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

Ride toSPOC
by D P Pierce 29 Jun '12

29 Jun '12

Hi, Iwould like a ride to SPOC Saturday. Deloy Pierce

4 4

More time tomorrow
by Patrick Wiggins 29 Jun '12

29 Jun '12

Looks like we get an extra second tomorrow (Saturday) when a leap second will be added a 18:00:00 MDT. Enjoy your extra time. :) patrick

2 1

Venus ingress movies
by Patrick Wiggins 29 Jun '12

29 Jun '12

I just noticed that NASA Goddard has posted movies of the ingress portion of the Venus transit in several wavelengths: http://venustransit.gsfc.nasa.gov/ patrick

1 0

From today's funnies
by Patrick Wiggins 28 Jun '12

28 Jun '12

http://www.gocomics.com/redandrover/2012/06/28 Enjoy, patrick Sent from my iPad

1 0

Re: [Utah-astronomy] LASIX and Cataract Surgery
by Ray Druian 28 Jun '12

28 Jun '12

I just wanted to add that one of the optometrists I had been seeing while my distwce vision was improving on its own, told me that the "vision tends to flatten out as one ages," or words to that effect. While I can't state absolutely that he was telling me that everyone's distance vision tends to improve with age, that was the interpretation I made at the time. I know that many people who have had LASIX surgery swear by it. I've also run into a few who have had to wear thicker glasses afterwards because of some screwup. The point is, this isn't something to be taken likely because, like a lobotomy, it can't be reversed. We all know that what we find on the internet is spotty at best. There are many sources out there that pretty much specialize in telling people what they want to hear. Still, if one reads the material carefully, and tries to stick with stuff that comes from recognized medical authorities, there is much to be gleaned there. As best I can do to hint at a "reliable" source, try to stick with those that explain both the pros and the cons of the procedure without trying to advise the reader to either do it or not do it. Often, when someone buys an expensive toy, procedure, appliance, whatever, and is satisfied with it, they can become an uncritical advocate for it, paying no attention to negative information. Likewise, one who has had a bad experience will likely want everyone else to know about it. The opinions of both camps should be avoided like the plague. Finally, someone mentioned the question of improved night vision with cataract surgery. Objectively, I can't say whether that has improved, but it seems like it has. Sorry to be so wishy-washy about that one, but I just don't remember if there was a change or not. I can say two other things though. In 1981, something happened to the macula of my right eye that changed its visual acuity from being correctable to 20/15 to being correctable to about 20/50 or 20/60. As a result, my master eye switched from right to left. I saw a number of doctors over the years and it wasn't until I developed cataracts and had my retinas checked before the surgery, that it appears to have been some kind of virus that screwed up the pigment layer of my macula. Once the cataract was removed, the sight in my right eye did improve, but not to 20/20. What really sticks out in my mind, though, was my visit to the Drivers' License people, where I took the vision test and passed it without glasses for the first time since I began driving. The only advice I would give is "be careful." In Wagner's opera, "Das Rheingold," this is the same advice given to the Teutonic god, Woton, by Erda, the goddess of the earth. Between the end of that opera and the beginning of the next one in the tetrology, she bore him eight daughters. - - Thanx, *Ray *

4 3

today's solar viewing at NHMU
by Chrismo 27 Jun '12

27 Jun '12

Here's my pictures from this evening's event:* http://tinyurl.com/NHMU20120627* -- Chrismo I fix things, all kinds of things... (801) 897-9075

2 2

Green Flash this morning
by Chrismo 27 Jun '12

27 Jun '12

Just got back from Lakeside, I had been itching to get out. It was in the low 60's by 11pm, and seeing was pretty poor, but it was more interesting than sitting at home. I just got my 2" barlow to experiment with my 2" camera adapter. Both the barlow and the adapter are now for sale, if anyone's interested, LOL. No, seriously. Anyway, did anyone else see the green flash burn just over Sagittarius about 1:15 am? -- Chrismo I fix things, all kinds of things... (801) 897-9075

3 3

Today's XKCD.
by Daniel Holmes 27 Jun '12

27 Jun '12

http://xkcd.com/1074/ I found the alt-text interesting...if the earth was the size of a basketball, no human in 40 years has been more than a half inch from the surface. Puts the orbit of the space shuttle and ISS into perspective. Dan -- Daniel Holmes, danielh(a)holmesonics.com "Laugh while you can, monkey boy!" -- Lord John Whorfin

6 8

New Spots !!!
by D P Pierce 27 Jun '12

27 Jun '12

New spots have rotated into view. http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/sunspots/ Deloy

1 0

This is very interesting
by Dave Gary 26 Jun '12

26 Jun '12

This may be “old hat” to some of you, but it was new to me. They’d better not have meters and feet mixed up on this one. http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/videos/movies/msl20110624/msl201106… Dave

1 0