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"Meteorite trail" redux - and partial consensus
by Dale Hooper 21 Dec '04

21 Dec '04

The alleged Australian meteorite trail discussed here was also featured on the Astronomy Picture of the Day for 7 Dec 2004. There was a discussion there to attempt to come to a consensus. The discussion generated 118 pages (yes, apparently - some people really do have too much time on their hands) and a partial consensus was reached - that it "may" be a flying insect. If you are interested, you can see all the gory detail here: http://bb.nightskylive.net/asterisk/viewtopic.php?t=249 Clear skies, Dale.

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The Comet, Dark Sky Sites and other Erata.
by Nathaniel Goodman 21 Dec '04

21 Dec '04

Viewed the Comet from my Holladay ,Utah light poluted house site on the 16th, found it fairly easly with a pair of 9x63 Little Big Giant Binoculars, looked like a sort of smaller M13 or 22 no tail visible. Attempts to see it the next night 17th were Fogged out and have been ever since. I don't know why there is so much intrest in a Dark Sky Site when SLAS had a committee and it died at the end for lack of intrest and competition from the Startup of SPOC II OBSERVATORY. I'am not counting new comer astronomers to Utah who have always or may now be intrested in Dark Site, but others now coming out of the wood work and championing a Dark Site, where were y'all way back when I was on the original SLAS Dark Sky Committe with others and we had just gotton to the stage where we were investigating finding land that we could use. I would welcome a Dark Site, but it appears no one wants it as a Salt Lake Astro thing. Oh well. Now on to NASCAR Racing and the proposed Larry Miller Raceway in Toole County. We already have one facility "Rocky Mountain Raceway" do we really need another. That Track with it's unshielded stadium lighting is still fully lit at two or three in the morning when I drive past it on my way home from SPOC Events, long after the racing is over. Now I 'am pretty sure that a new track would be no different, can anyone who is a Lighting Engineer tell me if they even produce shielded lighting or LP (Low Power) lighting that would meet the needs of Race Track owners ? Hey I recieved an invation (Solicitation) in the mail the other day to purchase NASCAR tickets for events in Arizona sounds kinda Cool. Naw think I'll just watch it on ma TB. I'am sure Miller has already Jumped thru the Necessary Hoops, or greased a few palms with the local county wags, however the only way to fight it as I see it is for Locals who are Astronomers to at least bring up the issue, even if they don't have a chance. Just like it will take local Astronomers to go to the Mosquito Abatement People and find out if they ever come out and SPRAY AROUND THE POND at Stansbury, not just in the housing areas. I bet they don't. Hey! This is a topic for another discussion, just don't get me started. OK! I have rambled on and ranted enough.Nate Goodman (NATO).

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Comet Machholz obs report 20041217 8:30 UTC
by Canopus56 20 Dec '04

20 Dec '04

Richard Tenney wrote on 2004-12-19 23:08 -700 > I also detected what seemed to be a hint > of a short tail extending West NW. I also thought I saw the tail on the 12-19, but it was so tenuous I didn't want to claim an "acquire" - at least until I see it on two successive nights. - Canopus56 (Kurt) __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Meet the all-new My Yahoo! - Try it today! http://my.yahoo.com

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Comet Machholz obs report 20041217 8:30 UTC
by Canopus56 20 Dec '04

20 Dec '04

Supplemental observing report on 20041219 8:30am: I wasn't satisfied with my diameter measurement taken on 20041217, so I went back to the same site and retook a measurement at 20041219 8:30AM and after manually rechecking the apparent fields of my lenses. At 20041219 8:30am, the comet had an estimated diameter of 16.8 arcminutes at 27.5 magnification. Repeated measurements were not taken, so I'd assign an arbitrary confidence interval of +- 2.2 arcminutes (13%). This size was estimated visually as 1/7 the TFOV of a 40mm lens with a 54 deg AFOV used in an scope with an 1100mm fl, or 27.5x. This measurement comported with an asterism in a nearby stellar field. Machholz was within 1 1/2 degs of "Y" shaped asterism involving HD27113 (v8.4) and HD27217 (v8.4). The 16.8 arcminute measurement appeared portional to the 22.3 arcminute distance between HD27113 (v8.4) and HD27217 (v8.4). A 12mm graduated reticule was used to remeasure the size of the bright core of the comet at 91.6 power. The bright core seen at the magnification was measured at approx. 1.75 arcminutes. Repeated measurements were not taken, so I'd assign an arbitrary confidence interval of 0.6 arcminutes or (30%). This corresponds to one-tick mark on the linear scale of the reticule. Some updated finder charts were prepared to mag 10 for the comet's path of Taurus and the Pleaides for January 2 through January 10. All the finder charts can be found at: http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/finder/ Finder charts: Overview 70 deg finder to 1/10/2005 with Moon phase and transit notes http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/finder/CometC2004Q270degTo… (Prime viewing time starts after sunset on January 2, 2005 through January 13, 2005) 25 deg finder with Tau orientation (north of Pleaides) to 1/10/2005 http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/finder/CometC2004Q2Tau1_10… 25 deg finder with Tau orientation (near Pleaides) to 1/08/2005 http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/finder/CometC2004Q2Tau1_8_… 25 deg finder with Tau orientation (west of Haydes) to 1/5/2005 http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/finder/CometC2004Q2Tau1_2_… 25 deg finder with Eri orientation - good through 12/27/2004 Stars to mag 10 http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/finder/CometC2004Q2Eriv10t… 25 deg finder with Lep orientation - good through 12/23/2004 Stars to mag 10 http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/finder/CometC2004Q2Lepv10t… Moon blocking and Comet C/2004Q2 (Machholz) to 2/3/2005 http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/finder/CometC2004Q2Moonto2… - Canopus56 __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Read only the mail you want - Yahoo! Mail SpamGuard. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Comet Machholz obs report 20041217 8:30 UTC
by Canopus56 19 Dec '04

