January 2011 - Utah-Astronomy - mailman.xmission.com

sundogs
by Michael Vanopstall 11 Jan '11

11 Jan '11

Around 4:30-5:00 today there were very bright sundogs (one bright like a second sun, the other less so). This cell phone photo I took doesn't really do them justice: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=7742622&l=efdd86945f&id=559557811 Anyone get a better shot? ---- Rev. Michael A. van Opstall Department of Mathematics, University of Utah Office: JWB 313 opstall(a)math.utah.edu

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Animated gifs for Ptolemaic and Copernican models
by Canopus56 06 Jan '11

06 Jan '11

Recently, I prepared a short slide presentation for a trig class that I was taking on how equations for the apparent orbits of superior planets in the Ptolemaic system can be resolved with the apparent position of the planets in the Copernican system. I have expanded that slide presentation out to a 42 slide version for use in an astronomy club setting. Although the slide presentation may be of less use to other amateurs because it is heavy on using parametric equations to illustrate how Ptolemaic orbits were plotted using prolate epitrochoids. But I also prepared a series of animated gifs to illustrate the difference of the motion of the planets in each system. Those animations may be of use to other amateurs in preparing their own presentations. Presentation directory http://fisherka.csolutionshosting.net/astronote/astromath/Ptolemy/ Gif Animation: General Prolate Epitrochoid Compared to Ptolemaic Jupiter "orbit" or apparent position as seen from Earth http://fisherka.csolutionshosting.net/astronote/astromath/Ptolemy/Fig08epit… Gif Animation: Ptolemaic apparent motion or "orbit" of Mars as seen from Earth http://fisherka.csolutionshosting.net/astronote/astromath/Ptolemy/Fig12Mars… Gif Animation: Ptolemaic apparent motions or "orbits" of the Sun, Mars and Jupiter as seen from Earth http://fisherka.csolutionshosting.net/astronote/astromath/Ptolemy/Fig22Ptol… Gif Animation: Copernican orbits of Sun, Mars and Jupiter http://fisherka.csolutionshosting.net/astronote/astromath/Ptolemy/Fig26Cope… Gif Animation: Ptolemaic and Copernican orbits of the Sun, Earth, Mars and Jupiter compared http://fisherka.csolutionshosting.net/astronote/astromath/Ptolemy/Fig27Ptol… Slide presentation "Ptolemy-Copernican Debate" http://fisherka.csolutionshosting.net/astronote/astromath/Ptolemy/PtolemyCo… Corrections and comments are welcomed. Clear Skies, Kurt P.S. - The slide presentation covers the same ground that Dr. Decaria's presentation on Galileo covered at a SLAS meeting a couple of years ago, except with a heavier math emphasis.

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Misc per obs list updates
by Canopus56 05 Jan '11

05 Jan '11

This is to announce various updates to prior personal observing lists for 41 N Lat observers that may be useful for other amateurs particularly who use the LX200 handbox that contains partial SAO and GVCS catalogues - 1) Colorful double, showcase double and resolution test stars N=379 This list was originally distributed on March 2008. The update version adds either SAO or GCVS id numbers to support GOTO slewing in light polluted environments. The main page for downloading is: http://fisherka.csolutionshosting.net/astronote/plan/coldoubles/ColorContra… Versions available are: html for import to Excel - http://fisherka.csolutionshosting.net/astronote/plan/coldoubles/ColorContra… Abbreviated printable list html - http://fisherka.csolutionshosting.net/astronote/plan/coldoubles/ColorContra… Abbreviated printable list pdf - http://fisherka.csolutionshosting.net/astronote/plan/coldoubles/ColorContra… 2) AAVSO Short Period Variables N=380 This list was originally distributed in March 2005. It contains 380 variables in an AAVSO 2005 database that have periods of less than 14 days but delta magnitudes greater than 0.2 mags. Many of these stars have periods of less than 1 day. This intended purpose of this list was to support imaging practice to prepare light curves, essentially giving the observing access to an short-period variable regardless of the time of year. The list also was intended to support study of variable types. The short period list is cross-referenced to B/gvcs variable types. Download urls are: html for import to Excel - http://fisherka.csolutionshosting.net/astronote/cat/AAVSOsp14/AAVSOShortPer… print pdf version - http://fisherka.csolutionshosting.net/astronote/cat/AAVSOsp14/AAVSOShortPer… 3) AAVSO Long Period Variable List N=80 This list was originally distributed in March 2005. It is the same as the previous list but contains stars with greater than 14 days. http://fisherka.csolutionshosting.net/astronote/cat/AAVSOsp14/AAVSOLongPeri… http://fisherka.csolutionshosting.net/astronote/cat/AAVSOsp14/AAVSOLongPeri… The LX200 and Celestron handbox models do not contain full SAO star lists or GCVS star lists. Where a specific SAO number is not in a handbox, simply advance to the next or previous star in the handbox, resync on the star and drive the scope to the target coordinates. I have also prepared for a general LX200 Meade Handbox to SAO stellar cross-reference list which can be used to quickly get to a nearby listed star and resync the scope, before proceeding to a final target - Table: Cross-reference Bayer-Flamsteed-to-SAO for 1822 stars brighter than mag 5.5 visible above -40° dec http://fisherka.csolutionshosting.net/astronote/plan/mansetcir/html/LX200SA… Corrections, comments to the above are welcomed. Clear Skies - Kurt

