New subject: I'd be happy with just ONE!

17 Sep 2003

      Thanks for your thoughts. I may still try my hand (or eyes) at visual work -
doubt I'll ever do such stuff digitally. Reminds me too much of work...

I'm reminded of a very funny and ironic (I thought) scene at the Bryce
Canyon public star party on August 30. After much of the public had gone,
there was still a number of telescopes set up for looking at Mars. Several
of these were going unused while a large group of people stood around one of
the park rangers who had a CCD camera, and watched the monitor on his laptop
computer while he acquired a number of images. Here's Mars closer than it's
been in 60,000 years and some people would rather watch a comupter screen,
even when a fine telescope sits idly nearby! 

Some human behavior I find simply unfathomable. (Try saying that very fast
five times.)

-----Original Message-----
From: Chuck Hards [mailto:chuckhards@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2003 12:27 PM
To: Visit http://www.utahastronomy.com for the photo gallery.
Subject: RE: [Utah-astronomy] I'd be happy with just ONE!

Some people have gotten very good results using a
visual micrometer, but observations must be repeated,
repeated, repeated, and statistical averages used to
pin-down a most-likely position.  CCD data is usually
much cleaner, with less scatter of the data points. 
In other words, much less repetition.  The visual
method is totally dependant on seeing conditions,
whereas with a CCD you can still pull good frames out
of the mass of blurred ones.  You should get a
bi-filar micrometer, though, and become proficient at
it the old-fashioned way before proceeding digitally. 
Just my opinion, some folks don't see the value in
"paying one's dues", or picking up fundamentals.

--- Kim Hyatt <khyatt@smithlayton.com> wrote:
...
I know that this kind of work is done by imaging,
but I thought that much of
it was still done visually, as well, and just as
accurately. Thoughts?
-----Original Message-----
From: Chuck Hards [mailto:chuckhards@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2003 11:57 AM
To: Visit http://www.utahastronomy.com for the photo
gallery.
Subject: RE: [Utah-astronomy] I'd be happy with just
ONE!
Well, that's what I posited, Kim.  I guess I was
thinking you wanted to do some visual research. 
Even
PA measurements are now done with CCD's.  I think
this
is, at it's roots, another reason I didn't go into
science as a career...I really don't like operating
machinery, equipment, electronics...so of course I
went into woodworking! ;)  We'll see how this is
resolved if and when I get my life back.
I should have been born 60 years earlier than I was,
THEN I could have had the job I still dream about
daily!
C.
--- Kim Hyatt <khyatt@smithlayton.com> wrote:
...
Separation and position angle can both be
accurately
measured for research.
And, I understand that even world-wide there are
few
people doing this work.
Look in any catalogue and you'll see that many
pairs
have not been measured
for decades. As you know, such measurements are
necessary to determine
orbital data when possible and develop models for
stellar evolution.
-----Original Message-----
From: Chuck Hards [mailto:chuckhards@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2003 10:42 AM
To: Visit http://www.utahastronomy.com for the
photo
gallery.
Subject: RE: [Utah-astronomy] I'd be happy with
just
ONE!
What, specifically, Kim, do you want to do with
double
stars?
Bruce has done variable star work for decades,
contributed to a paper or two, but I'm not aware
of
any local double-star work, and I"m stumped as to
what
you could do except orbital determination.
--- Kim Hyatt <khyatt@smithlayton.com> wrote:
...
I still have plans to try my hand at double star
observations suitable for
research. Anyone else ever done this?
-----Original Message-----
From: Chuck Hards [mailto:chuckhards@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2003 10:37 AM
To: Visit http://www.utahastronomy.com for the
photo
gallery.
Subject: RE: [Utah-astronomy] I'd be happy with
just
ONE!
Remember that these people are frustrated
scientists
at heart.  The science is more important than
actual
observing-in other words, their motivations
diverge
from most of ours.  Most amateurs are "nature
lovers",
and enjoy the hobby for the views & social
aspects. 
I
think though, that some of us hope to conduct
some
type of patrol work at some point in our lives,
when
the kids are grown and scattered, and we can
retire
from the rat-race.
But take heart, most of the BIG,
once-in-a-decade
bright comets are still discovered visually by
amateurs with small telescopes and large
binoculars!
Thomas Bopp was using a borrowed Dobsonian when
he
discovered H-B.
--- Kim Hyatt <khyatt@smithlayton.com> wrote:
...
Thanks for sharing that article Dale. I don't
mean
to be a complainer, but
it seems the days for visual discoveries of
virtually anything are almost
gone. Amateurs with the means to acquire
automated
equipment, CCD imagers
and even remotely controlled observatories are
making the discoveries.
However, the rest of us should never give up!
-----Original Message-----
From: Dale Hooper
[mailto:Dale.Hooper@sdl.usu.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2003 9:26 AM
To: Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com
Subject: [Utah-astronomy] I'd be happy with
just
ONE!
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/3112508.stm>
...
...
...
...
I'd be happy with just ONE discovery!   But
this
...
also gives me hope -
because I've seen how cloudy the skies are in
the
UK
- and at least two of
their 6 telescopes appear to be stock Meade
and
Celestron scopes.
Clear skies,
Dale.

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RE: [Utah-astronomy] I'd be happy with just ONE!

Kim Hyatt

Chuck Hards

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