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

Great Basin National Park Astronomy Festival
by Patrick Wiggins 06 Jul '10

06 Jul '10

For some reason the following message which Kelly posted to the list earlier today bounced. While I try to figure out why it bounced I'll forward it on. Sorry for the delay. patrick From: Kelly_Carroll(a)nps.gov Date: 06 July 2010 12:32:23 MDT To: utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com Subject: Great Basin National Park Astronomy Festival Hello all! I have just joined the board and wanted to introduce myself and tell you a little about the Great Basin NP first Astronomy Festival. Our night sky program is just starting to turn a corner. We have had at least 10 astronomy nights in the park since Memorial Day and have given nearly 500 people their first glimpse through a telescope. This is a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor to help us build this program and to help preserve one of the darkest spots in the United States. The three day festival is scheduled for August 6 through August 8. We are going to have many events (day and night) planned. Each night will be capped off by observing. This year will be having a free astronomer's camp. This will be an area located close to the Lehman Caves Visitor Center where all participating astronomers can set up a tent or small trailer. The area will be secured from regular park visitors during the day and most of the night so equipment can be set up and left up. The area will be opened to park visitors for approximately 2-3 hours per night to give people (and for most their first) view of the night sky through a telescope. It would be great if you could open up for scope to allow people to gaze through. The area will have bathrooms, a paved area for equipment, picnic tables, however, there will not be electrical power available. Saturday evening will feature our keynote speaker, William Fox, as well as an astronomer's dinner provided by us. There is time in the schedule if you'd like to give a presentation (hint) or outdoor activity. You can contact me at kelly_carroll(a)nps.gov or call 775-234-7331. Our schedule will be posted at http://www.nps.gov/grba/planyourvisit/2010-astronomy-festival.htm Please let me know if you have any questions and we would love to see you here and have your support for our growing night sky program. Thanks! Best, Kelly Kelly Carroll Great Basin National Park http://www.nps.gov/grba/ Experience your America

2 1

Gravel Pit by Peoa Sunday Night
by Ann Blanchard 06 Jul '10

06 Jul '10

Sunday night Steve & Cheryl Roens, Michael Carnes and Craig and I made our first trip this year to the Gravel Pit. We had some trepidation about the building we have seen going up across from where you can set up your scopes for fear it would be lit up and destroy the viewing. It only has a light in the window at this point, but the signs now tell us that is a "Friends of Animals Rescue and Rehab Ranch." Here is a link to it http://foautah.org/index.asp and it says it will open June 26, but it didn't look open, but since it was 8:30 at night when we arrived, we didn't go knocking on the door. For now the viewing is still very nice and we enjoyed the lovely Milky Way along with hunting down summer favorites. Steve had us look for the Bug Nebula, which with his eyes and dob, he said he could see lobes, but alas, Craig and I only saw a small blob (smashed bug?). The only complaint we had was it was cold (40's) and an annoying wind kept popping up. It sometimes made Michael's new 16" scope "spin like a weathervane" to quote him. We were also visited by a large jack rabbit that stopped to eye our proceedings, then like most rabbits, he realized he was late for an important date, and lopped off down the road. We are eager to try it again next week!

1 0

NGC-6384
by Patrick Wiggins 06 Jul '10

06 Jul '10

A few more images for y'all to experiment with: http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/temp/NGC_6384.zip (about 3 MB) The file contains 3 versions of the same batch of images. I shot thirty 2 minute guided exposures of a small spiral galaxy NGC-6384 that just happened to be near the zenith. C-14 @ f/5.5, ST-10, binned 2x2, -10 degrees, clear filter. All 30 were reduced with a master dark and master flat and many hot and cold pixels were removed. I then added the 30 to make NGC_6384add.FIT. Then made a 2nd file by averaging all 30 to get NGC_6384average.FIT. And finished by median combining all 30 to get NGC_6384median.FIT. Now you get to work your image processing magic. I'll be interested to see what y'all come up with. Cheers, patrick

