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

DSLR Photometry Online Chat - Saturday
by Canopus56 04 Mar '11

04 Mar '11

Repost from AAVSO listserv - Clear Skies, Kurt ----- From: Rebecca Turner <_aavso.org> To: aavso-photometry(a)mira.aavso.org Subject: [Aavso-photometry] Chat on DSLR Photometry this Saturday We will be hosting a Citizen Sky online chat this Saturday, 3/5 at 11am Eastern (-5UT). Members of the Citizen Sky DSLR Documentation and Reduction Team will be online to discuss their work and the article published in the April Issue of Sky & Telescope Magazine. This article, titled "Photometry for All in the Digital Age," was written by team members Brian Kloppenborg and Tom Pearson.? It describes the work of the DSLR team and explains that DSLR cameras can be quite effective for bright star photometry. If you have interest in DSLR photometry, please check out the DSLR Tutorial on the Citizen Sky site and certainly stop by the chat with your questions/comments. We hope to see you there! Clear Skies, Rebecca Chat room url: ?http://www.aavso.org/cgi-bin/irc.cgi DSLR Tutorial: http://www.citizensky.org/content/dslr-documentation-and-reduction Citizen Sky Homepage: www.citizensky.org

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] End of the Planisphere?
by stormcrow60＠xmission.com 04 Mar '11

04 Mar '11

Joe Wrote: Personally, I'm more interested in seeing (and photographing) amazing objects in space than I am in memorizing constellations. If we lived in another part of the galaxy I'd still be interested in examining the same classes of objects but the constellations would be far different. Do beings on every inhabited planet have to bother memorizing the designs just because their ancestors did? Hi Joe, I think learning the constellations is important for beginners... or anyone for that matter, because it helps to orient oneself in the night time sky. It helps to narrow down sections of the sky, and make it easier to find what one may be looking for, or at. I can glance up into the night time sky and in seconds orient myself and determine what I'm looking at, and where to go from there. Many people, not knowing the constellations are well... just lost. They only see bright, twinkling lights in the air. Besides.... its fun. Looking up into the summer sky and seeing the constellations is like seeing old friends once again. I think my favorite is actually an astrerism: The Summer Triangle, a combination of Cygnus the Swan, Aquila the Eagle and Vega... the Vegetarian. Okay... that last one was a joke. Party on Wayne! Jon

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End of the Planisphere?
by Jay Eads 04 Mar '11

04 Mar '11

I'm kinda of on an astronomy kick since the weather continues not to be good for visual observing. So I just got done reading an article that talks of learning the constellations and the article got me thinking. I learned the constellations with a planisphere and from time to time I will still use one. However, in the article the author talks how he had a group of novice astronomy students out and each had a copy of the Edmund's Scientific Planisphere. Some also had SkySafari, StarMap and Distant Suns on their cell phones and they found the constellations and objects far quicker than those using the planisphere. Thus the author came to the conclusion that cell phones and apps are probably on the verge of replacing the planisphere as the tool used for finding constellations and other deep sky objects, especially for the younger generation. One of my observing friends is in his 20's and he uses Distant Suns in the field all the time. So the question I ask is do you use a traditional planisphere (and I could say atlas since some of these aps go down quite deep) or are you still an old book, atlas, planisphere type of guy? It also leads to an interesting thought which is what will be the tools of the amateur astronomer say in 20 or 30 years? -- Jay Eads

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Winter Star Party at Great Basin National Park
by Wayne Sumner 04 Mar '11

04 Mar '11

I just went to their web site, and they are going out of business. Wayne A. Sumner Math/Physics/Astronomy/Engineering Boy's Tennis Coach Northridge High School Davis School District (801) 402-8610 >>> 03/04/11 9:06 AM >>> >From a person who has sold thousands of sheets of Rubylith (www.astro-rubylith.com) I think it's an excellent product. I just use some blue painters tape to hold it in place. Stays put and no tape residue. --k Kelly Carroll Great Basin National Park http://www.nps.gov/grba/ Experience your America _______________________________________________ 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] Winter Star Party at Great Basin National Park
by Kelly_Carroll＠nps.gov 04 Mar '11

