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Daylight Savings Time
by Chuck Hards 12 Mar '13

12 Mar '13

Sky & Telescope agrees with many of you: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/Too-Much-Ado-About-Daylight-Saving-Time… My reasons for liking it have nothing to do with astronomy. Hey, there are still the same number of hours of darkness, what's the big deal? Many (most) of us have occassions during the year when we go to sleep an hour or more later than, or an hour or more earlier than, our normal times. Again, what's the big deal? I often have to go to bed well before the sun goes down in summer, but I wear a sleep mask year-round, so that doesn't bother me either. As I said, I like it so I have time for outdoor activities that must come after a work day and require light. DST definitely benefits those who like to work and play with growing things and the soil. If you hate changing the clocks twice a year, get an atomic one that changes itself AND shows UT. Or let's keep DST year-round. 4:50 PM sunsets in winter is bogus. ;-) (gets down off soapbox...for now...)

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OT (I Guess) DST
by Ray Druian 12 Mar '13

12 Mar '13

One of the topics of discussion at last Saturday's L&O Subcommittee Meeting was DST, as freuently happens at this time of year. With all the grumbling and moaning, I need to remind everyone that it' only twice a year, and that is applies to just about everyone except those who have the misfortune of living in the Brewer State, Arizona. Back when I was a kid it wasn't all that simple at all. In 1954, my brother, a friend of ours and I set forth upon a journey on some 3 day weekend during DST from the urbane bounds of the city of Chicago to the wilds of southern Wisconsin, to what was then a privately owned park called "Blue Mound." Blue Mound was some sort of glacial leftover that formed a hill by western standards, but was a huge mountain by midwestern standards. I think it must have been ove 100' tall! At that time, Illinois (or at least Northeast Illinois, where Chicago is, was on DST and Wisconsin was not. So we piled into the car and drove up there, deciding that we'd buy our groceries after we arrived and set up camp. While setting up camp, it occurred to us that the local groceries might already be closed if we didn't hurry, since CST was an hour later than DST. So we scrambled back into the car and made it into town just in time to realize that it was actually an hour earlier, and not an hour later than we thought. Since we had only a primitive ice box for cooling, we purchased as much as possible that didn't require refrigeration. In those days margarine, which we referred to as "oleo," wasn't the sophisticated tasting stuff like "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter," or some other stuff that contained a bit of actual butter to improve the taste. It was just some oily stuff that vaguely tasted a little like butter So there we were, getting out the pots and pans, and unpacking the grocery bags when, Jack, our friend, explodes, and tosses the container of margarine across the campsite, with fire boiling out of his eyes. It seems that in those primitive days, not only did Wisconsin not obey DST, but being the ultimate dairy state, they did everything they possibly could to discourage the use of margarine and to encourage the use of butter instead. Among their little persuasive manouvers was a law that prohibited margarine from being artificially colored. The stuff was stark white, like lard! Fortunately the brand we purchased was a bit advanced over their competitors. Most brands of margarine came equipped with a little packet of coloring matter. The margarine was to be placed in a bown and the coloring added, then the whole mass was to be stirred with one utensil or another until the coloring mixed into the grease. Our brand had a dot of color on one side of it and the entire thing was enclosed in a plastic wrap that needed to be cut with aknife or scissors to be opened. After it was for a while in its wrapper, it softened soewhat, the the user, i.e., we, were required to squeeze the package and twist and turn it until the little dot of color expanded and spread around and mixed into the rest of the oleo until it took up a color that resembled butter. I don't remember it tasting partiularly good, but it didn't taste bad either, and the next morning it seemed to work rather well for greasing up pancakes. Actually, there IS something related to astronomy in this tale of misery and woe. That first night out at Blue Mound Park was the first time in my life that I actually saw something I had been told about in school by my teachers. It was a band of light that ran across the sky, called "The Milky Way." Sorta made up for uncolored margarine and for the iniquities of changing back and forth fro CDT to CST to CDT all in the same weekend. Thanx, *Ray *

