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Flat field
by Dave Gary 26 Sep '15

26 Sep '15

For those that image…what type of flat-field setup do you have? Did you purchase the setup or did you build your own flat-field box? What type of light source do you use? If anyone has instructions on how to build a simple flat-field light box any information (pictures would be nice) would be greatly appreciated. Make the descriptions simple. Something that someone who nearly failed shop class (really, I almost did) could understand. Failing that, give me all the technical low-down and I’ll get the wife to help me out so that it actually works when the project is completed. Dave

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Utah-Astronomy Digest, Vol 151, Issue 36
by Kathy 25 Sep '15

25 Sep '15

I was out with binoculars in the foothills of Mt. Timpanogos early this morning. Fascinated with The Eyes peering at me. Mars and Regulus looked spooky. Venus was splendid! Found the Winter Hexagon and then looked at Orion Nebulae. My favorite is always the Pleiades. Looked at several clusters. I was sorry I hadn't set up my scope. The eastern skies were so clear. Morning glow was getting brighter so I went in. I think the sky would've been too light before Jupiter was above the almost 12,000 ft mountaintop. Will keep watching for it. Kathy > On Sep 25, 2015, at 8:46 AM, utah-astronomy-request(a)mailman.xmission.com wrote: > > Send Utah-Astronomy mailing list submissions to > utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > https://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > utah-astronomy-request(a)mailman.xmission.com > > You can reach the person managing the list at > utah-astronomy-owner(a)mailman.xmission.com > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Utah-Astronomy digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Flat field (Dave Gary) > 2. Re: Morning lineup (Joel Stucki) > 3. Re: Morning lineup (Chuck Hards) > 4. Re: Morning lineup (Joel Stucki) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2015 04:05:29 -0600 > From: Dave Gary <davegary(a)me.com> > To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> > Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Flat field > Message-ID: <F2A390A9-C7CA-4E17-9ED8-85CA795A06C2(a)me.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > For those that image?what type of flat-field setup do you have? Did you purchase the setup or did you build your own flat-field box? What type of light source do you use? If anyone has instructions on how to build a simple flat-field light box any information (pictures would be nice) would be greatly appreciated. Make the descriptions simple. Something that someone who nearly failed shop class (really, I almost did) could understand. Failing that, give me all the technical low-down and I?ll get the wife to help me out so that it actually works when the project is completed. > > Dave > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2015 06:39:45 -0700 (PDT) > From: "Joel Stucki" <joel.stucki(a)gmail.com> > To: "Utah Astronomy" <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> > Cc: "Utah Astronomy" <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> > Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Morning lineup > Message-ID: <1443188385248.9fee8046@Nodemailer> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > I finally got up early to see this. Mars and Regulus are less than a degree apart and shine like two eyes looking at you, one red one blue. Venus dominates the eastern sky and is brilliantly bright. After a bit Juipter rises also with 3 of its moons trailing to the east. From my position I watched these rise over Mount Timpanogos. ?Mars is unimpressive through the scope as the atmosphere was not very stable and Mars is about as far from us as it gets. Jupiter is always fun but given the low position I was struggling to make out the cloud bands. Venus on the other hand was the best I have seen it. While there was some shimmer, you could make out the entire sphere with a large crescent brightly illuminated.? > > ? > > ?Also I was impressed to see Orion so high in the sky and the Pleiades past the Zenith. I had one of the best views of the Orion Nebula I have had from my light polluted back yard. I guess it pays to get up early. Now I just need to invest in a sling shot for my neighbors porch light. > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2015 08:11:14 -0600 > From: Chuck Hards <chuck.hards(a)gmail.com> > To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> > Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Morning lineup > Message-ID: > <CAHmuOYrEaVgsECEoZWeuKj1Av7+Gn_=p5pvwszYxpiKcd5yMRA(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 > > Nice post, Joel, thanks. > > Mars and Regulus are slightly further apart than yesterday, but not much. > Closest approach must have been during daylight hours from the Western US. > A nice conjunction, though. > > Keep your eye on Mars for the next 8 months. Mars season comes in 2016 and > it's going to be moving fast and brightening up quickly as winter wanes. I > think I read that it will surpass 18 moa this opposition. Not as big as > possible but bigger than some recent ones. > > I may fire-up Brent's 22" Dob for that one, if we get a night of still air. > > > >> On Fri, Sep 25, 2015 at 7:39 AM, Joel Stucki <joel.stucki(a)gmail.com> wrote: >> >> I finally got up early to see this. Mars and Regulus are less than a >> degree apart and shine like two eyes looking at you, one red one blue. >> Venus dominates the eastern sky and is brilliantly bright. After a bit >> Juipter rises also with 3 of its moons trailing to the east. From my >> position I watched these rise over Mount Timpanogos. Mars is unimpressive >> through the scope as the atmosphere was not very stable and Mars is about >> as far from us as it gets. Jupiter is always fun but given the low position >> I was struggling to make out the cloud bands. Venus on the other hand was >> the best I have seen it. While there was some shimmer, you could make out >> the entire sphere with a large crescent brightly illuminated. >> >> ? >> >> ?Also I was impressed to see Orion so high in the sky and the Pleiades >> past the Zenith. I had one of the best views of the Orion Nebula I have had >> from my light polluted back yard. I guess it pays to get up early. Now I >> just need to invest in a sling shot for my neighbors porch light. >> _______________________________________________ >> > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 4 > Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2015 07:46:01 -0700 (PDT) > From: "Joel Stucki" <joel.stucki(a)gmail.com> > To: "Utah Astronomy" <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> > Cc: "Utah Astronomy" <utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> > Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Morning lineup > Message-ID: <1443192361207.5389d92c@Nodemailer> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > Yes. My charts are showing about 9:40 pm last night was their closest point at about 47' apart. At 6:30 this morning they were 48' 59". Yesterday they were 52' 44" at 6:30. ?So today should have been closest although the difference is very small and the angle between them has changed 43 degrees in that time. > > On Fri, Sep 25, 2015 at 8:26 AM, Chuck Hards <chuck.hards(a)gmail.com> > wrote: > >> Nice post, Joel, thanks. >> Mars and Regulus are slightly further apart than yesterday, but not much. >> Closest approach must have been during daylight hours from the Western US. >> A nice conjunction, though. >> Keep your eye on Mars for the next 8 months. Mars season comes in 2016 and >> it's going to be moving fast and brightening up quickly as winter wanes. I >> think I read that it will surpass 18 moa this opposition. Not as big as >> possible but bigger than some recent ones. >> I may fire-up Brent's 22" Dob for that one, if we get a night of still air. >>> On Fri, Sep 25, 2015 at 7:39 AM, Joel Stucki <joel.stucki(a)gmail.com> wrote: >>> I finally got up early to see this. Mars and Regulus are less than a >>> degree apart and shine like two eyes looking at you, one red one blue. >>> Venus dominates the eastern sky and is brilliantly bright. After a bit >>> Juipter rises also with 3 of its moons trailing to the east. From my >>> position I watched these rise over Mount Timpanogos. Mars is unimpressive >>> through the scope as the atmosphere was not very stable and Mars is about >>> as far from us as it gets. Jupiter is always fun but given the low position >>> I was struggling to make out the cloud bands. Venus on the other hand was >>> the best I have seen it. While there was some shimmer, you could make out >>> the entire sphere with a large crescent brightly illuminated. >>> >>> ? >>> >>> ?Also I was impressed to see Orion so high in the sky and the Pleiades >>> past the Zenith. I had one of the best views of the Orion Nebula I have had >>> from my light polluted back yard. I guess it pays to get up early. Now I >>> just need to invest in a sling shot for my neighbors porch light. >>> _______________________________________________ >>> >> _______________________________________________ >> 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". > > ------------------------------ > > Subject: Digest Footer > > _______________________________________________ > Utah-Astronomy mailing list > Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com > https://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy > Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php > > ------------------------------ > > End of Utah-Astronomy Digest, Vol 151, Issue 36 > ***********************************************

