'm guessing I'm missing something. Tyler, a few of us were talking last evening and agreed it would be fun to have you to lunch/dinner one day so we could get some extra instruction. If that sounds like something you'd like to do please let me know when you're going to be in SLC and we'll see about putting something together. patrick the yellow

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Colorful Doubles - Mon to Cnc
by Canopus56 28 Feb '09

28 Feb '09

The following is a provisional observing list with respect to my continuing color-contrast-doubles urban-astronomy interest. Because of the deteriorating weather situation (at my local op) and the advancing first quarter moon, I've posted it before completing a review of the entire target list, so others interested in looking at a few targets can do so. For the Mon through Cnc frame, stars with color contrast (plus bet Mon) are: eps Mon (yellow-tint blue) bet Mon (double white) 15 Mon (white-tint yellow) STF1019(white-blue) Herschel 3945 (yellow-blue) STF1183 (white green-blue-shade) zet Mon (yellow-grey) The appended observing list is divided into two parts. Part I is a reviewed target list by ascending RA that begins east of Ori. Part II is the remainder of my raw target list that I have not yet personally reviewed. Finder and object info is included in the detail list. The entries start with SAO numbers because that is what I use in my GOTO hand-controller. This observing list was developed by reviewing color contrast double lists such as Mullaney, Haas and Belmont and then preparing a short list of candidate targets. The candidate list was then reviewed using a 4 1/4 inch short GOTO reflector from an urban light polluted site to determine the practicality of seeing the objects from an urban setting. This list was also expanded to include three prominent carbon stars in this observing frame. Because the portion of the night sky west from Orion is dominated by anti-spinward Orion-Cygnus Arm white OB stars, I wanted to fill-in with some more color. Clear Skies - Kurt I. FILTER OBJECTS BY ASCENDING RA - REVIEWED (WEST ORI TO MON) ID SAO113810 Constellation Mon AltNames - CommentsSec eps Mon, 8 Mon, 4.4v, 6.5v, 12.1sep, 29pa, 2004,Haas:showcase yellow-lilac,A5IV,- RA 062346 Dec +043534 CommentsMisc - Observation note Showcase pair with contrast per Haas representation. A small gap with white primary and light blue fainter secondary. Very pleasing. Fairly close gap at 40x; wide pair at 100x. Nice pair. ID SAO152427 Constellation Ori AltNames BL Ori CommentsSec 6.2v Red Carbon star, Mullaney - Single RA 062528 Dec +144319 CommentsMisc - Observation note - ID SAO95659 Constellation Mon AltNames bet Mon; 11 Mon; Herschel's Wonder Star CommentsSec 4.7v,5.2v,7.3sep,132pa,2000,Mullaney:blue-blue-blue,0.148kpc,B2 RA 062849 Dec -070158 CommentsMisc - Observation note At 40x appears as single star. At 100x, appears as an easy, split, two nearly equal white stars with a tiny, but distinct gap. A nice warmup for a start of this run with no color contrast. ID NGC2244 Constellation Mon AltNames Rosetta Neb Open Cluster CommentsSec - RA 063224 Dec +045200 CommentsMisc - Observation note Showcase cluster listed for completeness ID SAO114258 Constellation Mon AltNames 15 Mon; STF950 CommentsSec 4.6v,9.9vAa-C,16.6sep,14pa,2002,Haas:triple-lemon-white-with-silver,-,- RA 064059 Dec +095344 CommentsMisc At base of Christmas Tree Cluster FG 9.0v,10v,39.5sep,263pa,2002,-,-,- Observation note Two faint stars to the north of 15 Mon at the base of the Christmas Tree Cluster. 