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Fisheye lens, aurora
by Chuck Hards 02 Jul '02

02 Jul '02

I tried sending this earlier but Yahoo had other plans. Please excuse if it comes through twice. I finally broke-down and bought a fisheye lens for my old Pentax, for meteors, comets, and the aurora. Any suggestions on color film for the aurora? Seems I've read recently that certain emulsions turn the black sky green or brown...does this ring a bell? I noticed on my comet Hale-Bopp shots that some of my frames had a reddish cast, others seemed to have a normal balance. Before you start explaining color balance and color chemistry to me, I already know all about it. The color shift was on the same roll, all frames processed and printed identically. What was different was some were morning shots, some evening. Any guiding quirks I should know about with a fisheye lens? Thanks Chuck __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Sign up for SBC Yahoo! Dial - First Month Free http://sbc.yahoo.com

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RE: [Utah-astronomy] Astronomy books and software
by forrell＠es.com 02 Jul '02

02 Jul '02

My favorite book I always take observing is the "Universe from Your Backyard" by David Eicher and Kalmbach Publishing. This book is a collection of the monthly constellation highlights from Astronomy magazine. It covered 46 of the most interesting constellations with descriptions, sketches and photos of many deep sky objects. My only complaint with this book is the star charts. I usually need to refer to an atlas for finding faint objects. Unfortunately, this book is currently out of print. If you can find a copy, buy it. -----Original Message----- From: Richard Tenney [mailto:retenney@yahoo.com] Sent: Tuesday, July 02, 2002 1:02 PM To: utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Astronomy books and software Kathleen, One book that is a MUST for beginners learning the constellations is H.A. Rey's (of "Curious George" fame) "The Stars - A New Way To See Them", still in print after several decades. This book is one of my very favorites, and I've also heard Dave Bearnson (sp?) second that sentiment. It also appeals to a very wide range of ages, beginning with kids about 10 years old and up through adults. The big strength of this book is how he redraws the lines to make the various constellations make sense, allowing you to remember the shapes in the sky. I also second Chuck's endorsement of Scotty Houston's many years at S&T - I have his compilation (put together by Stephen James O'Meara) "Deep Sky Wonders"; it makes excellent bedtime reading! Burnhams is also a wonderful reference loaded with useful and interesting information. For picture books I haven't seen a better collecton of stunningly beautiful deep-sky photographs than the aptly named volume by Ken Croswell titled "Magnificent Universe". If you only buy one "coffee table" book to impress your friends and fully appreciate what those faint fuzzies truly look like, this is it. My 2 cents, Rich --- Chuck Hards <chuckhards(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > Kathleen, I second Patricks endorsement of the > Edmund > material. Is it still in print? There is also > quite > a bit of fundamental astronomy, along with atm > projects, in "All About Telescopes" by Sam Brown, > another old Edmund publication. > > A planisphere is almost mandatory, and handy as > heck. > I have several stashed in various places, should the > need arise. There are a couple of mini-planispheres > available now that allow one to hide in the glove > compartment, alongside those 10x25 mini binos and my > insurance card & registration. > > For familiarization on a more detailed level, I have > always liked Burnham's Celestial Handbook, in three > volumes. I still carry my beat-up hardbacked set > with > me to the eyepiece. > > My primary atlas until 1996 was the > 50-year-old-coordinates Skalnate Pleso (Rocky Lake > Observatory), which I laminated in about 1977. I > think I bought it from Patrick at the planetarium. > Still my public star-party atlas. > > Now I like Sky Atlas 2000 and Uranometria 2000. > Saving my bucks for the Millenium Atlas. > > But probably THE single most motivating and > instructional material for me as a novice was Walter > Scott Houston's monthly column in Sky & Telescope: > Deep Sky Wonders. Selected material from the column > have been reprinted in book form, available from Sky > Publishing. > > Chuck > > > > > --- "Warner, Kathleen" <kwarner(a)acs.utah.edu> wrote: > > Hello all: > > > > I'm also interested in hearing your thoughts on > any > > books and/or > > software you have found useful in helping you to > > become more familiar > > with the night sky. If there are also some > websites > > you have used to do > > this, I'd like to hear about those too. > > > > Thanks all, > > Kathleen Warner > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Utah-Astronomy mailing list > > Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com > > > http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Sign up for SBC Yahoo! Dial - First Month Free > http://sbc.yahoo.com > > _______________________________________________ > Utah-Astronomy mailing list > Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com > http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Sign up for SBC Yahoo! Dial - First Month Free http://sbc.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy

