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

Eclipse festival
by Patrick Wiggins 12 Feb '12

12 Feb '12

I've received an email from the Iron County tourist bureau saying some company in Colorado has approached them about putting on an "Eclipse Festival". The place says they'd expect 10,000 people to show up. If that's true, it could really get hectic. But then considering how many people I've seen travel to the ends of the Earth (literally) on eclipse expeditions, with southern Utah so easy and cheap to get to maybe 10,000 is not that impossible. (Remember how many thousands went to SPOC for the Mars watches in 2003?) 20 May could be interesting... Just curious but is there any serious interest here from anyone wanting to travel to Iron County next month to check out various sites? patrick

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March '99 S&T
by Chuck Hards 11 Feb '12

11 Feb '12

If anyone has copies of the March '99 issue of S&T that you would be willing to part with, I would be willing to pay you $20 per copy. Contact me off-list. Thanks!

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Sunspots
by D P Pierce 11 Feb '12

11 Feb '12

If you can find a hole in the clouds, there is a good cluster up there. http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/sunspots// Deloy

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Ecliipse Festival
by jcarman6＠q.com 10 Feb '12

10 Feb '12

What possible event could SLAS be planning for the annular eclipse? Isn't SLC outside the path of totality? " Ohhh, look through the hydrogen alpha filter, it almost blocks the sun" ;-) (when the path of totality is really in its own back yard????) Okay guys, just admit it, say "thank you" for sharing the apple. Watson's older and wiser so he gets a free ride on the refractor comment??????? (Just like a woman, she won't let it go ;-))

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Clark Planetarium
by Chuck Hards 09 Feb '12

09 Feb '12

Does anyone know if the planetarium has actual "star shows", like Hansen used to have? Constellation identification, graphic demonstrations of planetary movement, seasonal changes, etc.? Like in the "good old days"? I loved those star shows. "And may we at Hansen Planetarium be the first to wish you 'Good Morning'." ;-) I really couldn't see anything resembling a "star show" on the Clark website. Everything seems to be "movies". I have to admit that I have yet to set foot in Clark. I tend to avoid downtown SLC and have only been in the city a handful of times in the last 20 years. There just never seems to be free time available during hours when places are open, anyway.

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Clark Planetarium
by jcarman6＠q.com 09 Feb '12

09 Feb '12

Point of order well taken :) The Clark is worth, at least, one visit. It's too bad it could not have been more centrally located for the valley, but if the space is offered...

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Clark Planetarium
by jcarman6＠q.com 09 Feb '12

09 Feb '12

Yikes, talk about picky, picky picky. The Clark is heads and tails better than the Hansen. Granted, it has much larger space to begin with and that is a big factor. All the displays outside the theatres are hands on and far more interesting than what were at the Hansen. Digistar has its advantages (and disadvantages - star size - yeah yeah) . Whenever I have gone there, it has been full of adults and kids, far more than Hansen ever was. It is a huge asset and improvement. Haven't seen a star show for a while, they still have an updated version of card board rocket and other shows for kids. For me, the shows almost take a back seat to the displays. My personal favorite is the little alcove behind the ticket counter (hard to find actually). It runs NASA films and/or channel there. Although the display as you walk in is SWEET. They can display Jupiter, the sun or the moon and it's a 3-D image, you can walk around it and see different features. All the displays are free. Agreed, there is no excuse for errors in the shows.

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way, way OT -- but I want my friends to know
by Joe Bauman 09 Feb '12

09 Feb '12

Hi all, I'm sorry to intrude with something that has no relationship to astronomy, but many of this group are my personal friends and this is a nice way to let them know -- and anyone else who's interested in American history. I've posted a book on Kindle (Amazon.com's e-reader) about the American Revolution. A lot of you know that I'm a rabid (that is, way beyond avid) collector of historic photograph. Over the past 30 years, by diligent searching and researching, I have been able to collect eight original daguerreotypes of fully-identified veterans of the American Revolution. I've written a little biography of each, and put them together in this book. It's arranged chronologically, from the man who was first involved in the Revolution on through to the last. Anyway, I won't use more bandwidth except to say if you'd like to take a look, and see a preview, go to Amazon.com and look in the Kindle Store for DON'T TREAD ON ME: Photographs and Life Stories of American Revolutionaries. Thanks, Joe

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B-29 At HAFB Museum
by n7kh＠juno.com 09 Feb '12

09 Feb '12

Here are a couple of URL's regarding "Haggerty's Hag" the B-29 at HAFB. There is a book published about the aircraft, "Haggerty's Hag" by Mel Blansett who worked on the aircraft. I have the book but it is buried deep in my library and might take a while digging it out. I will see what I can find out when I go to the museum today but I believe everybody is correct, it was used at Dugway for radiation resident tests and had to be kept until it was not "HOT" anymore... as I recall what the book said. http://www.johnweeks.com/b29/b29hill.html http://www.flickr.com/photos/d70w7/5524433178/ Kay ____________________________________________________________ 60-Year-Old Mom Looks 27 Mom Reveals Free Wrinkle Trick That Has Angered Doctors! http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/4f33f046bb28bf9d724st05duc

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St. George Star Party
by Dunn, David 09 Feb '12

09 Feb '12

This is a reminder. The OAS St. George Star Party is scheduled for next week 2/17 & 18. We are planning to observe from near the Little Black Mountain Petrogliphs site (South of the new airport). All astronomers are invited to come and observe with us. Hopefully the weather will cooperate. Contact me off list if you are planning to attend so that we can make sure we hook up down there. You can use david.dunn(a)supervalu.com or dunndave(a)aol.com. BTW, we are planning to travel west of Cedar City to look for eclipse observing sites while we are down there. Thanks, Dave

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