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Equinox
by Chuck Hards 25 Sep '15

25 Sep '15

It came and went quietly. The nights are now longer than the days!

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Morning lineup
by Chuck Hards 25 Sep '15

25 Sep '15

There's a nice lineup in the morning sky right now. Jupiter, Mars, Regulus, and Venus formed a striking pattern when I ducked-out for a quick look this morning.

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Not bad
by Wiggins Patrick 23 Sep '15

23 Sep '15

I finished up my regular projects a bit early tonight so when I went out to close the observatory I just stood there a while and looked up at the sky. Sometimes I don't think I do that enough. It was fun to see the Pleiades over in the east with the Milky Way stretching across the sky and even M-31. Granted my skies here near SPOC are not in the same class as places like Bryce Canyon. But as long as I can see stuff like that naked eye I'm going to call them "not bad at all". BTW, something moved in a few of my images tonight that does not appear to be in the Minor Planet Center's database. No idea what it is so just reported it and will wait to see what they say. patrick

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Sherlock Holmes Astronomy
by astroshelton＠yahoo.com 23 Sep '15

23 Sep '15

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson went on a camping trip. As they lay down for the night, Holmes said, "Watson, look up into the sky and tell me what you see". Watson said, "I see millions and millions of stars" Holmes then asked, "And what does that tell you?" Watson replied, "Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Theologically, it tells me that God is great and that we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, it tells me that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What does it tell you?" Holmes answered, "Somebody stole our tent." Have a great day Mark

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St. George astronomy
by Mark Shelton 22 Sep '15

22 Sep '15

Hi All, St. George Astronomy Group. (SGAG) Is having a eclipse party next Sunday evening. This will be held in the city of Ivins. If you would like more information check out our web pages. Please come if you can Mark Shelton Sent from my iPhone

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Herriman Star Party
by Matt 22 Sep '15

22 Sep '15

The school where I work would like to host a star party on 27 September 2015 from 5:45 pm to 9:45 pm. Their interest is in the lunar eclipse, solar observations, and other astronomical phenomena. I, unfortunately, will not be able to participate. Please let me know if any of you would be willing to help the school out, especially if you have a telescope that you would be willing to use. Please email me for further details at astromatt1 at yahoo.com. Clear skies, Matthew A. Turnbaugh, KG7KIX JPL/NASA Solar System Ambassador

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Great Basin National Park Observatory
by Jamie Bradley 22 Sep '15

22 Sep '15

Just in case you had not heard the news from the Great Basin National Park Astronomical Festival, They got permission to build and are going to build a research grade Observatory. * The observatory will be in the area near or off the road to the ranger housing. * The scope will be a 0.7 meter Planewave telescope with several other wide field scopes and cameras piggybacking. * Completion date August 2016 in celebration of the Thirtieth Anniversary of Great Basin National Park and the Centennial of the National Park Service. * The Great Basin National Park Foundation is the main contributor with several private contributors, with one contributor willing to match the last $350,000 in donation yet to be raised over the next year. http://www.greatbasinobservatory.org Jamie B "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." _______________________________________________ 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 <mailto:Utah-Astronomy@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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An additional eclipse watching location
by Seth Jarvis 21 Sep '15

21 Sep '15

FYI - Clark Planetarium and the Salt Lake City Public Library will be hosting an eclipse-watching party on the roof of the downtown city library this coming Sunday night. Sunset to ~10PM. Seth

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