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

ISS overpass 20100223 13_07UT video
by Canopus56 23 Feb '10

23 Feb '10

Test of the all sky meteor cam using a -3.9 mag ISS overpass - put to youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jthSj9HsIDk Clear Skies - Kurt

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2012 annular eclipse
by Patrick Wiggins 23 Feb '10

23 Feb '10

For those planning on observing the 2012 annular eclipse that'll be passing through southern Utah, here's an interactive chart from NASA that should help find where to observe from: http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/SE2012May20Agoogle.html patrick

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Nova Eri flat line / 500k minor planets
by Patrick Wiggins 23 Feb '10

23 Feb '10

It's looking like Nova Eri has bottomed out. At least for now. http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/temp/NOVAERI2009.JPG --- The number of cataloged minor planets has passed 500,000. But still no sign of Nibiru. :) patrick

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] The search for new Earths
by Gary Vardon 22 Feb '10

22 Feb '10

The Keppler probe shows the value of high sesnsitivity instruments. Without high sensitvity the planets could not be observed. Doing a satistical stuy on the newly discovered planets should provide valuable insights on planet formation. 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.

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Sonic Boom meets Sun Dog
by Chris 21 Feb '10

21 Feb '10

Watch the shockwaves as the rocket passes through a thin cloud layer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsDEfu8s1Lw#t=01m45s

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ISS-Shuttle overpasses Sat SLC 2-20 to Mon 2-23
by Canopus56 19 Feb '10

19 Feb '10

>From the NASA HSF calculator http://spaceflight1.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/cities/view.cgi?country=Uni… I haven't confirmed target magnitudes using CalSky because of the current winter pattern. Peace - Kurt SATELLITE LOCAL DURATION MAX ELEV APPROACH DEPARTURE DATE/TIME (MIN) (DEG) (DEG-DIR) (DEG-DIR) ISS Sat Feb 20/06:25 AM 3 49 10 above NW 40 above ENE SHUTTLE Sat Feb 20/06:25 AM 3 49 10 above NW 40 above ENE ISS Sun Feb 21/06:50 AM 5 45 10 above WNW 18 above SSE SHUTTLE Sun Feb 21/06:46 AM 5 48 10 above WNW 10 above SE ISS Mon Feb 22/05:42 AM 2 53 45 above N 29 above E ISS Tue Feb 23/06:06 AM 4 41 27 above W 11 above SSE

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Bill Nye and the Planetary Society on the new NASA plan
by Patrick Wiggins 18 Feb '10

18 Feb '10

Bill Nye and the Planetary Society on the new NASA plan. Webcast tomorrow. http://www.ustream.tv/channel/the-new-nasa-plan patrick

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More on NASA budget in today's Tribune
by Patrick Wiggins 17 Feb '10

17 Feb '10

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700009768/Budget-may-scrap-Ares-I-motors… patrick

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Fw: July 11 Total Solar Eclipse, 9-1/2 min. Totality! EFLIGHT 2010 from Tahiti
by Richard Tenney 16 Feb '10

