October 2012 - Utah-Astronomy - mailman.xmission.com

Re: [Utah-astronomy] Science Friday (Tesla)
by Ray Druian 23 Oct '12

23 Oct '12

Yes, just about everything Inman wrote about Nikola Tesla is pretty much true. Taking Edison down, however, is an unfunny joke. Edison DID pretty much invent the incandescent light bulb, at least he invented the first one that worked. There had been carbon arc lamps before him, and possibly some other kinds of electric lights but his incandescent lamp was unique. He also managed to invent the phonograph, the carbon microphone (before Edison, the microphone was a couple of wires touching and untouching), and a host of other things. He was, however, at heart, an entrepreneur, something that many today are referring to as "job creators," while others call them "bosses." Take your pick, depending on your politics. George Westinghouse was cut from pretty much the same cloth as Edison and it was while working for Westinghouse that Nikola Tesla developed alternating current. A part of the joke is, direct current, which Edison espoused, requires a generator that's sort of "gimmicked" in order to create it. By simplifying the generator, it produces alternating current. That's harder to explain than it should be and I won't even try, but I think the DC generator was invented first and it required polarized wiring with a larger wire for the higher voltage and a smaller wire for the ground side of the current. Anyhow, Edison and Westinghouse fought tooth and nail over which form of current was superior and one of Edison's arguments was indeed that alternating current was superior for electrocuting people, and I think the first electric chairs used it (as well as all succeeding electric chairs), and that's the reason for Edison's rather nasty habit of collecting cats and dogs for experiments. Edison had his faults, and they may have been many, but he was a great inventor with very little education but a vivid imagination, and he left a legacy of products that led us into the 20th century. Oh yes, BTW, he didn't know it, but he also invented the vacuum tube, that allowed radio and television to become our most powerful mass communication tools, until they began to be replaced by semiconductors in the 1960s (the transistor was invented in 1948 but it didn't find its way into television sets until the late 1960s. Small transistor radios became available in the 1950s but tubes were still the amplifiers of choice until well into the 1960s). -- Thanx, *Ray *

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Sun Tunnels
by Joe Bauman 22 Oct '12

22 Oct '12

Hi Friends, here are some photos I took on Saturday of Nancy Holt's Sun Tunnels and Ms. Holt herself: A sun-drenched view of the tunnels: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=5419 Ms. Holt: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=5422 http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=5425 Thanks, Joe

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Science Friday: Tesla
by Joe Bauman 22 Oct '12

22 Oct '12

And let's not forget he worked in Wendover. -- Joe ------------------------------ On Mon, Oct 22, 2012 6:15 PM MDT Wiggins Patrick wrote: >Oops, forgot to add the link to the podcast: > >http://sciencefriday.com/segment/10/19/2012/how-one-guy-raised-1-3-million-… > >Sent from my iPad > >On Oct 22, 2012, at 18:14, Wiggins Patrick <paw(a)wirelessbeehive.com> wrote: > >> I just finished listening to a podcast of last Friday's edition of Science Friday. The subject was Nikola Tesla. In case you heard the piece and wondered about the Tesla cartoon they referred to, here it is: >> >> http://theoatmeal.com/comics/tesla >> >> Caution, there are a few spots where the language is PG-13. >> >> And here is the podcast. >> >> patrick >> >> Sent from my iPad >_______________________________________________ >Utah-Astronomy mailing list >http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy > >Send messages to the list to >Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com > >The Utah-Astronomy mailing list is not affiliated with any astronomy club. > >To unsubscribe go to: >http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy >Then enter your email address in the space provided and click on "Unsubscribe or edit options".

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Need help with a school star party Friday November 2nd in Provo's South Fork Canyon
by Richard Tenney 22 Oct '12

22 Oct '12

I've been asked to host a star party for 6th graders for a local (Pleasant Grove) elementary school; the number of invitees will in part depend on how many telescopes I can promise will be there. Big Springs Park in Provo Canyon's south fork is the site. Please RSVP if you can bring a scope to help me out that night (I'll be there with my 16" dob). Thanks in advance... /Rich

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SPOC Wx: Who is right?
by Wiggins Patrick 22 Oct '12

22 Oct '12

Regarding the weather for tonight's SPOC star party I see SPOC's Clear Sky Clock is calling for clear skies: http://www.cleardarksky.com/c/SPOC2UTkey.html?1 While the NWS is saying Stansbury Park will have clouds: http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=40.644177602517246&lon=-112.29… ??? patrick

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] L&O shout-out
by Joe Bauman 22 Oct '12