1 0

Re: [Utah-astronomy] Help on my XX14i Truss Shaking at Zenith
by Jay Eads 06 Jul '10

06 Jul '10

Thanks everyone. Tonight went much better. Rough collimation period at first with the secondary but I finally figured out the Bob's Knobs for this scope. They are just REALLY sensitive. At zenith there was a slight shaking if I changed EP's or if I had just rushed a focus on the focuser so that issue was resolved. I basically did it all . . . the primary was loose so I adjusted and that seems to have helped. Was leveled in good ground tonight and everything went fine. What a difference between the Pit last night and my backyard tonight! The intelliscope worked twice and that was it. Orion should send a replacement part out so I'll have that. Other then that I just did about 15 Messier tonight and tried for 3 H-400's but the LP got in the way. I'm about ready to offer money for someone to get the intelliscope up and working! On 2010-07-05 22:37, daniel turner wrote: > Jay: > > You said the problem was at one degree from vertical. I wouldn't expect much in the middle of Dobson's Hole. Look at something else and then come back in fifteen minutes and the object will be out of the very small dead zone that comes with this design. > > Also the ground support is a big source of wobble shift. You want to protect your ground board but putting it on a rug or a cloth is a bad idea. You need FIRM support at the bottom. I use three paving stones which are carefully set so that there is no rocking in any of the three. I set my ground board on this foundation. Three bricks would do just as well but a rug or tarp on soft ground will just not work. > > Don't go taking apart the mirror cell yet. I doubt that it is the problem. > > DT > > --- On Mon, 7/5/10, Jay Eads <jayleads@???> wrote: > > > From: Jay Eads <jayleads@???> > > Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Help on my XX14i Truss Shaking at Zenith > > To: "Utah-Astronomy" <utah-astronomy@???> > > Date: Monday, July 5, 2010, 1:07 PM > > Actually Chuck, you have a good > > point. Well checking the scope for balance in preparing to > > use the intelliscope I noticed it was not in balance and > > then I gave up on the intelliscope until tonight. It > > means the legs were not firmly planted. I had it on a > > rug and that may have been an issue. Would a piece of > > plywood help out? > > > > I'm also going to take it out in a little bit and drop my > > cheshire and then laser in and see what the primary does > > when it is at zenith. If it moves it will tell me the > > primary is not secure and I'll need to go back in and redo > > it. Oh the fun. Thanks though Joe, Chuck and Craig for > > helping. Another thing I need to recheck is to make sure the > > hand screws that secure the spider vanes are at the right > > tension. Anything else I should check? > > > > If the primary is loose I assume it is simply taking the > > mirror cell out of the tube and securing it a little better > > and then reassembling them. Correct? > > > > On 2010-07-05 18:36, Chuck Hards wrote: > > > The scope might have not been seated on the ground in > > a stable > > > configuration. Make sure all three contact > > points are firmly in > > > contact with solid ground. > > > > > > > > > > > > On 7/5/10, Craig Smith <cs2560@???> wrote: > > > > There was a slight breeze some of the time. > > Not to put words in Jays mouth, > > > > but initially there were a couple slightly loose > > trusses, but tightening > > > > them didn't seem to help. It seemed to get > > into a resonance that wouldn't > > > > stop. The shroud wasn't on as we didn't > > think about it until after > > > > collimating it and it wouldn't fit easily over > > the focuser. > > > > > > > > Craig > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > From: utah-astronomy-bounces@??? > > > > [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces@???] On Behalf Of > > Joe Bauman > > > > Sent: Monday, July 05, 2010 11:47 AM > > > > To: Utah Astronomy > > > > Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Help on my XX14i > > Truss Shaking at Zenith > > > > > > > > Yes, Jay, I agree. You definitely should get any > > defect fixed. Also, I'm > > > > wondering if there was a breeze. Were all the > > parts bolted together > > > > securely? Best, Joe > > > > > > > > --- On Mon, 7/5/10, Jay Eads <jayleads@???> > > wrote: > > > > > > > > From: Jay Eads <jayleads@???> > > > > Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Help on my XX14i Truss > > Shaking at Zenith > > > > To: utah-astronomy@??? > > > > Date: Monday, July 5, 2010, 8:57 AM > > > > > > > > Need some help on the XX14i I have. Took it out > > to shake it down last night > > > > and I found that the scope did terrific until I > > got it up to zenith. At > > > > zenith last night M13 looked like it was being > > viewed during an earthquake. > > > > The scope really shakes back at forth at zenith > > so that impacts the > > > > viewing. Any ideas what would cause this > > and how to correct it? > > > > > > > > I'm thinking that the mirror cell may be lose > > (but the scope performs > > > > wonderfully until you are about 1 degree from > > zenith and then it freaks out) > > > > or the springs used on the primary aren't strong > > enough to support the > > > > weight of the scope at zenith and I may need to > > order stronger springs. > > > > Sorry about this, user error I'm sure and being > > new to a truss design I > > > > thought I would ask and hopefully solve some an > > issue with some help. > > > > > > > > I still don't have the intelliscope thing down > > and I think my azimuth > > > > encoder disc which came slightly dented in the > > middle hole where it goes > > > > through the bolt is the cause. I'm going to call > > Orion and ask for a > > > > replacement. > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > Utah-Astronomy mailing list > > > > Utah-Astronomy@??? > > > > 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@??? > > > > 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@??? > > > > 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@??? > > 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 > > > > > > >