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Comet PanSTARRS
by Richard Tenney 12 Mar '13

12 Mar '13

David Rankin nabbed the comet last night (for those of you not on Facebook) in spite of the clouds: http://rankinstudio.com/Comet_Panstarrs

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Star Rover for iOS.
by Daniel Holmes 12 Mar '13

12 Mar '13

I haven't used it, but those with iDevices may like it...Star Rover is free today: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/star-rover/id386628906?mt=8 And the iPad HD version: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/star-rover-hd/id437217048?mt=8 (not a customer, not even downloading it, but I thought others would at least like to know) Dan -- Daniel Holmes, danielh(a)holmesonics.com "Laugh while you can, monkey boy!" -- Lord John Whorfin

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M42 (Orion Nebula: 3/10/2013)
by Dave Gary 12 Mar '13

12 Mar '13

First light with new camera. Huge learning curve ahead. http://www.flickr.com/photos/78046474@N06/8548168827/in/set-721576329730696…

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Stansbury Park lake
by Joe Bauman 12 Mar '13

12 Mar '13

Just got back -- lake seems same as always to me and I stood next to it for more than an hour. I had a couple of whiffs of really bad sewer smells. But it happened only a couple of times, and I wonder if it was the Great Salt Lake. -- Joe ------------------------------ On Mon, Mar 11, 2013 7:58 PM MDT Chuck Hards wrote: >The story was on KTVX news and their website. >On Mar 11, 2013 7:55 PM, "Rodger C. Fry" <rcfry(a)comcast.net> wrote: > >> Daniel, >> >> We were at SPOC last night getting things up and running for the special >> star party this Wednesday and I didn't notice anything unusual at the lake. >> >> >> Thanks >> >> Rodger C. Fry >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: utah-astronomy-bounces(a)mailman.xmission.com >> [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of daniel >> turner >> Sent: Monday, March 11, 2013 4:25 PM >> To: Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com >> Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Stansbury Park lake >> >> I just saw on the news that the lake at Stansbury Park is turning a nuclear >> lime green and that dead fish are floating around and washing up in >> people's >> backyards. >> >> What's it like at the observatory? >> >> Does it smell like dead fish? >> >> DT >> _______________________________________________ >> Utah-Astronomy mailing list >> http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy >> >> Send messages to the list to >> Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com >> >> The Utah-Astronomy mailing list is not affiliated with any astronomy club. >> >> To unsubscribe go to: >> http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy >> Then enter your email address in the space provided and click on >> "Unsubscribe or edit options". >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Utah-Astronomy mailing list >> http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy >> >> Send messages to the list to >> Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com >> >> The Utah-Astronomy mailing list is not affiliated with any astronomy club. >> >> To unsubscribe go to: >> http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy >> Then enter your email address in the space provided and click on >> "Unsubscribe or edit options". >> >_______________________________________________ >Utah-Astronomy mailing list >http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy > >Send messages to the list to >Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com > >The Utah-Astronomy mailing list is not affiliated with any astronomy club. > >To unsubscribe go to: >http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy >Then enter your email address in the space provided and click on "Unsubscribe or edit options".

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] OT (I Guess) DST
by Joe Bauman 11 Mar '13