22 Oct '12

Hi all -- my trip to the Sun Tunnels was thrilling. I got to chat again with Nancy Holt, the artist who made them back in the '70s, walk through them, take photos and watch the sun go down beyond them. The route map supplied by the Utah Museum of Fine Arts was from Patrick's web site and it got me there on time. I am on my back with severe back pain right now but hope to post some photos this afternoon after seeing Dr. Kolaba. Thanks for asking, Larry. -- Best wished, Joe ------------------------------ On Mon, Oct 22, 2012 10:46 AM MDT Larry Holmes wrote: >Thanks for coming Richard. You from Utah Valley, & Norm & Kay from Ogden certainly go the extra mile (pun intended) to attend. With only 4 locals making the effort, you almost outnumbered us! Was a good time as usual. BTW, Joe, how was the day at the sun tunnels? 73 > > >On 10/22/2012 9:23 AM, Richard Tenney wrote: >> Just wanted to say thanks for the great company at Saturday's L&O meet; good company and good food are always appreciated! >> /R >> _ > > >_______________________________________________ >Utah-Astronomy mailing list >http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy > >Send messages to the list to >Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com > >The Utah-Astronomy mailing list is not affiliated with any astronomy club. > >To unsubscribe go to: >http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy >Then enter your email address in the space provided and click on "Unsubscribe or edit options".

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] L&O shout-out
by Joe Bauman 22 Oct '12

22 Oct '12

Exactly my sentiments, Rich! ------------------------------ On Mon, Oct 22, 2012 9:23 AM MDT Richard Tenney wrote: >Just wanted to say thanks for the great company at Saturday's L&O meet; good company and good food are always appreciated! >/R >_______________________________________________ >Utah-Astronomy mailing list >http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy > >Send messages to the list to >Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com > >The Utah-Astronomy mailing list is not affiliated with any astronomy club. > >To unsubscribe go to: >http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy >Then enter your email address in the space provided and click on "Unsubscribe or edit options".

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Orionids from Little Mountain
by Dion Davidson 22 Oct '12

22 Oct '12

How did it go with the Orionids? I went up to Little Mountain this morning and got there just before Venus rose (5am?). I counted 20 meteors before about 6:30. Maybe 21, but I imagine that one was a head-on meteor just near Orion's belt. (Is that possible? Not quite the radiant. And no, I'm not thinking of the Iridium flare that was just below the sword at 5:56, though that was spectacular and well placed!) I'm curious to see if anyone had better luck. My eyes are more sensitive than the camera apparently because I only caught one on (digital) film. Orionid: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/GSRKl_ljy5XfJ89cy6mgAk6DFpvv4uCXIoGuP… Iridium Flare: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/bn-VX7EtmLy29SB_zcAw3U6DFpvv4uCXIoGuP… Dion Nikon D7000 on a stationary tripod, Tamron 10-24 @ 10mm, 30 sec exposures, ISO 3200

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Branson may try to best Baumgartner's record
by Wiggins Patrick 22 Oct '12

22 Oct '12

He wants to go to 400,000 and says the trip "is theoretically possible": http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/2352-full.html#207543 patrick

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Orionids from Little Mountain
by Joe Bauman 21 Oct '12

21 Oct '12

XL-ENT! ------------------------------ On Sun, Oct 21, 2012 9:58 PM MDT Dion Davidson wrote: >How did it go with the Orionids? I went up to Little Mountain this morning and got there just before Venus rose (5am?). I counted 20 meteors before about 6:30. Maybe 21, but I imagine that one was a head-on meteor just near Orion's belt. THATCHEDCHED possible? Not quite the radiant. And no, I'm not thinking of the Iridium flare that was just below the sword at 5:56, though that was spectacular and well placed!) I'm curious to see if anyone had better luck. My eyes are more sensitive than the camera apparently because I only caught one on (digital) film. > >Orionid: >https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/GSRKl_ljy5XfJ89cy6mgAk6DFpvv4uCXIoGuP… > > >Iridium Flare: >https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/bn-VX7EtmLy29SB_zcAw3U6DFpvv4uCXIoGuP… > > >Dion > >Nikon D7000 on a stationary tripod, Tamron 10-24 @ 10mm, 30 sec exposures, ISO 3200 >_______________________________________________ >Utah-Astronomy mailing list >http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy > >Send messages to the list to >Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com > >The Utah-Astronomy mailing list is not affiliated with any astronomy club. > >To unsubscribe go to: >http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy >Then enter your email address in the space provided and click on "Unsubscribe or edit options".

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