1 0

Re: [Utah-astronomy] Help on my XX14i Truss Shaking at Zenith
by Jay Eads 05 Jul '10

05 Jul '10

Actually Chuck, you have a good point. Well checking the scope for balance in preparing to use the intelliscope I noticed it was not in balance and then I gave up on the intelliscope until tonight. It means the legs were not firmly planted. I had it on a rug and that may have been an issue. Would a piece of plywood help out? I'm also going to take it out in a little bit and drop my cheshire and then laser in and see what the primary does when it is at zenith. If it moves it will tell me the primary is not secure and I'll need to go back in and redo it. Oh the fun. Thanks though Joe, Chuck and Craig for helping. Another thing I need to recheck is to make sure the hand screws that secure the spider vanes are at the right tension. Anything else I should check? If the primary is loose I assume it is simply taking the mirror cell out of the tube and securing it a little better and then reassembling them. Correct? On 2010-07-05 18:36, Chuck Hards wrote: > The scope might have not been seated on the ground in a stable > configuration. Make sure all three contact points are firmly in > contact with solid ground. > > > > On 7/5/10, Craig Smith <cs2560@???> wrote: > > There was a slight breeze some of the time. Not to put words in Jays mouth, > > but initially there were a couple slightly loose trusses, but tightening > > them didn't seem to help. It seemed to get into a resonance that wouldn't > > stop. The shroud wasn't on as we didn't think about it until after > > collimating it and it wouldn't fit easily over the focuser. > > > > Craig > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: utah-astronomy-bounces@??? > > [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces@???] On Behalf Of Joe Bauman > > Sent: Monday, July 05, 2010 11:47 AM > > To: Utah Astronomy > > Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Help on my XX14i Truss Shaking at Zenith > > > > Yes, Jay, I agree. You definitely should get any defect fixed. Also, I'm > > wondering if there was a breeze. Were all the parts bolted together > > securely? Best, Joe > > > > --- On Mon, 7/5/10, Jay Eads <jayleads@???> wrote: > > > > From: Jay Eads <jayleads@???> > > Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Help on my XX14i Truss Shaking at Zenith > > To: utah-astronomy@??? > > Date: Monday, July 5, 2010, 8:57 AM > > > > Need some help on the XX14i I have. Took it out to shake it down last night > > and I found that the scope did terrific until I got it up to zenith. At > > zenith last night M13 looked like it was being viewed during an earthquake. > > The scope really shakes back at forth at zenith so that impacts the > > viewing. Any ideas what would cause this and how to correct it? > > > > I'm thinking that the mirror cell may be lose (but the scope performs > > wonderfully until you are about 1 degree from zenith and then it freaks out) > > or the springs used on the primary aren't strong enough to support the > > weight of the scope at zenith and I may need to order stronger springs. > > Sorry about this, user error I'm sure and being new to a truss design I > > thought I would ask and hopefully solve some an issue with some help. > > > > I still don't have the intelliscope thing down and I think my azimuth > > encoder disc which came slightly dented in the middle hole where it goes > > through the bolt is the cause. I'm going to call Orion and ask for a > > replacement. > > _______________________________________________ > > Utah-Astronomy mailing list > > Utah-Astronomy@??? > > 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@??? > > 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@??? > > 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