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Interesting Photo and read
by Jay Eads 04 Jan '11

04 Jan '11

Messier 33 captured by WISE on Dec. 28, 2010 is also interesting I think: http://wise.ssl.berkeley.edu/gallery_M33.html Large Images: http://wise.ssl.berkeley.edu/gallery_images/WISE2010-047-lg.jpg Tomorrow night is looking clear and cold . . . think I'm heading out for the night. On 2011-01-05 01:16, Troy Davidson wrote: > "That's no moon....oh wait, yes it is." > > ++++++++++++++++++ > Troy Davidson, KF7MTE > www.istroyworking.com > > > > On Tue, Jan 4, 2011 at 6:04 PM, Daniel Holmes <danielh@???> wrote: > > That guy has all kinds of cool sun photos. > > > > In this one, I thought the ISS looks line a tie-fighter... > > > > Dan > > > > On Jan 4, 2011, at 5:55 PM, Debbie <astrodeb@???> wrote: > > > >> That was cool. > >> > >> Debbie > >> > >> On Tue, Jan 4, 2011 at 4:52 PM, Joe Bauman <josephmbauman@???> wrote: > >> > >>> WOW! > >>> > >>> --- On Tue, 1/4/11, Rodger C. Fry <rcfry@???> wrote: > >>> > >>>> From: Rodger C. Fry <rcfry@???> > >>>> Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Interesting Photo and read > >>>> To: utah-astronomy@??? > >>>> Date: Tuesday, January 4, 2011, 5:34 PM > >>>> Check this out. > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>> http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/01/04/5765312-sun-gets-double-cros > >>>> sed > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> Rodger Fry > >>>> > >>>> _______________________________________________ > >>>> 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 > > > >

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Interesting Photo and read
by Rodger C. Fry 04 Jan '11

04 Jan '11

Check this out. http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/01/04/5765312-sun-gets-double-cros sed Rodger Fry

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] RASC Colorful Doubles (N=79) to SAO Cross-reference list
by Canopus56 04 Jan '11

04 Jan '11

Erik wrote: > Using goto seems problematic with double stars, once you > get past the most popular. Not at all. I've used it for one season on my ETX 125 at home and part of a season at a UofU Physics Meade LX200. In a light polluted environment, using a cross-reference list to SAO is indispensible and is superior to slewing by inputing coordinates. If you first synch your scope to a nearby bright star before slewing to the final SAO double destination, it pretty much hits the double right on every time, even in the mini 1/3 degree LX200 TFOV under light polluted skies, except for catalogue cross-reference errors. - Kurt P.S. - Please also note my Oct 2010 posted table for a general LX200 Meade Handbox to SAO stellar cross-reference list - Table: Cross-reference Bayer-Flamsteed-to-SAO for 1822 stars brighter than mag 5.5 visible above -40° dec http://fisherka.csolutionshosting.net/astronote/plan/mansetcir/html/LX200SA…

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From yesterday's funnies
by Patrick Wiggins 04 Jan '11

04 Jan '11

http://www.garfield.com/comics/vault.html?yr=2011&addr=110102 How true. patrick :)

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Quadrantid meteors
by Canopus56 03 Jan '11

03 Jan '11

Kim, I wasn't planning to go out, but if you do, this looks like the right night. This is an odd shower with a radiant a few degrees west of 44 Boo in the region between Boo, Dra and Her. The downside is that the Quads have a narrow 1/2 day peak activity and the max peak is occuring as I am writing this - at 00 UT or 6pm Jan 3. The IMO visual real time reporting system is showing visual peaks rising to 80 ZHR at 1/3 12UT. http://www.imo.net/ This shower has an unusual radiant. The radiant is in the high azimuth north west sky and will set at 7:41pm. But the radiant just dips below the horizon for couple of hours and then rises again in a few degrees east of true north sky at 9:44pm. It stays low in the northeastern sky and passes az northeast an an alt of about 30 degrees at 3:00 am. On the upside, this is the only shower this year that is not compromised by the Moon and the ZHR count does appear to be strong. That seems to translate into infrequent low horizontal grazers for visual observering. On the other hand, if you have a clear view of the northeast sky, the radiant would seem to be ideally placed for a tripod mounted intervalometer run wide-field DSLR. Cold but Clear Skies - Kurt

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Quadrantid meteors
by Kim Hyatt 03 Jan '11

03 Jan '11

Skies down here look good for Quadrantids - anyone plan to observe? Kim

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12" Brandt Refractor
by erikhansen＠thebluezone.net 03 Jan '11

03 Jan '11

Hi All, I received an e-mail from Stephen Spiegelman, rebrandt12(a)yahoo.com, he is selling a 12" f16.3 folded Brandt Refractor with the optical axis through the Declination, keeping the eyepiece stationary during slews. He is going to sell it on Astromart via a no reservation auction on Jan 6. He will give more info and photos to interested parties via his e-mail, rebrandt12(a)yahoo.com Erik

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