October 2010 - Utah-Astronomy - mailman.xmission.com

Making Your Own Mirror
by Jay Eads 26 Oct '10

26 Oct '10

Today I took Nate over to a friend of mine named Mat who is teaching me to grind my own mirror and is going to help me make my own 12.5 truss telescope. Mat is willing to take a Saturday each month and help anyone who wants to grind and polish their own mirror and build a scope to do so, kinda of a ATM workshop day. Mat learned the trade from Jeff Baldwin who is a member of the Stockton California Astronomical Society and has made a 16" truss (his own) and many 8" mirrors. Mat recommends if interested order a William Bell Publishing Kit located at http://www.willbell.com/ATMSupplies/ATM_Supplies.htm A 6" mirror kit will cost $76.95 A 8" mirror kit will cost $145.95 A 10" mirror kit will cost $312.95 A 12.5 mirror kit will cost $579.95 The kits each come with 2 Pyrex Blanks, the grinding and polishing materials (see the link for details). IF someone is interested, two people could split the cost of a kit, each getting a blank (they each make a tool for grinding) and then order a two of the grits. So my question is, is anyone interested in joining us in grinding and polishing a mirror with the purpose of making a reflector/dobsonian telescope? If so please feel free to email me at JayLEads@g something.com or respond here. Should be a fun project over the next couple of months. -- Jay Eads

5 4

S&T index
by Patrick Wiggins 26 Oct '10

26 Oct '10

I received an email from S&T today indicating their entire index from 1941 to 2009 is available as a free download. After downloading the 2.6 MB file it opened as an Excel file. Wondering just how complete it might be and knowing that our own Chuck Hards has been in S&T I did a search for the name "Hards" and got three hits, item numbers 28823, 29537 and 30113 with details for each item. So, Chuck, is that accurate? Or have you been in more than 3 times? Find the index at: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/80282957.html patrick

4 6

mount wilson observatory
by Gary Vardon 26 Oct '10

26 Oct '10

I checked out the mount Wilson observatory site on the net. Remember it was mentioned in the last SLAS meeting? Virtual trips are way easier than physical ones. Sincerely, Gary Vardon The book DO It Right will help you understand vital ideas leading to your greater success. GO to PublishAmerica.com Consulting For Profit is also available. Learn how to make money as a consultant.

1 0

2012 eclipse
by Patrick Wiggins 25 Oct '10

25 Oct '10

I just heard back from Fred Espenak (NASA's "Mr. Eclipse"). Based on the data supplied by Kanarraville's town surveyor he confirmed that all of annularity will be visible from Kanarraville. More info on the eclipse here: http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/SE2012May20Agoogle.html So I know where I plan on being near sunset on 2012 May 20. patrick

1 0

2003 UV11
by Canopus56 25 Oct '10

25 Oct '10

>From the BAA bulletin: Subject: [BAA 00523] Close pass of bright near-Earth asteroid, 2003 From: Date: Mon, October 25, 2010 6:15 am Priority: Normal ====================================================================== BAA electronic bulletin No. 00523 http://www.britastro.org/ ====================================================================== 2003 UV11, a relatively large near-Earth asteroid measuring roughly 400-500 meters across, is currently making a close approach over the next few days. In so doing it will become one of the brightest such objects for several years attaining a V magnitude of about 11.9 on October 29 and passing closest to the Earth at a range of 5.0 lunar-distances on 2010 October 30 at 04:14 UT. Although we know the orbit of this object with high accuracy and details of this close approach have been listed in the BAA Handbook for 2010 (p.55), we do not know a great deal about its physical nature including its rotation period. The close pass therefore represents an excellent opportunity for observers to obtain images suitable for photometry. From the UK, the most favourable observing times (UT) will be the nights of Oct 26/27 (20h-03h), Oct 27/28 (20h-03h), and in particular the two nights of Thursday, Oct 28/29 (19h-02h) and Friday, Oct 29/30 (18h-0h) when it will reach magnitude 12 and be moving at 50-60 arcsec/min and 130-160 arcsec/min respectively. Visual observation through a telescope on the last night should also prove very rewarding as it will then be possible to see it moving in real-time - a rare opportunity for such a bright target! <snip> - Kurt

2 1

No Liver and Onions Report?
by sfisher01＠comcast.net 25 Oct '10

25 Oct '10

Did it happen? Why is it so quiet? Did you all survive? Are you in the hospital? Worried in West Valley!

5 5

Re: [Utah-astronomy] Equatorial Platform
by Debbie 24 Oct '10

24 Oct '10

I found this website in Sky and Telescope magazine. I wish there were reviews of this product. http://supernorthstars.tripod.com/index.html Debbie On Sat Oct 23 12:02 , Chuck Hards <chuck.hards(a)gmail.com> sent: >I've had the parts to build a couple of them for decades, but no time. > Now that the kid is grown up, I plan to get to it soon. > >On 10/22/10, Nate Jackson myfuneralcar1972(a)yahoo.com> wrote: >> There is a new guy in the club getting ready to build one for his dob. He >> got >> the plans from Bill Kennedy I believe. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> ________________________________ >> From: Jay Eads jayleads(a)gmail.com> >> To: utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com >> Sent: Fri, October 22, 2010 5:30:05 PM >> Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Equatorial Platform >> >> Just curious if anyone locally has ever build their own equatorial platform >> for a dob? I've seen some plans out on the net like this >> http://www.astrosurf.com/aheijkoop/Equipment/EqPlatfor2.htm that don't look >> too difficult to do (but knowing me I would need some advice every now and >> then). These or platforms like them, provide up to an hour of tracking and >> I'm just curious if 1. anyone has experience locally and 2. if anyone else >> is interested this winter in making one with me or in being a point of >> reference if needed? >> >> -- >> Jay Eads >> _______________________________________________ >> 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 >> > >_______________________________________________ >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

2 1

Equatorial Platform
by Jay Eads 23 Oct '10

23 Oct '10

Just curious if anyone locally has ever build their own equatorial platform for a dob? I've seen some plans out on the net like this http://www.astrosurf.com/aheijkoop/Equipment/EqPlatfor2.htm that don't look too difficult to do (but knowing me I would need some advice every now and then). These or platforms like them, provide up to an hour of tracking and I'm just curious if 1. anyone has experience locally and 2. if anyone else is interested this winter in making one with me or in being a point of reference if needed? -- Jay Eads

3 2

Patrick's EPOD 10-22
by Canopus56 23 Oct '10

23 Oct '10

The Oct. 22, 2010 EPOD is: Full Moon Over Antelope Island in Utah's Great Salt Lake by Patrick Wiggins http://epod.usra.edu/ Today's entry will remain current until midnight. Then you will have to use the scroll back previous button on the website to see the Oct. 22 entry. Clear Skies - Kurt

5 4

Liver & Onions Subcommittee meeting
by Chuck Hards 22 Oct '10

22 Oct '10

Time for another session. Anybody want to shoot for lunch on Saturday the 23rd?

11 26