11 Mar '13

Nice story, Ray! ------------------------------ On Mon, Mar 11, 2013 9:11 PM MDT Ray Druian wrote: >One of the topics of discussion at last Saturday's L&O Subcommittee Meeting >was DST, as freuently happens at this time of year. With all the grumbling >and moaning, I need to remind everyone that it' only twice a year, and that >is applies to just about everyone except those who have the misfortune of >living in the Brewer State, Arizona. Back when I was a kid it wasn't all >that simple at all. In 1954, my brother, a friend of ours and I set forth >upon a journey on some 3 day weekend during DST from the urbane bounds of >the city of Chicago to the wilds of southern Wisconsin, to what was then a >privately owned park called "Blue Mound." Blue Mound was some sort of >glacial leftover that formed a hill by western standards, but was a huge >mountain by midwestern standards. I think it must have been ove 100' tall! >At that time, Illinois (or at least Northeast Illinois, where Chicago is, >was on DST and Wisconsin was not. So we piled into the car and drove up >there, deciding that we'd buy our groceries after we arrived and set up >camp. While setting up camp, it occurred to us that the local groceries >might already be closed if we didn't hurry, since CST was an hour later >than DST. So we scrambled back into the car and made it into town just in >time to realize that it was actually an hour earlier, and not an hour later >than we thought. Since we had only a primitive ice box for cooling, we >purchased as much as possible that didn't require refrigeration. In those >days margarine, which we referred to as "oleo," wasn't the sophisticated >tasting stuff like "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter," or some other stuff >that contained a bit of actual butter to improve the taste. It was just >some oily stuff that vaguely tasted a little like butter > >So there we were, getting out the pots and pans, and unpacking the grocery >bags when, Jack, our friend, explodes, and tosses the container of >margarine across the campsite, with fire boiling out of his eyes. It seems >that in those primitive days, not only did Wisconsin not obey DST, but >being the ultimate dairy state, they did everything they possibly could to >discourage the use of margarine and to encourage the use of butter instead. >Among their little persuasive manouvers was a law that prohibited margarine >from being artificially colored. The stuff was stark white, like lard! >Fortunately the brand we purchased was a bit advanced over their >competitors. Most brands of margarine came equipped with a little packet of >coloring matter. The margarine was to be placed in a bown and the coloring >added, then the whole mass was to be stirred with one utensil or another >until the coloring mixed into the grease. Our brand had a dot of color on >one side of it and the entire thing was enclosed in a plastic wrap that >needed to be cut with aknife or scissors to be opened. After it was for a >while in its wrapper, it softened soewhat, the the user, i.e., we, were >required to squeeze the package and twist and turn it until the little dot >of color expanded and spread around and mixed into the rest of the oleo >until it took up a color that resembled butter. I don't remember it tasting >partiularly good, but it didn't taste bad either, and the next morning it >seemed to work rather well for greasing up pancakes. > >Actually, there IS something related to astronomy in this tale of misery >and woe. That first night out at Blue Mound Park was the first time in my >life that I actually saw something I had been told about in school by my >teachers. It was a band of light that ran across the sky, called "The >Milky Way." Sorta made up for uncolored margarine and for the iniquities of >changing back and forth fro CDT to CST to CDT all in the same weekend. > > >Thanx, >*Ray > >* >_______________________________________________ >Utah-Astronomy mailing list >http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy > >Send messages to the list to >Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com > >The Utah-Astronomy mailing list is not affiliated with any astronomy club. > >To unsubscribe go to: >http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy >Then enter your email address in the space provided and click on "Unsubscribe or edit options".

1 0

Comet PanSTARRS
by n7kh＠juno.com 11 Mar '13

11 Mar '13

Hi all.. I got some good pix of comet PanSTARRS at 1839 tonight from my back yard... will send one of them to you if you want to see what it looked like... just email me.. ____________________________________________________________ How to Sleep Like a Rock Obey this one natural trick to fall asleep and stay asleep all night. http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/513bec1638ef36c1654best03duc

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Orion Nebula: Added Color (couldn’t remember which folder I put the colored photos in)
by Dave Gary 11 Mar '13

11 Mar '13

Sorry, for two posts. I found the color photos that I took of M42. A little longer exposure to get color. A mind is a terrible thing to waste. No dark subtraction on either photo because I didn’t take any darks. I will try, again, tonight. I’ll try to get other targets, also. We’ll see. http://www.flickr.com/photos/78046474@N06/sets/72157632973069650/

4 4

Sun party?
by Patrick Wiggins 11 Mar '13

11 Mar '13

With the weather so nice is the Sun party at the museum off/on today?

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