15 Mon is white. All three detectable at 25x. At 100x, lemon color of beta barely detectable. In 4.25 inch, thrid faint C star is barely detectable. Faint double to the east of 15 Mon and the triangular corner asterism at the east base of the Christmas Tree is STF952. Struve designations not consistent with Washington Double Star. Is a complex multiple system with two other embedded systems. That it is a complex system is its main attraction. STF951, also in cluster is a similar complex multiple star system. ID NGC2264 Constellation Mon AltNames Christmas Tree Cluster CommentsSec - RA 064106 Dec +095300 CommentsMisc - Observation note Showcase cluster listed for completeness ID SAO152363 Constellation Mon AltNames STF1019 CommentsSec 6.5v,9.6vAC,38.5sep,295pa,2004,Haas:whte-blue-triple,-,- RA 070550 Dec -103940 CommentsMisc Triple with AB 6.5v-10.1v,6.4sep Observation note Faint white primary with nice blue fainter secondary. Tertiary not visible. Nice contrast on the primary. ID SAO152427 Constellation CMa AltNames W CMa CommentsSec 6.7v, carbon star RA 070803 Dec -115522 CommentsMisc - Observation note - ID SAO173349 Constellation Cma AltNames 145 Cma, Herschel 3945 CommentsSec 4.2v, 6.8v,26.6sep,-,-,Showcase yellow-blue pair,-,- RA 0716.6 Dec -2319 CommentsMisc Winter Albireo Observation note Showcase case - exactly as the name implies. ID SAO115756 Constellation CMi AltNames alf CMi, 10 CMi CommentsSec 0.4v,11.7v,148.4sep,p17a,1984,Smyth:yellow-white-several-small-stars,-,F5IV RA 073918 Dec +051330 CommentsMisc - Observation note Mullaney and Haas do not list Procyon as double - just a pretty star field per Mullaney. As Mullaney notes, this is a pretty field-of-view that we often do not take the time to appreciate, since it is an alignment star. But the Washington Double Star catalogue shows this as a complex mulitple star system. The more refined CCDM shows Procyon as a triple. CCDM07393+0514. ID SAO135505 Constellation Mon AltNames STF1183 CommentsSec 6.2v,7.8v,30.6sep,328pa,2004,Haas:lemon-white-with-green-white,-,B9.5IV RA 080627 Dec -091442 CommentsMisc - Observation note Showcase - nice bright white green-blue tint wide gap pair. Good color contrast. ID SAO135551 Constellation Mon AltNames zet Mon; STF1190 CommentsSec 4.4v,10.1vAB,33sep,105pa,1998,Smyth:yellow-gray-blue,-;G2I RA 080836 Dec -025902 CommentsMisc Triple AC 4.4,9.7v,64.7sep,247pa,2002 Observation note Secondary too faint to give good color contrast, but is pleasant system, easy to find. II. RAW TARGT LIST - IN PROCESS OF REVIEW AND CULLING - CANCER ID SAO97645 Constellation Cnc AltNames zet1 Cnc; 16 Cnc; STF1196AB CommentsSec 5.6v,6.6v,0.98sep,52pa,2000,Mullaney:triple-yellow-yellow-yellow,-,F7V RA 081213 Dec +173852 CommentsMisc West of M44 Observation note ID SAO97646 Constellation Cnc AltNames zet2 Cnc; 16 Cnc; STF1196AB CommentsSec 5.6v,6.6v,0.98sep,52pa,2000,Mullaney:triple-yellow-yellow-yellow,-,F8V RA 081213 Dec +173852 CommentsMisc West of M44 Observation note ID SAO97881 Constellation Cnc AltNames tet Cnc; 31 Cnc CommentsSec 5.6v,10v,63sep,61pa,2000,-,0.151kpc,K5III RA 083136 Dec +180540 CommentsMisc Near M44 Observation note ID SAO98013 Constellation Cnc AltNames - CommentsSec 6.9v,11.9v1.4sep,292pa,2000,Belmont:yellow-orange-white-triple,-,Am RA 083956 Dec +193311 