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Just what we need
by Michael Carnes 02 Apr '04

02 Apr '04

http://www.darkskyglasses.com

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] The Refractor
by UTAHDEB＠aol.com 01 Apr '04

01 Apr '04

I think the success of the TeleVue 102 and the Takahashi FS 102 refractors is because they are doublet APOs designed for the visual observer. I've seen people on AstroMart sell the more expensive TeleVue NP-101 in favor of the TeleVue 102 doublet refractor. When it comes to buying refractors, people have highly personal criteria for buying them. I've never looked through an achromatic telescope but I plan on viewing through one sometime this summer. Some people prefer a longer focal length refractor for viewing planets and doubles. I've looked into the D&G line of achromat refractors and I've been to the D&G website and viewed the customer comments on their fine quality refractors. I like to read Sissy Haas reports with her 5" D&G in Sky and Telescope magazine. If I had an observatory, I'd like to own an 8" D&G someday. I think they are a good value for the money but they require a beefy mount. Any refractor over 6 inches gets a bit bulky for me to lug around. Debie

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Clarification: dihydrogen monoxide
by Patrick Wiggins 31 Mar '04

31 Mar '04

I hate it when I have to explain my puns... But I have now heard from a couple of people off list who did not understand my post earlier this week about the "controversy" about dihydrogen monoxide and though the arguments posted here were real. Dihydrogen monoxide = H2O = Water. Sorry for the confusion. Guess I should have posted it on April Fool's Day. Patrick ;-) http://www.dhmo.org

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Finally, a decent night of seeing
by UTAHDEB＠aol.com 31 Mar '04

31 Mar '04

It's been 2 1/2 months since I had a good night of seeing. I set up the TV-102 refractor on the Losmandy GM-8 mount to view some doubles, planets, and the moon. I was surprised to see the "C" ring on Saturn. I saw a clean split of the Cassini Division plus detail on the globe at 125X. Instead of reaching for the 5mm Radian, I grabbed the 4mm Radian. It was an awesome view at 220X. I've never seen Saturn this good in this telescope. It made we wish I had a 3mm Radian and a 6" refractor. I first checked the seeing with Theta Aurigae. It was an easy split at 125X. I thought Ithis is supposed to be a tough one. Then I went to Epsilon Canis Majoris. I could see the faint secondary star at about the 4 o'clock position. It was a clean split tonight. Then I went on to Kappa Puppis. This is a 3.8 and 4.0 mag, 9.9" almost equal matched pair. It was a pretty sight at 125X. I went north to Eta Puppis, a 5.1 mag, 9.8" equal matched pair. This was also a pretty double. My next target was the Tau Canis Majoris cluster, a pretty open cluster despite the light pollution from the half moon. I just love viewing this cluster. I viewed it on March 19th with the 15" and it is one of my favorite star clusters in the Milky Way. Just to the north of this cluster is the "Winter Albeiro", a pretty 27" wide gold-blue double with a striking color contrast. Nice view at 40X. My next target was the triple star Beta Monocerotis. This is a 4.7, 5.2, and 6.2 mag triple with 7.2" and 2.9" separations. I got a clean split at 125X. All three stars are white. My last double was Gamma Leonis, a striking bright pair of yellow suns. I turned my scope to Jupiter and I could see much detail at 125X with the 7mm Nagler. When I put in the 4mm Radian(220X), Jupiter was larger than life. The Great Red Spot was readily apparent and I could see a smaller storm to the left of the Great Red Spot. After looking at all the bands of Jupiter I thought I'd take a high power look (220X) at the moon. The craters along the terminator were amazing. I felt like I was hovering over the moon in a spacecraft. The mountains on the moon almost looked 3D. I can only imagine how Jim Lovell saw it on his Apollo 8 mission. Clear Skies, Debbie

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Saturn image through an RV-6
by Richard Tenney 31 Mar '04

31 Mar '04

Got the following from a fellow on the Criterion Dynascope list today. Amazing webcam image obtained from this humble classic 6-inch newtonian (I'm still the original owner of a vintage 1972 RV-6, still my preferred grab-n-go scope)... --------------------------------------------------- This was captured with a Philips ToUcam Pro webcam through a Tele Vue 2x barlow with an extension tube: http://www.unm.edu/~abqtom/images/Planets/Saturn/2004-03-22-TEW-Sat.jpg __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Finance Tax Center - File online. File on time. http://taxes.yahoo.com/filing.html