Monte cristo
by Dunn, David 05 Jul '10

05 Jul '10

Oas will be having our July star party at the Monte Cristo campground this coming weekend. All astronomers are welcome to come up and observe with us. Dave

1 0

Re: [Utah-astronomy] Great Basin Astronomy Festival
by Debbie 05 Jul '10

05 Jul '10

I'd like to drive up to Wolf Creek. It has been too long since I was there. If the weather is good, I may stay up there and camp. I love mountains in July. Debbie On Mon Jul 5 10:18 , Jay Eads <jayleads(a)gmail.com> sent: >Chuck, > >I contacted Kelly and he said he has joined Utah-Astronomy and will >be posting information here per an email conversation I've had with >him. This is the first festival but they have had many programs in >the past. Here is a list of the items they still have for this year: > >Snake Valley Festival 7/24 - 7/25 >Great Basin Astronomy Festival 8/6-8/8 >Labor Day Weekend 9/4-9/5 > >What I provided is where many of the activities in the past have been. > >Debbie, > >If you want Kelly's information, phone etc., I have it and I'm sure he >wouldn't mind me giving it to you in email. If you respond and tell me >you want it, I'll send it to you. He's pretty good about either going >out with visitors there to observe or in at least letting you know >where to set up. Since no one has spoken up on Wolf Creek this coming >weekend, I may just end up driving out to GBNP this Sunday afternoon, >getting a campsite and the setting up for some very outstanding >observing through new moon on Tuesday. Depends on weather though. > > > >On 2010-07-05 04:53, Chuck Hards wrote: > > Debbie, use the "contact us" link to ask them directly. Never having > > attended (this is the first year of the festival, officially), I >can't > > answer your questions. > > > > http://www.nps.gov/grba/contacts.htm > > > > Just looking at a map, this has the potential for the darkest, best > > skies (weather permitting) of any national park festival, bar none. > > > > > > On 7/4/10, Debbie wrote: > > > Hi, > > > > > > Is the camping free or do we have to pay the $12 fee like >everybody else? > > > Who do we > > > contact if we are thinking of going? What is the elevation up >there? I would > > > think > > > it would be a nice place to observe with less crowds and drunks. >I bet the > > > skies > > > are really dark too. > > > > >_______________________________________________ >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