CommentsMisc In center of M44 Observation note ID SAO98020 Constellation Cnc AltNames - CommentsSec 6.5v,9v,20.5sep,24pa,2000,Belmont:orange-white-quad,-,F2III RA 084021 Dec +194111 CommentsMisc In center of M44 Observation note ID SAO98021 Constellation Cnc AltNames STF1245 CommentsSec 6.0v,7.2v,10sep,25pa,2004,Haas:yellow-yellow-olive,-,F8V RA 084022 Dec +194012 CommentsMisc In center of M44 Observation note ID M44 Constellation Cnc AltNames - CommentsSec - RA 084024 Dec +194000 CommentsMisc - Observation note ID SAO80416 Constellation Cnc AltNames iot Cnc; 48 Cnc; Spring Albireo; STF1536AB CommentsSec 4.2v,6.6v,30.5sep,307pa,2000,Belmont:yellow-blue,0.1kpc,G8Iab RA 084642 Dec +284536 CommentsMisc - Observation note ID SAO80425 Constellation Cnc AltNames gam Cnc; 43 Cnc; STF1967; Asellus Borealis CommentsSec 4.7v,8.1v,106.3sep,66pa,2000,-,0.050kpc,A1IV RA 084715 Dec +213235 CommentsMisc Near M44 Observation note ID SAO61125 Constellation Cnc AltNames 57 Cnc; Struve (STF)1291 CommentsSec 6.1v,6.6v,1.4sep,316pa,2000,Mullaney:yellow-yellow,0.112kpc,G7III RA 085415 Dec +303446 CommentsMisc N.e. of iot Cnc Observation note ID SAO98230 Constellation Cnc AltNames X Cnc; AAVSO0849+17 CommentsSec 6.2v,Mullaney:Stellar ruby RA 085523 Dec +171353 CommentsMisc Red carbon variable Observation note ID SAO98267 Constellation Cnc AltNames CommentsSec 4.3v,11.8v,10.6sep,321pa,Haas:gold-with-ghost,-,A5 RA 085829 Dec +115128 CommentsMisc Observation note ID SAO61177 Constellation Cnc AltNames sig01 Cnc CommentsSec 5.7v,10.2vAC,77sep,24pa,2003,Haas:triple-yellow-gray-gray,-,A8 RA 085933 Dec +322507 CommentsMisc Observation note ID SAO61202 Constellation Cnc AltNames sig04 Cnc; 66 Cnc CommentsSec 6.0v,8.6v,4.5sep,134pa,2000,Haas:peach-white-with-blue,-,A2V RA 090124 Dec +321509 CommentsMisc Observation note ID SAO80585 Constellation Cnc AltNames 67 Cnc CommentsSec 6.1v,9.2v,103.6sep,329pa,Haas:super-wide-yellow-scarlet,-,A8V RA 090149 Dec +275410 CommentsMisc Observation note ================== This post is a continuation of my posts that concerning on my current observing focus: "after-work urban-astronomy". Urban astronomy focuses on using easily set up GOTO scopes across for seasons to view astronomical objects from urban light-polluted skies. As opposed to deep sky object emphasis, urban astronomy concerns bright objects visible with small apetures e.g. - open clusters, double stars, planetary and solar system objects. Having family, friend and work obligations like the rest of you, I will try to limit referenced targets to those observable prior to local midnight.

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favorite moon venus picture
by daniel turner 28 Feb '09

28 Feb '09

This is the picture I liked best of all the ones that I've seen. DT http://gallery.gmayfield.com/scenic/crescentmoon_venus22709

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ATM: Secondary mirror screws modification
by Canopus56 28 Feb '09

28 Feb '09

Here's a small modification that I made to my secondary mirror on my Newts. Instead of hunting for Allen wrenchs to tweak the secondary mirror, I substituted bolts with indicator knobs epoxed and screwed on the heads. Works pretty good for topping off the secondary mirror adjustment with a laser collimator. - Kurt http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/photos/20090228NewtSetSrw.…

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