- Utah-Astronomy - mailman.xmission.com

Re: [Utah-astronomy] Comet -satellite
by Warren Stockton 03 Apr '02

03 Apr '02

On Wednesday 03 April 2002 19:59, Chuck Hards wrote: > Did anyone else see a satellite pass just east (above) > the comet at 7:48 local time tonight (Wed.)? > > Chuck Yes, Moving in a NE direction at a pretty good pace... I grabbed a pair of 10x binos, but could not make out anymore that I did with the naked eye. Orange in color.. I searched thru the databases I have loaded in XEphem, but the only object that I find in the area, moving at about the right pace and direction, is METEOR 1-4 Sky List: Topocentric Apparent place, Epoch 2002.26, 4/03/2002 19:47:26 MST Name RA Dec Az Alt VMag Elong RisTm TrnTm TrnAlt SetTm Type --------------------- ----------- ----------- --------- --------- ---- ------ ----- ----- ------ ----- ---- METEOR 1-4 23:59:48.07 69:48:31.4 340:40:45 28:03:07 21:19 NoTrn NoTran 19:52 Earth Sat Warren. -- Warren Stockton mailto:Warren.Stockton@XMission.com

1 0

Comet -satellite
by Chuck Hards 03 Apr '02

03 Apr '02

Did anyone else see a satellite pass just east (above) the comet at 7:48 local time tonight (Wed.)? Chuck __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - online filing with TurboTax http://taxes.yahoo.com/

2 1

RE: [Utah-astronomy] Bolide??? 4/2/02 at 7:45 pm MST due south
by forrell＠es.com 03 Apr '02

03 Apr '02

I almost mentioned that I thought it was later, but since I didn't check the time, I didn't comment. -----Original Message----- From: Joe Bauman [mailto:bau@desnews.com] Sent: Wednesday, April 03, 2002 10:30 AM To: utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com Subject: RE: [Utah-astronomy] Bolide??? 4/2/02 at 7:45 pm MST due south Jim, wasn't the one everyone saw (but me) later than 7:45? I was packing my gear to go home and that's why I didn't see it. But wasn't that after 9 p.m.? Were there two? -- Joe _______________________________________________ Utah-astronomy mailing list Utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy

2 2

Re: Bolides
by Chuck Hards 03 Apr '02

03 Apr '02

A check of the SkyWatch Website (http://www.sky-watch.com/meteor.html) indicates that the bolides seen last night MIGHT be associated with the Lyrid meteor shower, which is supposed to occur this year from April 16 to 25. Two weeks prior is very early, but they could be associated with a distant related stream. Another alternative is re-entering space junk, I believe there are Websites related to that flotsam and jetsam orbiting Earth The third alternative is that of garden-variety sporadic bolides. Two of them within hours of each other is slightly unusual. Chuck __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - online filing with TurboTax http://taxes.yahoo.com/

3 3

RE: [Utah-astronomy] Re: Bolides
by David Dunn 03 Apr '02

03 Apr '02

I found a meteor shower that is currently on. The Virginids run from January 25 to April 15. Here is a little description from http://www.namnmeteors.org/ The Virginids (VIR) continue until about April 15th, as the radiant moves along the path of the ecliptic in the sky. These meteors are almost slow, with a velocity of about 30 km per second. ZHR rates are about 5 meteors per hour. On April 10th, just before new moon, the radiant will be at 203 degrees, ie RA 13h 31.8m, Dec -7, which is about 4 degrees up to the left of the star Spica in Virgo. Last night I was in my hot tub about midnight, recovering from a pollishing session at Brent's hanger, I thought I saw a couple of meteors. They were dim but they might have been coming from Virgo. Dave -----Original Message----- From: Richard Tenney [mailto:retenney@yahoo.com] Sent: Wednesday, April 03, 2002 1:48 PM To: utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Re: Bolides Debbie Whitaker and I observed a nice one slightly East of Zenith approx 8:30 Saturday night, but it was traveling -- in the same direction I saw two other dimmer meteors -- out of the north going south within 5 minutes of each other; made me wonder if there was some shower afoot that I was unaware of... Rich --- Chuck Hards <chuckhards(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > A check of the SkyWatch Website > (http://www.sky-watch.com/meteor.html) indicates > that > the bolides seen last night MIGHT be associated with > the Lyrid meteor shower, which is supposed to occur > this year from April 16 to 25. Two weeks prior is > very early, but they could be associated with a > distant related stream. > > Another alternative is re-entering space junk, I > believe there are Websites related to that flotsam > and > jetsam orbiting Earth > > The third alternative is that of garden-variety > sporadic bolides. Two of them within hours of each > other is slightly unusual. > > Chuck > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Tax Center - online filing with TurboTax > http://taxes.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!? Yahoo! Tax Center - online filing with TurboTax http://taxes.yahoo.com/ _______________________________________________ Utah-astronomy mailing list Utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy

1 0

RE: [Utah-astronomy] Bolide??? 4/2/02 at 7:45 pm MST due south
by forrell＠es.com 03 Apr '02