19 Dec '04

Thanks Joe, Looks like the next prime viewing time frame for 9:00pm transits of the comet will begin on Jan. 3 through Jan. 13. This corresponds with the comet's predicated maximum brightness on Jan. 6 through Jan. 12. The following is a Moon blocking chart that I prepared for Machholz through February 3, 2005: Moon and Comet C/2004Q2 (Machholz) http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/finder/CometC2004Q2Moonto2… Some of finder charts referenced in my earlier post were misnamed as C2004Q4, instead of C2004Q2. The following corrects links to the courtesy finder charts for Comet C/2004 Q2(Machholz): Overview 70 deg finder to 1/10/2005 with Moon phase and transit notes http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/finder/CometC2004Q270degTo… 25 deg finder with Lep orientation - good through 12/23/2004 Stars to mag 10 http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/finder/CometC2004Q2Lepv10t… 25 deg finder with Eri orientation - good through 12/27/2004 Stars to mag 10 http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/finder/CometC2004Q2Eriv10t… It looks like I botched my measurement with the reticule eyepiece - which has a 12mm and not 9mm focal length. I redid the measurement at 20041219 8:30UTC and will repost after I redo the math on the angular size. I'm just reworking what I saw on the bright core through the 12mm - 90x lens. The visual estimate of the 1/2 brightness coma at 10.5 arcmins in the 40mm lens at 28x is good. For you high-end scope users out there, you really need more than 6" of aperature to see any detail at 90x. The image is too dim with 6" of aperature. - Kurt __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? The all-new My Yahoo! - Get yours free! http://my.yahoo.com

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Stocking stuffers
by Chuck Hards 19 Dec '04

19 Dec '04

I found a product today that may have use in the astronomer's arsenal. Coleman makes an LED light called "Campsite Marker Light". Sold in pairs, they come in red, green or amber. Each is about 7/8" wide and 1-7/8" long, egg-shaped. Half of each is a colored transparent lens (the LED is white regardless of lens color) that you twist to turn the LED on and off. Each pair comes with batteries (3 button cells for each, total of six) and the manufacturer claims a 20-hour run time on a set of batteries, longer for intermittant use. Each also has a plastic clip and small split-ring for attachment to key rings or lines. The clip opens to no more than 3/8", probably for small branches or tent/camper protruberances. They may be adaptable as tripod leg lights, but they emit a steady light and do not flash. Price is about four to five dollars for a pair, and they are available locally wherever Coleman products are sold. At that price you can buy them just for the button cells, and toss the lights, still being money ahead. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - You care about security. So do we. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail

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Yerkes for sale; get out the checkbook Siegfried!
by Richard Tenney 18 Dec '04

18 Dec '04

Yerkes is being sold! Check it out at: http://skyandtelescope.com/news/article_1408_1.asp This is a national historic landmark! Time for Ziggy to upgrade from the old 9-incher... ;o) Rich __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Send holiday email and support a worthy cause. Do good. http://celebrity.mail.yahoo.com

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Comet Machholz obs report 20041217 8:30 UTC
by Spam Block 18 Dec '04