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Astronomy books and software
by Warner, Kathleen 02 Jul '02

02 Jul '02

Hello all: I'm also interested in hearing your thoughts on any books and/or software you have found useful in helping you to become more familiar with the night sky. If there are also some websites you have used to do this, I'd like to hear about those too. Thanks all, Kathleen Warner

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RE: [Utah-astronomy] Astronomy books and software
by Warner, Kathleen 02 Jul '02

02 Jul '02

Thanks all. I will figure out how to incorporate all this info into the website. Kathleen McCarthy Warner Client Support Team Administrative Computing Services University of Utah -----Original Message----- From: David Dunn [mailto:david.dunn@albertsons.com] Sent: Tuesday, July 02, 2002 06:57 To: 'utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com' Subject: RE: [Utah-astronomy] Astronomy books and software In addition to Brent's books, I use the Orion DeepMap 600. I have found that using this map helps because it has Messier and NGC objects on one map. I can see how they are positioned in relation to each other. For M8 (Lagoon) I look for a fuzzy patch above the spout on the teapot. For M20 (Trifid) I start at M8 and move up and over about one field of view. For M17 (Swan) I look for a fuzzy patch High above the handle. M24 is also visible as a fuzzy patch you need to go to the fuzzy patch above and left of M24. For M16 (Eagle) I start at M17 and go up a couple of fields. M57 (Ring) is almost in the middle between the bottom two stars of the paralellagram in Lira. M97 (Owl) in near and slightly below the bottom corner of the bowl of the dipper. NGC6543 (Cat's Eye) There is a set of 4 stars in Draco just off of the bowl of the little dipper and near the head of Draco. You need to position in the middle where diagonal lines would intersect. At first it will look like a fat blue star near another star. You need to add power to get a good look and see the central star. Brent's book does a good job of showing the relation ship of these stars. -----Original Message----- From: Warner, Kathleen [mailto:kwarner@acs.utah.edu] Sent: Monday, July 01, 2002 5:48 PM To: utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Astronomy books and software Hello all: I'm also interested in hearing your thoughts on any books and/or software you have found useful in helping you to become more familiar with the night sky. If there are also some websites you have used to do this, I'd like to hear about those too. Thanks all, Kathleen Warner _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy

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RE: [Utah-astronomy] Astronomy books and software
by David Dunn 02 Jul '02

02 Jul '02

In addition to Brent's books, I use the Orion DeepMap 600. I have found that using this map helps because it has Messier and NGC objects on one map. I can see how they are positioned in relation to each other. For M8 (Lagoon) I look for a fuzzy patch above the spout on the teapot. For M20 (Trifid) I start at M8 and move up and over about one field of view. For M17 (Swan) I look for a fuzzy patch High above the handle. M24 is also visible as a fuzzy patch you need to go to the fuzzy patch above and left of M24. For M16 (Eagle) I start at M17 and go up a couple of fields. M57 (Ring) is almost in the middle between the bottom two stars of the paralellagram in Lira. M97 (Owl) in near and slightly below the bottom corner of the bowl of the dipper. NGC6543 (Cat's Eye) There is a set of 4 stars in Draco just off of the bowl of the little dipper and near the head of Draco. You need to position in the middle where diagonal lines would intersect. At first it will look like a fat blue star near another star. You need to add power to get a good look and see the central star. Brent's book does a good job of showing the relation ship of these stars. -----Original Message----- From: Warner, Kathleen [mailto:kwarner@acs.utah.edu] Sent: Monday, July 01, 2002 5:48 PM To: utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Astronomy books and software Hello all: I'm also interested in hearing your thoughts on any books and/or software you have found useful in helping you to become more familiar with the night sky. If there are also some websites you have used to do this, I'd like to hear about those too. Thanks all, Kathleen Warner _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy

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1 more request RE: Summer observing ideas
by Warner, Kathleen 01 Jul '02

01 Jul '02

OK, I have one more request from Chuck, Brent and David who all responded to my original post. Would you send instructions on how to find these objects if someone was very new to astronomy. I'd like some simple instructions available for those people newly interested in astronomy and are browsing our website. Thanks. Kathleen Warner

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Re: Permanent Dark-Sky site thoughts
by Karen Pierce 01 Jul '02

01 Jul '02

Patrick wrote: > >And then there's the fact that the club can never seem to agree on where >to do private star parties. How in the world could there ever be >consensus on where to put such a facility? > Part of this problem, is after the club picks the site, votes that as the "Official Site" for the month, small groups get together and plans their own "Dark Site Location. When the official site has been voten on by club members, that is where the support should be not where small groups are saying, "The official site is ______ but a groups of us will be going to ________ site, anyone who wants can join us." That is where some of the problem is. A Chair person, Don Colton, was chosen to pick the sites but still there are those who will go their own way. >Personally, I like having an observatory built on the back of my house. Sure, >the skies are not perfect but I can still see M-13, M-31 and the milky way >naked eye. And the fact that when I'm home I'm never more than a couple of >minutes away from the start of another observing session makes such sessions >happen a lot more frequently than if I had to drive somewhere. > >Patrick > Not everyone is in a position, financially or physically to have an observatory in their back yard. It would be nice if we had a location to go to with half-way decent dark skies and not have to fight other crowds for a camp spot. Those who attended the "Dark-Site" meetings and on the committee were not interested in building permanent structures at this time but to just have a dark location to go to instead of the "Official Dark Site" chosen by the club. So there would be 2 places that club members could go each month - the Official Site" and the permanent "Dark Site". Deloy and Karen Pierce

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OT: Springville fire
by Chuck Hards 01 Jul '02

01 Jul '02

Are any UVAA members' homes threatened by the Springville fire? C. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com

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RE: [Utah-astronomy] Permanent Dark-Sky site thoughts
by David Dunn 01 Jul '02

01 Jul '02

I think that I need to have additional activities available. My family enjoys camping and will come with me but they also need something to do during the day. They usually satisfy their curiosity for astronomy in about an hour. I have found that my wife will only allow me a couple of weekends per year where I can go out without the family. At this point in my hobby I am just a tourist. I am learning a lot but I think that I mostly am enjoying looking at all the pretty things that I can see. I do enjoy public star parties and enjoy talking about the science. I guess that I wouldn't be able to spend much time at a real dark site. My best chance will be in about 15 years when the kids are gone. I like the retirement idea. I nice home down in a dark corner of southern Utah would be nice. Dave

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Permanent Dark-Sky site thoughts
by Chuck Hards 01 Jul '02

01 Jul '02

Reading Siegfried Jachmann's letter in the latest on-line NOVA, I was a bit surprised to learn that interest in a permanent dark-sky site is currently insufficient to pursue such a venture. There has been talk of such a facility for as long as I can recall. I'd be interested to hear what the list members think of this. It seems to me that a person interested in a permanent observatory at a dark sky site would probably: 1. See astronomy as their #1 recreational activity, regardless of season. 2. Be involved in a serious, ongoing observational program for research or imaging. 3. Have little interest in daytime activities while at the site. A permanent site has several advantages: 1. Equipment need not be transported to and from the site for each session. 2. Power availability 3. The site will not be occupied by non-astronomers who happened to get there first. Can we conclude, then, that most area amateur astronomers: 1. Have other interests that they like to combine with observing, such as daytime hikes, fishing, etc.? Is astronomy by itself insufficient to justify a camping trip? 2. Are mostly of the "nature-lover", visual tourist, rather than doing any science with their instruments & time? 3. Don't mind taking all of their equipment with them to their favorite dark-sky sites? Anyone else have any observations about this? Care to attempt to draw further conclusions? Personally, I'd love a dark-sky site. My own long-term plans, however, involve a retirement home, with the observatory in my own back yard....could it be that most of us want something similar? Complete control of our own facility? Privacy? Thanks Chuck __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com

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