1 0

Re: [Utah-astronomy] Back to the Pit
by Jay Eads 05 Jul '10

05 Jul '10

Joe, July and August for sure, and usually early September are the best months out there. Craig covered conditions (we were together out there, along with another friend I have named George who is a imager and Craig can tell you his equipment) and then a guy named Mark showed up with his home built 16 inch dob (mirror and structure he built) and was very good. I may just stay in the backyard tonight and though I'll waste a great opportunity Tuesday and Wednesday are looking good also so I think working the bugs out here and then heading back tomorrow will be better. On 2010-07-05 17:43, Joe Bauman wrote: > Hi Jay, I would go except that Cory and I are driving to the Bryce festival tomorrow. How was the humidity last night? Thanks, Joe > > --- On Mon, 7/5/10, Jay Eads <jayleads@???> wrote: > > From: Jay Eads <jayleads@???> > Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Back to the Pit > To: "Utah-Astronomy" <utah-astronomy@???> > Date: Monday, July 5, 2010, 10:20 AM > > Probably heading back tonight if anyone is interested. End of the weekend, wanning crescent just past first quarter (was a pretty moonrise yesterday) no one should be out there so it should be really quiet and good. Clear Skies Clock says transparency is excellent, low humidity again and very good seeing. . . . > > On 2010-07-05 14:51, Jay Eads wrote: > > Except for some equipment malfunctions, it was a great night. There > > were four of us, seeing was very good and the Milky Way looked > > wonderful with its lanes and structure evident. > > > > On 2010-07-05 04:54, Chuck Hards wrote: > > > Jay, had I not had a run-in with a fine bottle of Jameson's earlier > > in > > > the day, I would probably be joining you tonight. > > > > > > Ad astra! > > > > > > > > > On 7/4/10, Jay Eads <jayleads@???> wrote: > > > > Low humidity (55% from 4:00a.m. til 6:00a.m.) and a very good Clear > > > > Sky Clock are taking me and a couple of others to the Pit n Pole > > > > tonight. If anyone would like to come, please feel free! It looks > > good > > > > for the next couple of days. > > > > > > > > Clear Skies, > > > > > > > > Jay > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > Utah-Astronomy mailing list > > > > Utah-Astronomy@??? > > > > 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 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

1 0

Help on my XX14i Truss Shaking at Zenith
by Jay Eads 05 Jul '10

05 Jul '10

Need some help on the XX14i I have. Took it out to shake it down last night and I found that the scope did terrific until I got it up to zenith. At zenith last night M13 looked like it was being viewed during an earthquake. The scope really shakes back at forth at zenith so that impacts the viewing. Any ideas what would cause this and how to correct it? I'm thinking that the mirror cell may be lose (but the scope performs wonderfully until you are about 1 degree from zenith and then it freaks out) or the springs used on the primary aren't strong enough to support the weight of the scope at zenith and I may need to order stronger springs. Sorry about this, user error I'm sure and being new to a truss design I thought I would ask and hopefully solve some an issue with some help. I still don't have the intelliscope thing down and I think my azimuth encoder disc which came slightly dented in the middle hole where it goes through the bolt is the cause. I'm going to call Orion and ask for a replacement.

4 4

Re: [Utah-astronomy] Back to the Pit
by Jay Eads 05 Jul '10

05 Jul '10

Probably heading back tonight if anyone is interested. End of the weekend, wanning crescent just past first quarter (was a pretty moonrise yesterday) no one should be out there so it should be really quiet and good. Clear Skies Clock says transparency is excellent, low humidity again and very good seeing. . . . On 2010-07-05 14:51, Jay Eads wrote: > Except for some equipment malfunctions, it was a great night. There > were four of us, seeing was very good and the Milky Way looked > wonderful with its lanes and structure evident. > > On 2010-07-05 04:54, Chuck Hards wrote: > > Jay, had I not had a run-in with a fine bottle of Jameson's earlier > in > > the day, I would probably be joining you tonight. > > > > Ad astra! > > > > > > On 7/4/10, Jay Eads <jayleads@???> wrote: > > > Low humidity (55% from 4:00a.m. til 6:00a.m.) and a very good Clear > > > Sky Clock are taking me and a couple of others to the Pit n Pole > > > tonight. If anyone would like to come, please feel free! It looks > good > > > for the next couple of days. > > > > > > Clear Skies, > > > > > > Jay > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Utah-Astronomy mailing list > > > Utah-Astronomy@??? > > > 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 > > > > > > > > >

3 2