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

ATK Aries Test Thursday August 27, 2009 1:00 PM
by Rodger C. Fry 24 Aug '09

24 Aug '09

All, I am toying with the idea of taking the trip to see the test burn and was wondering if anyone wants to care pool up and split the cost. I would probably plan on stopping for a late lunch in Brigham City on the way back. Anyone interested? Thank You, Rodger C. Fry Consulting Geologist

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] "Adventures" in astrophotograph
by Canopus56 24 Aug '09

24 Aug '09

Joe, Regrettably amphetamine hyped up mechanics at my local tire store keep on dailing up their professional-grade air impact wretches to maximum and many years ago outstripped my ability to remove lug nuts by hand. That includes using a 3tf foot breaker bar. In addition to a 4ft breaker bar, I also carry around this handy gadget - a 12V impact wrench: http://www.heartlandamerica.com/browse/item.asp?product=dc-12v-impact-wrenc… I haven't yet used the 12V impact wrench, since I also carry around a 12V mini-air compressor for topping off bicycle tires: http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1292103 Using the mini-air compressor, I've always been able to reinflate an auto tire enough to make it to a gas station - including a flat on I-15 during a return from SPOC at 3am. Much cheaper than tire rims. Glad you made it out okay. Clear skies - Kurt

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STS-128 launch tonight
by Canopus56 24 Aug '09

24 Aug '09

Reposted from the SeeSat List. Night-time launch tonight. Main NASA shuttle page at: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html sadly contains the full list of remaining shuttle launches before shuttle retirement: › STS-128 › STS-129 › STS-130 › STS-131 › STS-132 › STS-133 › STS-134 Some promising overpasses: SHUTTLE Mon Aug 31/05:47 AM 3 30 10 above NW 28 above NE SHUTTLE Tue Sep 01/04:39 AM 1 16 15 above N 15 above NNE SHUTTLE Tue Sep 01/06:12 AM 6 86 10 above NW 10 above SE SHUTTLE Wed Sep 02/05:03 AM 3 31 25 above N 11 above E SHUTTLE Thu Sep 03/05:28 AM 4 81 43 above WNW 10 above SE SHUTTLE - Kurt --------------------------------- Repost from the SeeSat List. --------------------------------- Good evening, NASA has posted the predicted TLEs for the first days of the STS-128 mission on this page : http://spaceflight1.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/SSapplications/Post/JavaSSO… As usual the TLE for the coasting arc between MECO and OMS-2 firing has to be corrected and should be something like : STS-128 MECO 1 00128U 09044A 9237.24067130 .01000000 16736-2 20000-3 0 17 2 00128 51.6403 312.9029 0133919 349.7467 68.1002 16.47936766 17 Launch is targeted at 05:36:05 UTC on Tuesday morning (Aug. 25). The observers in Europe won't be able to see the ET flying along with Discovery because of daylight. Here in North America, observers along the east coast and Maritime provinces in Canada should have a nice show. Daniel Deak --------------------------------- A CBS reporter's background handbook on the mission STS128. Very depth - 150 pages - large download: http://www.cbsnews.com/network/news/space/downloads.html Direct url: http://www.cbsnews.com/network/news/space/srh/SRH_128_small.pdf ---------------------------------

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SLAS Election
by erikhansen＠TheBlueZone.net 24 Aug '09

24 Aug '09

Who would have guessed it? we actually have choices for this years election. I wish to throw my support behind Robert Taylor for Board Member at Large, he has been a big supporter of SLAS events. Erik

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Utah-Astronomy Digest, Vol 78, Issue 9 "Human vs Machine"
by Gary Vardon 24 Aug '09

24 Aug '09

I saw videos of the plans for manned missions to Mars. NASA plans to go to the moon first and then Mars. Hardware for going to the moon will come first. Sincerely, Gary Vardon The book DO It Right will help you understand vital ideas leading to your geater success. GO to PublishAmerica. -----Original Message----- From: erikhansen(a)TheBlueZone.net Sent: Sunday, August 9, 2009 10:58 AM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Utah-Astronomy Digest, Vol 78, Issue 9 "Human vs Machine" >As far as man going to Mars, is all the hardware for such a mission off the drawing board? Is it all tested and on the production line? Also seems the ISS has a number of glitches lately along with the Shuttle (Columbia disaster) I would also think with all the discussion about government spending, can the expenditure be justified by some useful benefit of a manned mission to Mars? Other than human curiosity. I have found recent discoveries interesting but has there really been any tangible benefit of these discoveries? Will it really change anything for us on Earth? Are we willing to give something up to pay for the mission? Seems the United States currently has a lot on its plate. Perhaps now is not the time for manned missions to Mars, IE not a high priority. Robotic missions are less expensive. Right? Erik Personally, I believe that not until a radically new form of propulsion is > discovered will human travel, even to the Moon, be feasible, what with all > of the pressing demands here on Earth. On the other side, Steve Squires, > head of science for the Mars Exploration Rovers, has stated that a human > geologist in a day or two could have done all of the science that the MERs > have taken five years to accomplish. We need speed, efficiency, and a > minimum amount of fuel weight for whatever rocket we invent. Whose got the > dilithium crystals, now that we need 'em? > > > _______________________________________________ > 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.slas.us/gallery2/main.php > 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://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Astro Page
by Canopus56 22 Aug '09