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RE: [Utah-astronomy] Saturn image through an RV-6
by Corr, Tom 31 Mar '04

31 Mar '04

Speaking of webcam's . . . does anyone on the Utah Astronomy listserv have any information about building one's own webcam recorder that is adapted for astrophotography? If someone does, we could communicate offline to keep the traffic controlled. Aside from cost savings, I like the idea of building my own recorder - at least initially. I was going to build the Cook Book CCD, but that is no longer possible since chips are no longer available for that CCD. I recently read on article in either S&T or Astronomy that whetted my appetite to make a webcam substitute for the CCD. Tom -----Original Message----- From: Richard Tenney [mailto:retenney@yahoo.com] Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2004 12:25 PM To: Utah-Astronomy; UVAA Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Saturn image through an RV-6 Got the following from a fellow on the Criterion Dynascope list today. Amazing webcam image obtained from this humble classic 6-inch newtonian (I'm still the original owner of a vintage 1972 RV-6, still my preferred grab-n-go scope)... --------------------------------------------------- This was captured with a Philips ToUcam Pro webcam through a Tele Vue 2x barlow with an extension tube: http://www.unm.edu/~abqtom/images/Planets/Saturn/2004-03-22-TEW-Sat.jpg __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Finance Tax Center - File online. File on time. http://taxes.yahoo.com/filing.html _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.utahastronomy.com

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Finally, a decent night of seeing
by UTAHDEB＠aol.com 31 Mar '04

31 Mar '04

The thing I like about refractors is that you get consistent good views despite mediocre seeing. When seeing is good, you get razor sharp images. I think that is why astrophotographers like refractors so much. Debbie

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The Moon Part II
by Jim Gibson 30 Mar '04

30 Mar '04

I loved what I saw on the moon last night so I couldnt wait to try it again tonight. At the top or North Northwest the terminator cuts across the Southern point of sinus Iridium and immediately there are a pair of small craters; Helicon and Verrier. The terminator then passes across Mare Imbrium into Oceanus Procellarum near Mare Insularum where Copernicus, Reinhold, and Lansberg stand out quite noticeably. Above Copernicus is Eratosthenes at the Southern end of the Apennine Mountains. As the terminator passes down into Mare Nubium close by is Bullialdus, Bullialdus A, Bullialdus B, and Konig forming a nice little coma shape that I had not noticed before. The central peaks in the floors of Eratosthenes, Copernicus, Bullialdus, and Tycho are easy to see now where as during a full moon sometimes they are washed out. About a year ago I bought some filters form Orion when they were on sale. I started with the SkyGlow filter and went around the tray; SkyGlow, 80A med Blue, Variable Polarizer, Number 25 Red, Number 15 Deep Yellow, and Number 58 Green. With each one I looked at the above mention objects plus I also looked way out near the limb at Picard in Mare Crisium, the rays ejected from Messier A in Fecunditatis and the rays about Proclus. I wish I could say something intelligent about what I saw and how the filters work, but first of all it is hard for me to say anything really intelligent and second, the only thing I think the filters did for me is that it kept my eye from being overwhelmed by the bright light of the moon. Each one enhanced the contrast somewhat, but mostly it was just fun seeing the moon in different colored light. SkyGlow was neat; it was kind of a eerie green color. It is still there. Go take a look. JG --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Finance Tax Center - File online. File on time.

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Patrick & DHMO
by Josephine Grahn 29 Mar '04

29 Mar '04

Patrick, I am appalled that you would bring this out in public. As you well know, some of our favorite club members have an ongoing addiction to this dangerous substance, and I think that it is in extremely poor taste to start publicly humiliating them by pushing the topic in your daily news. This is a new low for you and I am truly disgusted! Sincerely, Jo >>>Dihydrogen Monoxide The controversy surrounding dihydrogen monoxide has never been more widely debated, and the goal of this site is to provide an unbiased data clearinghouse and a forum for public discussion. http://www.dhmo.org <<<

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Beautiful Moon
by Jim Gibson 29 Mar '04

29 Mar '04

I had just a few minutes to step outside tonight after 9:30 and look at the moon. The moon is sooo beautiful. From the North, the terminator runs down through Mare Frigoris and Imbrium clearly exposing the creator Plato, continuing down through Mare Cognitum with Albategnius, Ptolemaeus, Alphonsus, and Arzachel center stage and in the Southern Highlands Tycho, Maginus, and Clavius are clearly lit up. I never get tired of looking at the moon. It shows you something different every night. JG --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Finance Tax Center - File online. File on time.

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