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

Marking the sunrise location
by Chuck Hards 07 Feb '12

07 Feb '12

One of the (very few) advantages of getting up at 4:30 AM to go to work is that I get to see the sun rise, when it's clear. Standing in the same location outside my shop every morning, it was interesting this winter to watch the sun move south, slow down and remain stationary for a week or so, then begin to slowly move north again. About the second week in January, it really started moving and we are now entering the steepest part of the curve, as plotted on a graphic time-table of the heavens. It's advancing at nearly a solar diameter per day, just based on visual observation. That's half a degree! From week-to-week, you really notice the change. Kinda cool.

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Ride to Board Meeting
by D P Pierce 06 Feb '12

06 Feb '12

I,m still looking for a ride to the SLAS board meeting Wednesday. Deloy Pierce Large Bored Member

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Digests
by jcarman6＠q.com 06 Feb '12

06 Feb '12

I reserve the right to pick the male in the loin cloth and cage until "needed."

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Digests
by jcarman6＠q.com 06 Feb '12

06 Feb '12

Ge ez, ignore the e-mail box for a few days and it is filled with digests! Where to begin... Best observational moment - yikes too many to relate here. I was there the night Europa passed in front of Ganymede - from start to finish - absolutely amazing that such a thing could be predicted, down to the second, let alone seen from earth. Apparently, I number among the "friends." Seeing the shadows of lunar craters in sharp (and I mean that absolutely) definition through the 6" Brandt. A number of lunar observations, seen at the right moment. Splitting double stars in Kanab with the 6" Brandt, everyone else went in to have pie, but left me because I was having so much fun. Trying to figure out where the 22" dob was pointed, several occasions. One where, "surely it was pointed at M31" and moving the scope around stumbled into one of the spiral arms of M31 (the scope was pointed at M33). Took several eyepiece fulls to pass over M31. (Or M92 - ask Brent rofl) A long time ago at spoc, M51, the 22" dob, everyone there was silent, taking turns climbing the ladder, finally someone asked Jerry if he saw anything and he responded "shhh. I'm counting the arms." The blinking nebula at Bald Mountain and the incredible fireball that lit up the camp on another occasion. Bald Mountain, late in the morning, thought the moon was rising from the size of the light bump on the horizon - nahhh it was just Venus. I could go on. Okay, I'm a litte peeved. I make the comment the best view is through a refractor and get "grief" from members of the board, Watson says the same thing and nada, not a peep. Grrrr GOBC!!!!!! bus load from Salt Lake going to Kanaraville - lol, DO NOT GO THERE lol Someone better warn the Left Fork Grill, they might run out of liver. We can all perform our own secret handshakes, whatever strikes at the time. February 18th at high noon. The sec ret shake showdown

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Catching up
by Kim 06 Feb '12

06 Feb '12

I'm like Joan - missed a couple of days and had a lot of catching up to do. Hope y'all don't mind, but here are some thoughts going back a couple of days. My grandmother lived on the north shore of Utah Lake in the early 20th C. and told me about watching some inebriated gentlemen in a Model T driving across the ice one spring. The car was splashing through huge puddles of meltwater on top of the ice, and the ice was probably getting pretty thin. She expected to see them sink at any moment, but they made it to safety. So, to answer the question, "is there really enough ice - ever- to support, even a small plane?" Grandma would have said, "Yes, and with enough to support four drunks, too." Most memorable observational moment: If I have to limit the answer to one telescopic event, I'd choose watching Saturn occultation of 28 Sagittarii, July 3, 1989. I only had my homemade 10-inch Newt for a few months and it still ranks as No. 1. I've been fortunate to distinctly see color in the Pleiades, M42, Lagoon and Trifid nebulae, but not much for the past few years. I've also been fortunate to know all the great folks that I've met through my astronomy interests. Best observational moment ever: Watching an orange-red fireball with distinct surface features as it flew over my head, trailing sparks, embers and multiple tails of fire. Or so it seemed - I was only four or five. For a lifetime event, I was much too young. I wish I had seen it later in life. Best astronomically-related event: November, 1972: First experiment with a reality-altering.never mind. Kim

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Your most memorable telescope event
by Chuck Hards 06 Feb '12

06 Feb '12

What was your most memorable astronomical, OBSERVATIONAL, telescope event? For me, it was seeing Jupiter with all four Galilean moons, circa 1967. It blew-away the mind of this (at the time) 9-year-old amateur astronomer. I was hooked, instantly. Thank You, Maker Of All Things. I was nine years old, IIRC. 18th Avenue in SLC, on the back balcony of my best-friend in 5th grade. Good people, they don't know what they truly did for me. I am humbled at their generosity. (A secondary shout-out goes to the late Gene Roddenbery. Star-Trek actually spurred my astronomy interest, as did the US manned space program...yes, I got to see Neil Armstong step on the moon in real-time in my parent's living room. WOW!) Number two was seeing Saturn's rings, probably within a few months of my Jupiter revelation. :-) And you? :-)

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NGC 1073
by erikhansen＠thebluezone.net 06 Feb '12

06 Feb '12

In case anyone missed the news, hubble has discovered the twin to our Milky Way, NGC 1073 http://www.space.com/14461-hubble-photo-milkyway-galaxy-twin.html Erik

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Next ATM session
by Hutchings, Mat (H USA) 05 Feb '12

05 Feb '12

Just a reminder that the next ATM session is on Feb 11th (this Saturday) from 9:00 AM to noonish. As usual, email me off list at mat.hutchings(a)siemens.com <mailto:amat.hutchings@siemens.com> and I will give you directions to my house. Mat ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- This message and any included attachments are from Siemens Medical Solutions and are intended only for the addressee(s). The information contained herein may include trade secrets or privileged or otherwise confidential information. Unauthorized review, forwarding, printing, copying, distributing, or using such information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you received this message in error, or have reason to believe you are not authorized to receive it, please promptly delete this message and notify the sender by e-mail with a copy to Central.SecurityOffice.Healthcare(a)siemens.com Thank you

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Super Secret Meeting time of the L&O society on the 18th
by n7kh＠juno.com 05 Feb '12

05 Feb '12

We have 3 people from the Ogden area planning on attending the meeting of the L&O Society in the 18th. Can anyone pass along the secret handshake and kick off time... Kay ____________________________________________________________ 53 Year Old Mom Looks 33 The Stunning Results of Her Wrinkle Trick Has Botox Doctors Worried http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/4f2ee7eae88b6c9b410st05duc

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Your most memorable telescope event
by D P Pierce 04 Feb '12

04 Feb '12

1. Karen and I lived next door to Bob Brundage (Little Mountain Bob) he invited us over to look through his 8 inch refractor he had set up on his front lawn. Several planets were visible that summer in the evening. I SAW SATURN FOR THE FIRST TIME! I SAW THE RINGS!!! I felt like my life had been a waste up to that moment. My life was changed. I never found the pair of socks I was wearing that night. 2. I think it was the same night at Elizabeth Mountain Don Coulton mentioned. A guy from Preston, Idaho had a 22 inch set up next to me. It wasn't even dark yet when he suddenly got very excited. He called me over to look at Jupiter. It looked like the pictures! Swirling clouds with reds and browns. I got Ron Vanderhule. Even through his 16 inch it looked the same. 3. This was a non telescopic event. I think it was August of 1993. Comet Swift-Tuttle had come around the previous fall. A couple hundred people were gathered at Little Mountain to see the Persied Meteor Shower. It was a Thursday night. Fireballs could be seen before it was dark! Through the night we counted over 700 meteors! My wife Karen and I along with Patrick and Brent Watson were the only ones to stay the whole night. Deloy

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