22 Aug '09

> http://deepskystacker.free.fr/english/index.html I like the idea of the automatic hot cold pixel detection. That's a nice feature. - Kurt

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17.6
by Patrick Wiggins 22 Aug '09

22 Aug '09

A number of us used the scopes at SPOC last night for the "close in dark of the Moon SLAS star party" (Dave B says he hopes to make it a regular thing for those who like to observe on the dark of the Moon but not travel very far). By 1:00 a.m. the number had dwindled to just five and only the Grim remained open. Uranus, Neptune and Juno were easy (the latter only once we got current ephemerides). As were several other DSOs. However, thinking I'd see just how faint an object we could see from SPOC with the big scope we put the scope on some faint fuzzies and were surprised that some could see a magnitude 17.6 edge on spiral galaxy and a star nearly that faint. Not bad for a scope that close to SLC. patrick

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quasar 3C 273 undergoing a gamma ray flare
by Canopus56 22 Aug '09

22 Aug '09

Repost form the AAVSO list: Message: 1 Date: Fri, 21 Aug 2009 22:30:50 +0400 (MSD) From: Kirill Sokolovsky <ksokolov(a)mpifr-bonn.mpg.de> Subject: [Aavso-photometry] Request for observations: multicolor photometry of 3C 273 is needed urgently To: aavso-discussion(a)mira.aavso.org, aavso-photometry(a)aavso.org, aavso-hen(a)aavso.org Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.64.0908212216540.10950(a)tau.asc.rssi.ru> Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed Dear observers, quasar 3C 273 (12:29:06.7 +02:03:08, J2000, V~12.5-13.0 mag.) is currently undergoing a major gamma-ray flare as indicated by Fermi space telescope observations, see ATel #2168 http://www.astronomerstelegram.org/?read=2168 and Fermi gamma-ray lightcurve http://fermi.gsfc.nasa.gov/FTP/glast/data/lat/catalogs/asp/current/lightcur… Me and my colleagues are planning to conduct radio VLBI observations of this event with the VLBA and X-ray observations with the RXTE satellite. It is very desirable to have multicolor optical photometry of this object around the time of radio and X-ray observation which will take place some time next week. This observations will allow to reconstruct the Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) from radio to gamma-rays of this object during the flare. If multi-epoch observations are possible, an interesting comparison of optical and gamma-ray lightcurves could be made. Unfortunately, 3C 273 is currently situated very close to the Sun which makes it a very challenging target for observations. The object could be seen at low altitude after the sunset, observers at the southern hemisphere are in more favorable conditions then thouse in the north. Photometry in (at least any subset of) Johnson-Cousins UBVRI filters is needed starting from now to (approximately) end of next week. Please submit your observations to the AAVSO International Database or send them directly to me by e-mail: ksokolov(a)mpifr-bonn.mpg.de The finding chart and list of comparison stars may be obtained here: http://www.lsw.uni-heidelberg.de/projects/extragalactic/charts/1226+023.html or using the VSP http://www.aavso.org/observing/charts/vsp/index.html?pickname=3C%20273 Use of many comparison stars simultaneously (ensemble photometry) is recommended, if possible. Of course, everybody who will be able to contribute observations will be properly acknowledged when it comes to publication of the results. Best wishes, Kirill Sokolovsky graduate student at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (Bonn, Germany)

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Jupiter Moon occutations-eclipses next two weeks
by Canopus56 21 Aug '09

21 Aug '09

There is an ST online article listing the occulations and eclipses between Jovian moons. Several are visible from SLC over the next two weeks. http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/observingblog/53840132.html - Kurt

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Telescope and Eyepiece Help
by Troy Davidson 21 Aug '09

21 Aug '09

Hello all, I'm a relatively new person to the group. I recently (Feburary) bought an 8" dobsonian. I have a 9mm and a 32mm eyepiece. When I take my telescope out to Skull Valley (pretty dark there) and look at Messier objects that are around 8 mag, I can hardly see them. All they look like are feint smudges. I have a hard time making out crisper objects. Also, all objects are just gray. There is no color to them. When I look at planets, I do see some color. I know that I won't get color like astro images, but I would expect some hints of color in these objects. Could it be that the mirrors in my telescope need adjusting? Could I need better eyepieces? Is it just me being unrealistic? My telescope is a Zhumell, and according to their site, http://www.zhumell.com/specialty/zhumell-telescopes-dobsonian.html, I should have a useful magnification up to 479X. I assume this is with a barlow or other magnifier added. Any help would be great. Thanks. ++++++++++++++++++ Troy Davidson Am I working - http://www.istroyworking.com

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