18 Dec '04

Comet Machholz observing report Begin: 20041217 7:29 UTC | 20041216 11:23PM Local Time (MST) End: 20041217 8:45 UTC | 20041217 0:45AM Local Time (MST) By: Kurt Fisher, SLAS member (canopus56(a)yahoo.com) Location: North Fork Winter Trailhead Parking Lot (Off Mirror Lake Highway, approx. 12 miles east of Kamas, Utah) 40 deg 35.75'N, 111 deg 5.78'W Elevation: 7500 ft. Temp: 4 deg C Target: Comet C/2004 Q2 (Machholz) was at approx. local alt 25 deg (hand measured), azm transiting on meridian. Limiting magnitude: ZLM: 6.2 per IMO Limiting Magnitude Area 2 (Perseus) (15 stars) NELM at Machholz: 6.0 per IMO Limiting Magnitude Area 22 (Lep) (14-15 stars) Seeing: Antoniadi II; Pickering 7-8 Observed with: Scope - SLAS Loaner scope #2 - 6" Newt 1120mm fl. Dob Lenses - 40mm - 28x 1.25 TFOV 30mm - 37x 15mm - 75x 9mm - 124x 9mm Graduated reticule Other - 8 x 35 Binoculars Rough sketch: 20041217 8:30 UTC 28x 1.25 deg TFOV http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/observed/C2004Q2/20041217_… Comments: After initially locating this comet in the early morning hours of December 16, local time, low in the extinction zone, I decided to try again from a truly dark skies site in the Unita Mountains. Arrival at the observing point was timed for the comet's transit and the setting of the Moon. The comet's magnitude is probably between 5.0-5.5, as reported by ICQ observers, but no attempt was made to estimate magnitude during this session, due to the cold weather using the in/out method. Currently the comet is passing through Eri. Because of the lack of bright stars in Eri, location of this fast-moving comet was more difficult than expected. Initially I confused it with 53 Eri. Until the comet reaches omi1-omi2 Eri around December 23, just look for the brightest object south of omi1-omi2 Eri, but above the declination of gam Eri. Unlike other comments seen in recent years, Comet Machholz is distinguished by its lack of an easily discernible tail. The 1-2 deg extended wispy ion tail seen in astrophotographs posted on the web was not seen, probably due to the small aperature size used, e.g. - http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap041213.html (aperature not stated) http://galaxyphoto.com/temp/jw_comet12_14_.jpg (with a 12" Schmidt) Nonetheless, at low magnification (28x), it is a subtle and beautiful object to follow. With six inches of aperture a faint bow shockwave could be seen. The shockwave had a slight brightness above the background sky brightness. (It appeared similar to a faint nebula, like the California nebulae with a hydrogen filter.) The bright central coma is embedded in the shockwave. See drawing. The ability to see a bowwave was probably a result of very dark skies at the observing site. Low magnification (40mm-28x or 30mm-37x) was the most effective. Computed size from a visual estimate in the 40mm lens at 28x ( without a reticule ) for the 1/2 brightness limit - the coma diameter - (the outer circle in the figure) was 10.5 arcminutes. This is consistent with the most recent International Comet Quarterly Reports. << http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/icq/CometMags.html >> Every five to ten seconds, a bright extended glint and/or a point glint could be seen within the center of the bright coma. The averted image impression was one of a tiny hourglass shape; however, this was visual impression only and no definite detection occurred. Using a 9mm graduated reticule lens, a brighter area within the central coma was measured and estimated at 1.3 arcminutes. When driving back to Salt Lake City, I briefly stopped on, East Canyon Highway below Little Mountain and above East Canyon Reservoir, to check the visibility of the comet in urban skies. The comet was detectable from East Canyon, although it was more difficult to locate because of the relative lack of guide stars. Similarly, I could locate the comet using 10x 50 binoculars in the Avenues, but only because I had previously located the comet at a dark skies site. In an urban sky, it appears only as a faint fuzzy brightness above the urban background sky brightness. Again, as the comet approaches omi1 Eri around December 23, locating the comet under an urban or suburban-rural sky should be less difficult. Although the Moon increasingly will wash out the sky through Jan. 3rd, 2005, wide-field astrophotographers should have a good day around Jan. 8, when the comet passes with a few degrees of the Pleiades. The comet is predicted to reach its maximum brightness beginning around Jan. 3rd and continuing through Jan. 10. There will be an early evening observing window around Jan. 8 before the Moon rises. All in all, this is a great comet and is worth driving to a dark skies site to see, at least once through Jan. 10. Rough finder charts were plotted using the Minor Planet Center ephemerides service. << http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/Ephemerides/Comets/index.html >> These charts are available at: Overview 70 deg finder to 1/10/2005 with Moon phase and transit notes http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/finder/CometC2004Q47... 25 deg finder with Lep orientation - good through 12/23/2004 Stars to mag 10 http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/finder/CometC2004Q4L... 25 deg finder with Eri orientation - good through 12/27/2004 Stars to mag 10 http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/finder/CometC2004Q4E... Ephemerides can be found at: http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/Ephemerides/Comets/index.html http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eph - Canopus56 P.S. - I'm not quite sure what causes a wispy "ion" trail as opposed to the "streak" tails I have seen on previous comets. Any guesses? __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Send holiday email and support a worthy cause. Do good. http://celebrity.mail.yahoo.com

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Remote site
by Olhomorto＠aol.com 17 Dec '04

17 Dec '04

I am interested in investigating further. Mike Bailey

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Re: Remote site
by Chuck Hards 16 Dec '04

16 Dec '04

Don't fret, my dear old friend, reread the same line you copied..."that time is not even on the horizon yet" Plenty of time to enjoy the place, nobody's thinking of moving anything. Hopefully we'll be too old to do it when the time comes anyway. With luck it will outlive us at it's present location, then moving it will be the problem of the board-members at that time, who are still in elementary school right now and have no clue of the work ahead of them... ;) > From: "Siegfried Jachmann" <ziggy943(a)xmission.com> > << Finally, everyone needs to know that Bruce is a > pretty > darn clever engineer. All of the instruments at > SPOC, > including the big scope, can be moved to a new site > (either close or remote) when the time comes, and > that > time is not even on the horizon yet. >> > Talk of moving the big scope is a little premature. > It's not even built yet. > > Siegfried __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - 250MB free storage. Do more. Manage less. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250

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