03 Apr '02

My son and I were out viewing the comet from the Lakeside area and saw it. It was pretty spectacular! Your description agrees pretty close with what I saw. By the way, although the skies were not all that clear, the zodiacal light was visible. The comet looked pretty good in my CG-11, but I didn't get any pictures. -----Original Message----- From: Jim Stitley [mailto:sitf2000@yahoo.com] Sent: Tuesday, April 02, 2002 8:09 PM To: utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Bolide??? 4/2/02 at 7:45 pm MST due south I was traveling south on Bangeter Hwy, and stopped at the light at 5400 South. At 7:45 pm MST, A HUGE bolide(?) came into my view. It was about 25-30 degrees above the southern horizon. Angle about 75-80 degrees off vertical heading west. There was a bright white trail, followed by a yellow-orange flare followed by a fine bright blue one. The entire duation was several seconds and all extinguished at about the same time. The distance from the end of the white trail to the blue fireball was appro. 4-5 moon diameters. Did any else see it??? It was very bright - I would say the white trails might have been -2 magnitude or brighter. It was an incredible display!!! Wonder if anyone caught on film by accident. Would be interested in whether anyone else saw it. Jim Stitley __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - online filing with TurboTax http://taxes.yahoo.com/ _______________________________________________ Utah-astronomy mailing list Utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy

4 3

Thursday night photo op
by Chuck Hards 03 Apr '02

03 Apr '02

Joe (Bauman): How is the western horizon from the east side of Skull Valley? Is it low? I worry about dust and atmospheric extinction with the object so low by the time the sky is dark. There is also the problem of distant headlights from I-80 shooting over the hills toward the east. Not noticeable to the naked eye, but the film will pick it up in the form of reduced contrast. True darkness won't even be available before the comet gets too low, we need all the help we can get. I had thought that shooting from the western shore of Antelope Island might provide an opportunity for much better seeing, being that the line-of-sight would be over water, along with much less local atmospheric dust for the same reason. There also is a chance to get a great shot using a short-focal-length lens; if the water's surface is smooth, a reflection of the comet and galaxy might be imaged on the water along with the sky image itself. What do you think? What are the group's thoughts? Thanks Chuck PS: The comet was much subdued from my backyard tonight; I can tell that there is a lot more dust in the air (the Chinese cloud?) and high cirrus. Saturday night had by far the clearest air in the past week. Love those Bears! __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - online filing with TurboTax http://http://taxes.yahoo.com/

6 6

Re: [Utah-astronomy] Comet question
by Josephine M. Grahn 03 Apr '02

03 Apr '02

Allen and I were going to head out to the lakeside road tonight. Usually we go roughly 4.5 miles down the paved road from the freeway exit, to a left hand turn-off. (I think there is either a cattle guard painted on the road or a very small culvert just before the turn off, and a sign that says where the road goes. From there we go perhaps 1/4 mile to a wide area that is almost parking lot size, and we set up there. In the past we never had real problems with dust, but we haven't been out there yet this year. This gets us away from most residual freeway lights and most of the lights at that industrial plant. there is still a glow from Salt Lake, but it's no worse than Rush Valley, and probably not as bad. Normally we also get a nice serenade from the coyotes, which adds to the aura. We expect to head out there a little before 6:00 tonight. We'd love the company if anyone else wants to come, and we'll certainly let you know tomorrow how the NW horizon was. There are some hills to the west, but we're roughly 7 miles from the peak, which is 2200 feet above the valley floor, so they only block ~5 degrees, which we don't want to see anyway..... Jo >I was on the Lakeside road last night to see the comet. But a dust storm >forced a hasty retreat. The lights visible out there (when the dust is >blowing) are SLC glow to the east and some from the industries at >Aragonite to the south. The north and north west are fine. The road is >pretty much in the bottom of the valley, with dirt spurs to the east >and west. I think one marked Well Pass goes up and over to Lakeside. >This >is dusty country; how would people would feel about setting up scopes on >dusty dirt roads? > >Did get to see the comet from the second Grantsville exit. Fun to see >the comet and M31 in one binocular field of view. > >If the weather's good I'll probably be on the Lakeside road tonight. > > >Bill Biesele >

3 2

Re: [Utah-astronomy] Comet question
by Josephine M. Grahn 03 Apr '02

03 Apr '02

Bill, That sounds about right. I was pretty sure it mentioned a well that was not on the maps, but I couldn't remember which. Hope to see you there. Jo >We'll be out there; can't tell if where you go is the same one I've been >using but it's close. I think the road we turn west on is marked Big >Well(?). > >Bill Biesele

3 2

I'm baaaack!
by Chuck Hards 02 Apr '02

02 Apr '02

Hello to all my Utah-astronomy friends, I'm back on the list! Despite better judgement, considering my AOL v3.0 browser (utterly contemptable crap; but hey, it's free for a while longer) viewing comet Ikeya-Zhang these past two nights has made me "homesick" for your company! Anybody else looking at this cute little comet? Chuck __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Greetings - send holiday greetings for Easter, Passover http://greetings.yahoo.com/

9 42