16 Feb '10

Astro-SPAM that some might be interested in... --- On Fri, 2/12/10, gschneid(a)email.arizona.edu <gschneid(a)email.arizona.edu> wrote: From: gschneid(a)email.arizona.edu <gschneid(a)email.arizona.edu> Subject: July 11 Total Solar Eclipse, 9-1/2 min. Totality! EFLIGHT 2010 from Tahiti To: rathnasree63(a)yahoo.co.uk, rayabrooks2(a)cs.com, raymo(a)bu.edu, rbrown84(a)gmail.com, rbs(a)flashspectrum.com, rconrad(a)bestweb.net, rdchim105(a)aol.com, rdp(a)star.ukc.ac.uk, reed007(a)stargate.net, reinhold(a)rechtsanwaelteimquadrat.de, renate(a)innovationsintravel.com, renka03(a)aol.com, retenney(a)yahoo.com, rfienberg(a)SkyandTelescope.com, rgraul(a)pro.onet.pl, rhminor(a)comcast.net, richard.Judd(a)btconnect.com, richard.i.monk(a)ntlworld.com, richard.p.ditteon(a)rose-hulman.edu, richard_i_monk(a)ntlworld.com, richardeadawson(a)yahoo.co.uk, rigel(a)stars.co.za, rilex_la(a)yahoo.com, ring(a)obs.ee, rinocasella(a)libero.it, rita(a)gordonspark.com, rittmanns(a)aol.com, rivastro(a)aol.com, riverbendastro(a)att.net, rjbouma(a)wxs.nl, rlongo(a)ralservices.com, rmarjan(a)freemail.org.mk, rmollise(a)aol.com Date: Friday, February 12, 2010, 6:54 PM July 11 Total Solar Eclipse, 9-1/2 min. Totality! EFLIGHT 2010 from Tahiti Dear Fellow Umbraphiles and Eclipse Chasers, I have some really amazing news to share with you regarding the 11 July 2010 total solar eclipse (a LONG time in the works). Over the past year I have worked to enable the “ultimate” eclipse flight – something we literally will never be able to surpass until/unless a new era in civil supersonic flight should arise in our lifetimes. How does: *** NINE AND A HALF MINUTES OF TOTALITY sound? Now, how does: *** NINE AND A HALF MINUTES OF TOTALITY @ 39,000 ft sound? OK, How about, *** 9-1/2 MINUTES OF TOTALITY @ 39,000 ft ABOVE ALL THE LOCAL WEATHER IN AN A319 ACJ/LR AIRCRAFT – WITH ALL SEATS ON THE SUN-FACING SIDE OF THE PLANE REMOVED FOR OPTIMAL AND UNIMPEEDED ACCESS TO ECLIPSE VIEWING WINDOWS sound? Well, that is NOT an umbraplillic daydream – we are going to DO IT! I’m going to save a lot of writing here and point you to this web page that explains it all. http://nicmosis.as.arizona.edu:8000/ECLIPSE_WEB/TSE2010/EFLIGHT2010.html Read the rest of this first (or in parallel to clicking over there), but DO go there for more details. In BRIEF summary here... - “EFLIGHT 2010” will launch from Papeette, Tahiti, French Polynesia on the morning of 11 July for an appx 7 hour round-trip flight to observe TSE 2010 from appx 2500 km East of Tahiti. - With all of the sun-side seats removed we will be able to accommodate only 41 eclipse-chasers. Nominally, twenty of the 31 sun-facing (left side) windows will be available for individual use (two windows are already “taken”). Nine other windows will be available for shared viewing use by “partners” (two people sharing a window). - With the statistically averaged mid-July winds aloft for our location on mid-eclipse intercept of the umbral shadow at 19:20 UT we expect 9m 33s of totality (and 10m is within the operational envelope of possibilities, depending upon winds aloft on eclipse day). To turn this "concept" (but now a solid flight mission) into reality, I have been working with Rick Brown, who just returned from Tahiti where he had been looking into supporting in situ logistics and arrangements for the flight. As usual, I am the “technical” guy, and not involved in reservations and bookings for the flight. That is where Rick comes in. The above web page links to his with information on how you may join in this truly historical eclipse flight. This will be a spectacular and unprecedented opportunity we will not be able to repeat. My only regret is that we were unable to arrange this sooner. With ~ 9-1/2 minutes of totality @ 39,000 ft (obviating concerns of ground-based weather) I do expect seats (and windows) will go very quickly – so have a look at the details. I hope to see many of you (up to 40 others our aircraft can carry), 12 km above the Earth, basking in the Moon’s shadow for much longer than nature ever intended! Cheers, Glenn Schneider Steward Observatory The University of Arizona Tucson, Arizona 85721 USA http://nicmosis.as.arizona.edu:8000/ECLIPSE_WEB/TSE2010/EFLIGHT2010.html

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Mars & Vesta
by Stephen Peterson 15 Feb '10

15 Feb '10

Saw Mars polar cap and Syrtis Ma. with my 85mm refractor from near Virgin with Debbie, Ron and David on the 13th. Agree it is spectacular! Don't miss 4 Vesta either, it is just ESE of the line between Algieba and 40 Leonis, close tonight to a faint star. It is a binocular target. Steve

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