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

Re: [Utah-astronomy] Utah-Astronomy Digest, Vol 98, Issue 78
by Michael Vanopstall 27 Apr '11

27 Apr '11

Hi -- Being a Russian Orthodox priest, I can answer the Easter calculation. Not that that's a prerequisite. But in the Church, you hear all sorts of mistaken opinions about why the dates are different. Both the Western and Eastern churches have the same rule: first Sunday after first full moon after spring equinox. But all of the events are based on calculations, not on observations. One of three things happens: 1. The two are a month apart -- this happens because the equinox is figured as a fixed date. The Eastern Churches figure this date on the Julian calendar (even though most Orthodox Churches don't use the Julian for fixed holidays; Russian Church does), so it's April 3 instead of March 20. 2. Some years the difference in equinoxes doesn't matter, but the full moon calculations slightly differ. In these years, Orthodox Easter is one week later. So something like first full moon after March 20 is also after April 3, but it falls on Saturday, and the formulas used by the Orthodox perhaps mark it as falling on Sunday, so Orthodox Easter ends up a week later. 3. In some years, the first full moon after Gregorian Equinox falls after Julian Equinox, and falls early enough in the week not to throw anything off. That's what happened this year. The first full moon after March 20 was also after April 3, and it fell on a Monday. I believe there are some years in which, from a perfectly astronomical point of view, both dates are wrong. Theoretically, this would happen when the moon hits full at something like 23:59 on Saturday, but even the more recent Western calculations had it occurring at 0:01... To the best of my knowledge, no Christian church updates its Easter computations year-to-year based on the most up-to-date measurements. If I am correct, Jewish passover is based on the Julian equinox as well. ---- Rev. Michael A. van Opstall Department of Mathematics, University of Utah Office: JWB 313 opstall(a)math.utah.edu

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2014 and $95000 and you can be in space
by Jay Eads 27 Apr '11

27 Apr '11

Here's the article: http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/story/2011/04/Space-tourism-travel-comes… XCOR has cost to $95,000 for a 68 mile flight up and Virgin Galactic figures on $200,000. 2014 as a launch date? And people thought that telescopes are expensive! I am just curious on how people feel about the commercialization and/or capitalism of space? Article is from the USA Today. -- Jay Eads

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SETI on Hold
by Jay Eads 27 Apr '11

27 Apr '11

In case you haven't seen it, SETI is on hold right now (while, kinda of). Budget cuts have impacted the listening for alien signals . . . http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/04/27/135746059/budget-cuts-shutdo… -- Jay Eads

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Utah-Astronomy Digest, Vol 98, Issue 78
by Michael Vanopstall 27 Apr '11

27 Apr '11

Oh, and I'm not 100% sure, but I believe the difference of a week comes because in the time that the Orthodox computations were made, day started at 6:00 am, and not midnight. ---- Rev. Michael A. van Opstall Department of Mathematics, University of Utah Office: JWB 313 opstall(a)math.utah.edu

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Easter date
by Joe Bauman 27 Apr '11

27 Apr '11

Cool info from Patrick on TV: http://connect2utah.com/get-gephardt-story/?nxd_id=143377

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Utah-Astronomy Digest, Vol 98, Issue 77 Amazing Photos From Space
by John R. Peterson 27 Apr '11

27 Apr '11

Thanks for the link, Joe. These are superb photos. The nigh time shots make very clear the Elephant in the Living Room, in terms of humanity's future: To me, they are strong evidence that we have a population problem (not to mention a dark skies problem). John R. Peterson -----Original Message----- >Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2011 12:39:05 -0700 (PDT) >From: Joe Bauman <josephmbauman(a)yahoo.com> >To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> >Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Amazing photos from space >Message-ID: <533305.60906.qm(a)web38905.mail.mud.yahoo.com> >Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > >Hi All, at last a fine photographer went into space. Take a look at these: > > >http://triggerpit.com/2010/11/22/incredible-pics-nasa-astronaut-wheelock/ > >Best wishes, Joe

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Amazing photos from space
by Joe Bauman 26 Apr '11

26 Apr '11

Hi All, at last a fine photographer went into space. Take a look at these: http://triggerpit.com/2010/11/22/incredible-pics-nasa-astronaut-wheelock/ Best wishes, Joe

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SLASers mentioned online
by Patrick Wiggins 25 Apr '11

25 Apr '11

A few things I've found mentioned a couple of members of SLAS: The editorial in the current issue of Salt Lake City Weekly has some nice things to say about Joe Bauman. http://www.cityweekly.net/utah/article-13749-dino-spite.html Especially nice since much of the piece was not kind to other reporters. And here's a video from Northwestern University of their orchestra's recent performance. Look close and you might see long distance SLAS member Kelly Ricks (first place I saw her was 2:58 into the video). http://www.pickstaiger.org/video/david-maslanka-symphony-no-4 And speaking of Kelly, should any of you be in Austria this summer you might have a chance to see Kelly perform with the American Institute of Musical Studies Festival Orchestra in Graz as she has just been invited to take part. http://www.aimsgraz.com/orc.html And further about Kelly, it looks like she's not the only brainy one in her family. She reports that her boyfriend is the principal author in a paper to be published in "Physical Review Letters". Reading through the news release I saw the paper was co-authored by some guy called Kip Thorne (seems like I've heard of him somewhere <g> ). Boy to be lead author on a paper co-authored by Thorne. I think the highest I've even been on a paper was co-author #8... Kudos to all! patrick

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Wayne's Worlds
by Joe Bauman 24 Apr '11

24 Apr '11

Hi All, For my report on Wayne Sumner's talk to SLAS about star formation, please see http://www.deseretnews.com/blog/47/10011826/Nightly-news-astronomy-A-Star-I… -- a photo by Cory of Wayne, with a link to SLAS, is on p. 1. A NASA Spitzer Space Telescope image of a star inside a giant molecular cloud is on p. 4. Thanks, Joe

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Will the cost of gas change your dark site visits or your attendance at outreach events?
by Jay Eads 24 Apr '11

24 Apr '11

Title says it all. Some are speculating that gas may hit $250 a barrel (OUCH!) and that $5.00 gas by Memorial Day may be a reality. I posted this question over at Cloudy Nights back in January when the warning bells were starting to go off (still think this is a ploy by the Oil Companies and Speculators to drive up profits) but I would like a more local opinion. So I ask, if gas is between $4.00 to $5.00 a gallon will it change how often you drive to a dark site to observe? I know that SPOC is a good ways out for some of us and will that gas price impact the amount of times you drive out to perform outreach there or elsewhere? I know for me I will still make several trips up to Wolf Creek this summer but what will change is that I will drive up and camp over and get in two nights of observing in. I'll still hit Rush Valley as I have a couple of new spots that I really like and are up a little higher. Lakeside I'll still hit also. I still intend to hit Great Basin at least twice but if gas goes up over $4.00 I may not get that third visit in. Outreach, I plan to hit SPOC once a month this summer so that won't change, but I may hit a Harmon's more as those locations are usually closer. So gas will and will not impact my observing at a dark sites and at outreach. What could also change is instead of driving the Pathfinder I may drive the Altima out to SPOC and to other locations. Then again, it also depends what life throws my way over the next six months. -- Jay Eads

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