December 2014 - Utah-Astronomy - mailman.xmission.com

Thanks SLAS
by Chuck Hards 08 Dec '14

08 Dec '14

I just wanted to thank the organizers and SLAS board for a terrific Solstice Party on Saturday night. It was great to spend a couple of hours with some of my astronomical friends. I've known some of you for decades and I consider you part of my extended family. It was good to see Bob Brundage there, Bob was the only person at the party who predates me in the club, by a year or two. Lowell Lyon is another old-timer whom I've known since he was what, 18 or 20 years old! And Siegfried and Patrick aren't far behind those two. Charlie Green, Joan Carman, and Ken Meyer are three more who have been around since the good old days. I've also added many new astro friends in the last ten or fifteen years and I am grateful and fortunate to have them all in my life. Kelly wasn't feeling too well so we didn't stay as long as I would have liked afterwards. But I'll see you again soon at meetings or under the stars. Hopefully 2015 will see me with a bit more free time. Thanks again, SLAS!

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Mother looking for a telescope for her daughter for Christmas
by Rodger C. Fry 08 Dec '14

08 Dec '14

I received an email from a mother who wishes to purchase a used telescope for her daughter for Christmas. If you have some equipment that you might be willing to sell to her, please contact her as follow: Kris Komarnitsky [komarkris(a)gmail.com] I have a 14 year old daughter who has shown a real interest in astronomy for about a year (she loved the new Cosmos series, has done hours of research on the web on her own, and can pick out some basic constellations in the night sky). I would like to get her a telescope for Christmas and was thinking that a used one would be best for her first one. I thought it might be a good idea to see if anyone in the SLAS had a good beginners telescope for sale since your members have a genuine interest in promoting astronomy and are unlikely to sell something that is damaged. Is there anyone you might be able to put me in contact with? Kris Komarnitsky Draper

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LX80
by Mark Shelton 08 Dec '14

08 Dec '14

Hi, all I am looking at purchasing a used Meade LX80 multi mount to hold at coronado 60mm or large bino. Does anyone have any experience and what you think of it.I have heard that Meade has discontinued this mount. Please let me know what you think of this mount. Thanks for your help Mark

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And they're off!
by Wiggins Patrick 05 Dec '14

05 Dec '14

Go Orion! patrick On 05 Dec 2014, at 05:03, Wiggins Patrick <paw(a)getbeehive.net> wrote: > A new morning and it's two minutes to launch. > > > On 04 Dec 2014, at 01:41, Wiggins Patrick <paw(a)getbeehive.net> wrote: > >> Early risers may want to know that NASA's Orion test spacecraft (AKA Apollo on steroids) is set for launch this morning (Thursday). The launch window opens just after 0500 MST. >> >> NASA TV will cover the launch live. Coverage to start at 0230. >> >> Replays of the launch at 1000. >> >> Post-Flight Test Briefing at 1130. >> >> patrick

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Launch in 2
by Wiggins Patrick 05 Dec '14

05 Dec '14

A new morning and it's two minutes to launch. On 04 Dec 2014, at 01:41, Wiggins Patrick <paw(a)getbeehive.net> wrote: > Early risers may want to know that NASA's Orion test spacecraft (AKA Apollo on steroids) is set for launch this morning (Thursday). The launch window opens just after 0500 MST. > > NASA TV will cover the launch live. Coverage to start at 0230. > > Replays of the launch at 1000. > > Post-Flight Test Briefing at 1130. > > patrick

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Orion set to launch this morning
by Wiggins Patrick 04 Dec '14

04 Dec '14

Early risers may want to know that NASA's Orion test spacecraft (AKA Apollo on steroids) is set for launch this morning (Thursday). The launch window opens just after 0500 MST. NASA TV will cover the launch live. Coverage to start at 0230. Replays of the launch at 1000. Post-Flight Test Briefing at 1130. patrick

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2,500
by Wiggins Patrick 04 Dec '14

04 Dec '14

While entering tonight's session in my observatory log book I saw that tonight's session was my 2,500th in my current observatory (first light was in 1983). Being the OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Delightful) numbers nut I am I set about putting together a spreadsheet to see how many times I've observed each year. Surprising just how much the numbers have varied. There was a spell when it appears I was losing interest with 42 sessions in 1993 and then 12 in 1994. Then really hard to believe that in all of 1995 it dropped all the way to 1! One pitiful night in the whole year. Ugh! But then the numbers jumped way up to 76 the next year and I've been pretty active ever since. Funny but the only major change that happened in my life in 95/96 was the entrance of a certain Dr. Holly. Apparently being with a real scientist was a real inspiration (ell either that or she really kicked me in the rear. LOL!) Busiest year, BTW, was 2012 with 198. 171 this year. And counting. Clear skies to all! patrick

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Wanderers
by Bruce Hugo 03 Dec '14

03 Dec '14

Very cool Patrick. Thanks for sharing! Bruce Equipped with his five senses, man explores the universe around him and calls the adventure Science. - Edwin Powell Hubble A short movie narrated by Carl Sagan: "Wanderers" http://vimeo.com/108650530 patrick

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Wanderers
by Wiggins Patrick 03 Dec '14

03 Dec '14

A short movie narrated by Carl Sagan: "Wanderers" http://vimeo.com/108650530 patrick

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Launch of Japan's Hayabusa 2
by Wiggins Patrick 02 Dec '14

02 Dec '14

Here's hoping Hayabusa 2 has fewer problems and is even more successful than it's predecessor. patrick 718 --From the NBC News website-- Japan's Hayabusa 2 Probe Launches Toward Target Asteroid The Japanese Hayabusa 2 probe has begun its long mission to space to bring back a sample of a distant asteroid after a successful launch late Tuesday night (early Wednesday afternoon local time) from Tanegashima Space Center. Its target is an asteroid called 1999 JU3, where it will land and deploy several mobile instruments to break a few pieces off the surface to take home. It's similar to the first Hayabusa mission, which made its rendezvous with the Itokawa asteroid in 2005, 180 million miles from Earth. However, that probe was unable to successfully deploy its lander, though it did bring back to Earth a few specks of material. Hayabusa 2 carries improved landing gadgetry, a more sophisticated lander capsule and several small mobile rover-like devices — as well as an explosive charge designed to make a crater and expose lower layers of the asteroid's surface. An archived live stream of the launch is available on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9TwlwZobc4 (launch is at 01:09:40)

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