04 Mar '11

>From a person who has sold thousands of sheets of Rubylith (www.astro-rubylith.com) I think it's an excellent product. I just use some blue painters tape to hold it in place. Stays put and no tape residue. --k Kelly Carroll Great Basin National Park http://www.nps.gov/grba/ Experience your America

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ExoPlanet Super Jupiter Imaged Around β Pictoris
by Jay Eads 04 Mar '11

04 Mar '11

Thought some might find this interesting that a Super Jupiter has been found and imaged around β Pictoris. Here is the article from Astronomy/Astrophysics. http://www.aanda.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=690&Itemid=2… -- Jay Eads

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Weather for Great Basin on Saturday
by Kelly_Carroll＠nps.gov 04 Mar '11

04 Mar '11

The weather forecast looks iffy for Saturday night http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=39.00571206064286&lon=-114.219… &site=lkn&smap=1&unit=0&lg=en&FcstType=text However... We were supposed to be cloudy every night this week and it has been wonderfully clear. The Clear Sky Clock is looking OK, but as of this minute, it's only extended to 4PM tomorrow afternoon. http://www.cleardarksky.com/c/GrtBsnNPkNVkey.html?1 Kelly Carroll Great Basin National Park http://www.nps.gov/grba/ Experience your America

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Weather for Saturday
by Jay Eads 04 Mar '11

04 Mar '11

I haven't forgotten but I am starting to see conflicting data right now. Clear Sky Clock for Great Basin is showing through Saturday morning early really good viewing conditions. http://www.cleardarksky.com/c/GrtBsnNPkNVkey.html?1 The National Weather service at http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=39.0132801&lon=-114.1227695&si… is calling for cloudy skies in that part of Nevada. AccuWeather's Astronomy forecast is saying mostly cloudy at http://www.accuweather.com/us/nv/baker/89311/outdoor-astronomy.asp and their regular forecast for that night is also saying mostly cloudy http://www.accuweather.com/us/nv/baker/89311/forecast-details.asp?fday=3. SkippySky is showing that the cloud cover will be 90% or better over Utah and Great Basin for Saturday night: http://www.skippysky.com.au/NorthAmerica/ The Jet Stream is parked over us http://squall.sfsu.edu/gif/jetstream_pac_init_00.gif and combine that with what you can see in the GOES West until the terminator darkens out the image (kinda of cool I think) http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/data/west/animation/goeswestvis.html it just isn't looking too promising. I'll look at all this again tomorrow night and then again on Saturday morning to make a final decision. Perhaps Kelly can offer some insight but I'm sure the satellite image will be the tell tale. I want to go so badly and want a great night under the stars at an excellent dark site but the weather, man, have to love Utah in the winter and spring eh? Watch, full moon week will be totally clear, warm and beautiful! Based on the weather there should be a lot of new astro equipment in the state this summer. I am going to be much like one of my heroes, E.E. Barnard, who "Historian Donald Osterbrock called him (E.E. Barnard) an "observe-aholic," because Barnard, happiest when he could spend all night observing, was moody and difficult when the sky was cloudy." Taken from PBS.org, Meet the Star gazers. Let me tell you despite having taken up painting in watercolor and oils (finding I like watercolors), and getting back into lap swimming and lifting weights, I am getting very moody and difficult. More so than normal. My family is begging me to get out! -- Jay Eads

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Winter Star Party at Great Basin National Park
by Kelly_Carroll＠nps.gov 03 Mar '11

03 Mar '11

I have not found dew to be a large problem here; but I do use a dew shield in the winter. As for warmth, I will keep the visitor center open to warm up and we will have as much hot water as anyone can use, oh, and the hot chocolate, tea, coffee, and cider will be on us. --kelly Kelly Carroll Great Basin National Park http://www.nps.gov/grba/ Experience your America

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Solar Flare from Feb. 24th 11
by Jay Eads 03 Mar '11

03 Mar '11

Just in case you missed this like I did . . . NASA's Goddard Group release this video on Flickr of the wonderful Solar Flare that occurred on Feb. 24th: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/5483193591 I just may have to attend my first solar sun party this year with SLAS and catch a view myself. -- Jay Eads

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