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

Re: [Utah-astronomy] Japan Earthquake Discussion
by Canopus56 18 Mar '11

18 Mar '11

The Youtube video concerns Jim Berkland, whose controversial earthquake prediction theory is rejected by mainstream U.S.G.S. geologists. The USGS canon is that: ``Many studies in the past have shown no significant correlations between the rate of earthquake occurrence and the semi-diurnal tides when using large earthquake catalogs. Several recent studies, however, have found a correlation between earth tides (caused by the position of the moon relative to the earth) and some types of earthquakes. One study, for example, concludes that during times of higher earth and ocean tides, such as during times of full or new moon, earthquakes are more likely on shallow thrust faults near the edges of continents and in (underwater) subduction zones. Lunar or solar eclipses represent, of course, special cases of full and new moon, but do not cause any special or different tidal effects from full and new moon. Earth tides (Earth's surface going up and down by a couple of centimeters) and especially ocean tides (surface of the ocean going up and down by a meter or more) raise and lower the confining pressure on shallow, dipping faults near continental edges and in subduction zones. When the confining pressure is lessened, the faults are unclamped and more likely to slip. The increased probability is a factor of ~3 during high tides. But you must stop are realize that the background probability is, in general, very low in a given place and year (fractions of a percent), so that raising this tiny probability by a factor of 3 during high tides still results in a very tiny probability.'' http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/faq/?faqID=109 Berkland, the self-published author of the online zine Syzyg ( http://www.syzygyjob.com/ ) , is a renegade geologist whose theory is that by taking a subset of high magnitude earthquakes, a valid statistical correlation can be found between extreme lunar perigees and major earthquakes. Use a search engine on ``Berkland earthquake controversial .'' See, e.g. - http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Sci/sci.geo.earthquakes/2006-01/msg… As the USGS web FAQ notes, if you consider a larger population of earthquakes instead of cherry picking the data, Berkland's statistical correlation disappears. Every time a major earthquake - by chance alone - occurs near a full Moon, the press puts Berkland on the air without qualifying that earthquake prediction theories are not generally accepted by the scientific community. The opposite is not true. The Earth is about 80 times more massive than the Moon and gravitational tidal shear of the Moon caused by Earth's gravity is correspondingly higher. From the Apollo seismic stations left on the lunar surface, NASA collected good data on lunar earthquakes from nearside stations only. One type of lunar quake is known to be statistically correlated with Earth tidal shearing. There are two major types of lunar quakes - frequent surface quakes within the 20km crustal layer and deep quakes about 900 km down at the interface between the lunar core and mantel. The deep quakes are correlated with Earth tidal shear. The surface layer quakes are not. However, because both nearside and farside seismic stations were not placed on the Moon, science has a very incomplete picture of what the structure of the deep lunar mantel and core are. Our Apollo nearside stations only collected data from nearside quakes, and do the limited number of artificial impactors (spent boosters) they did not collect information from an artificial quake generated on the farside that traveled through the Moon. The whole question of what geologic structures are deep in the Moon that they are susceptible to Earth caused gravitational shearing is a tantalizing mystery that will have to be answered by future lunar missions. I have looked for, but have been unable to find, the ``more recent'' journal articles or geologic studies that the USGS web page refers to. If anyone knows what they are, please pass me a cite. Clear Skies - Kurt

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Human shuttle
by Patrick Wiggins 18 Mar '11

18 Mar '11

http://www.youtube.com/nasakennedy#p/u/0/tr-yTbWuhWE Fun video. Reminds me of ants. pw

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Looking for a crayford focuser for my Orion 150mm
by Jonathan Larsen 18 Mar '11

18 Mar '11

The R&P focuser's draw tube wobbles a lot and there isn't away to adjust it to stabilize it. So if anyone here has a focuser for sale or one they would sell, i would love to know. I would even buy a good R&P in replacement. It is currently a 1.25", Orion told me that a 2"/1.25" combo focuser would require me to drill out more space for the draw tube..... not really sure if i'd really like to do that, which is why I'm mentioning it here. I figure I can get advice while buying options are given. :D I am new here, pretty obvious, however I do know a feel people in the group/club. Kurt, my new found calculus classmate cohort Bill, helped me at Inkleys a few weeks ago which was extremely helpful(thanks Bill!). Patrick, who flies me up to 4k so I jump out and have some fun. :D Lastly, My name is Jonathan. Hello! Ha, just realized I kind of wrote this backwards... I guess email'ing while drinking after a nasty calc exam will do that to you. :P Thanks! :D

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MESSENGER on orbit around Mercury
by Patrick Wiggins 17 Mar '11

17 Mar '11

The subject line says it all! patrick

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] MESSENGER on orbit around Mercury
by Jay Eads 17 Mar '11

17 Mar '11

If you want, you can follow info at The Planetary Society Blog at http://www.planetary.org/blog/ On 2011-03-18 01:52, Patrick Wiggins wrote: > The subject line says it all! > > patrick > >

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MESSENGER at Mercury on NASA-TV now
by Patrick Wiggins 17 Mar '11

17 Mar '11

As recently as early this morning I was told by someone with the project that NASA-TV was not planning on covering MESSENGER's arrival at Mercury live. But they changed their mind as I see they are covering it now and the burn has started. Dish Network is covering it on channel 212. Go MESSENGER! patrick

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Saturn storm continues
by Canopus56 17 Mar '11

17 Mar '11

The Saturn spot has now strung out into a disrupted belt, and the belt is the subject of today's APOD (3-17-2011). Clear Skies - Kurt http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

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Seeking sheet cork
by Patrick Wiggins 17 Mar '11

17 Mar '11

We dismantled the SPOC refractor at the end of last season. Over the winter Bruce and I polished the various brass parts, we had the rings replated and I gave the tube a thorough scrubbing and cleaning and then a coat of Turtle Wax. Today Bruce and I reassembled the OTA and put it on the mount only to find that the Turtle Wax made the tube so slippery that the rings will not hold it in place. So now I'm looking for some thin sheet cork to put between the rings and the tube. Anyone here happen to have any thin sheets of cork laying about they'd like to contribute to the cause? Barring that, any ideas where in the area we might buy some? I'd like to get the scope ready in the next day or so so we can start training classes. Thanks, patrick

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] astronomy observatories
by Richard Tenney 16 Mar '11

16 Mar '11

Brian, I'm not aware of any observatories available to the public, but there may be some on the Utah astronomy e-mail list that live in Park City that may be having a star party then. Anyone on the list care to respond? /R --- On Mon, 3/14/11, Brian Auster <brian271971(a)yahoo.com> wrote: From: Brian Auster <brian271971(a)yahoo.com> Subject: astronomy observatories To: retenney(a)yahoo.com Date: Monday, March 14, 2011, 4:29 PM Rich, I am visiting Park City in a few weeks with my family. I was wondering if there are any astronomy observatories near park city we can go to. Thanks, Brian

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Skywatcher spots astronaut pee.
by Daniel Holmes 15 Mar '11

15 Mar '11

Too good to not share... http://www.space.com/11109-astronaut-pee-shuttle-waste-water-dump.html Dan -- Daniel Holmes, danielh(a)holmesonics.com "Laugh while you can, monkey boy!" -- Lord John Whorfin

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