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Re: Nightwatch 28 Feb
Dale Carey
开云体育Yes? Gerry told me he would bring the app to the next
meeting. I think I'll call
him and get it now.? Anyone want to go next week let
me know.
Dale
?
?
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Re: Nightwatch 28 Feb
开云体育----- Original Message ----- From: twforte@...
?
>We need to send a representative out there to mend fences I
think.? But
things tend to take time in a volunteer organization, so I doubt that we'll get it fixed right away. ?
Hey folks!? Dale suggested he and I ride out there this coming
week but I'm not going to be able to go.? Perhaps you can still ride out
there Dale and talk to those folks?? Maybe you can pick up the permit from
Gerry and take that with you??
?
Just a thought.
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Re: R.A. and Dec
开云体育Make that year Pluto will be favorably placed
2003? not 2004 as in my last post. Of course, it'll be nearly in the same
place in the sky in 2004 as well. Poor little old Pluto doesn't move among the
stars very fast, being so far away from?lonely planet earth.
?
Kent Blackwell
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Re: R.A. and Dec
开云体育Too bad we'll have to wait until?August to
September to get another good glimpse of?either Uranus or?Neptune.
Currently Uranus is only 5-degrees from the sun and Neptune is about 20-degrees.
Next time you?spot Uranus it's surprising how bright it is, easily within
the grasp of small binoculars, and even naked-eye under a dark sky. It's really
exciting when you first see it in a telescope. The color is so unusual, compared
to surrounding stars. Neptune is a bit more challenging. Not only is it
minuscule in size but is on 1/5th as bright!? Boy or boy, is it ever
exciting to see such a distant solar system member, though. How about a real
challenge? One of BBAA club members?Charles Allewelt found 14th magnitude
Pluto with?his 6" Newtonian. Pluto will be favorably placed from early June
until late August 2004.
?
Kent Blackwell
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Re: Nightwatch 28 Feb
In a message dated 2/23/03 11:34:53 AM Eastern Standard Time,
stargaz@... writes: << Anyone want to go next week let me know.>> Sorry. I can't go. But I do want to say that I prefer Saturdays over Fridays. I think we should try to negotiate a deal for a single $10.00 fee for a year's worth of use, but it should not be a deal breaker. If they want $10 each time, we should request a dollar from each member attending and make up any shortfall from the treasury. (The club might actually make a profit if everyone contributes). :>) Ted |
Re: R.A. and Dec
Just ask any of us with goto scopes at Nightwatch. We'll punch it right up for you. Neptune too.
Rob From: George Reynolds <pathfinder027@...> Reply-To: backbayastro@... To: backbayastro@... Subject: Re: [backbayastro] Re: R.A. and Dec Date: Sat, 22 Feb 2003 23:21:33 -0800 (PST) One of these evenings I'm going to . . . actually find Uranus using it'sRA / Dec! Good Luck! I was looking for Uranus last Fall at the Chiefland Star Party in Florida, in a nice dark sky, and was getting frustrated because I was following the directions I got from the magazines, Astronomy and Sky and Telescope. . . , but even though I knew where to look, I wasn't seeing it, because I didn't know what to look for. I went over to the guy next to me and asked him to find Uranus in his LX200 and let me see what it looks like. As soon as I saw it, and got the pattern of stars around it, I found it easily in my own scope by star-hopping. I actually had had it in my scope before, but it just looked like a medium-bright star. Once I knew what to look for, I found Uranus, and as I zeroed in on it, and increased the magnification, I could detect a pale greenish color, which I hadn't noticed before. G3 "Rick Bish <2bookworms@...>" <2bookworms@...> wrote:Thanks Ted and Kent! Your different perspectives were very complimentary and helpful. Also I'll keep my nose burried in my copy of Wil Tirion's book: The Cambridge Star Atlas. One of these evenings I'm going to go over to Jarvis Road, and actually find Uranus using it's RA / Dec! Rick Bish Yahoo! Groups SponsorADVERTISEMENT To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: backbayastro-unsubscribe@... Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. George Reynolds, Deputy Commander, Tidewater South Section Royal Rangers Visit my Web page: "Solar System Ambassador" for South Hampton Roads, Virginia Member, Back Bay Amateur Astronomers (BBAA) --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now _________________________________________________________________ The new MSN 8: advanced junk mail protection and 2 months FREE* |
Re: Moon map/atlas
Dale Carey
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Re: Nightwatch 28 Feb
I hope we will get the "problem" at Chippokes straightened out soon. But the
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application for permit only just arrived and the disclaimer hints at "30-days" to process. So unless we can get a human intervention event of sorts, I don't think this month is going to pan out. Many members have expressed a strong interest in keeping Chippokes as an observing site both for the general pleasantness of the surrounds and the convenience of the facilities. Although the sky is mediocre, I like the place. We are not quite sure why the staff at Chippokes has taken a hardline stance all of a sudden. Its clear some perceived offense has been committed, and it appears as if they are trying to discourage our use of the park. Kyle Barber of False Cape State Park told me last Tuesday that he would try to call out there and find out what is going on, but I have not heard back from him. We need to send a representative out there to mend fences I think. But things tend to take time in a volunteer organization, so I doubt that we'll get it fixed right away. Ted In a message dated 2/22/03 5:36:36 PM Eastern Standard Time,
joepiotrowski@... writes: << Ted, Is there a problem with using Chippokes at all or just for this Friday? One of the more attractive things about the BBAA for me was the nearness of Chippokes for the nightwatch program.I have access to another site but there are no facilities(or lights) and I don't know if the farmer would agree to a crowd. Skies are pretty good with only a Williamsburg 20degree and Richmond 15degree glow.No visible lights. Also it might be harder for those from Virginia Beach. How many folks usually come to the Nightwatch? Joe >> |
Another Atlas thought
Another thought on useful atlases (and I'm surprised Kent hasn't brought this
up yet). There is a CCD "Deep Space" atlas by John C. Vickers (The southern version is a collaboration between Vickers and Alexander Wassilieff) that I think is a marvelous tool. It comes as close as anything I've seen in mimicking what is seen in the eyepiece. Seeing a picture of that 12th magnitude spiral will help you pick out details that you would not have imagined possible. Its worth owning. The version I have is the early home-published affair, I think it has become much more sophisticated in follow-on versions. I can't say I know if or where its available, (Perhaps Kent can chime in?) But don't miss an opportunity to pick up this atlas if you get the chance. |
Re: R.A. and Dec
In a message dated 2/23/03 2:22:08 AM Eastern Standard Time,
pathfinder027@... writes: << Good Luck! I was looking for Uranus last Fall at the Chiefland Star Party in Florida, in a nice dark sky, and was getting frustrated because I was following the directions I got from the magazines, Astronomy and Sky and Telescope. >> I think if you want to search for Uranus, Neptune, Pluto or that >6th magnitude comet, you should consider a computer atlas such as Megastar, The_Sky, Star Map, Sky Tools, Starry Night, etc. As you get into fainter or more obscure catalog items, printed atlases just won't do the job. A customized map printed for the time and location of your planned observing session will prove to be far superior to anything short of a "Go-To" scope. Different observers have their own preferences, I like Megastar the best, but with any of them you can make a map that is customized for your telescope ... you can set the magnitude of the stars displayed and rotate the field to mimic the view through the eyepiece. You can also display the FOV of the eyepiece you intend to use. With many of them, you can superimpose a photo of the object over the plotted star field to display the actual extent of the object. Knowing what's there is half way to seeing it after all. Ted |
Re: R.A. and Dec
>One of these evenings I'm going to . . .?actually find Uranus using it's RA / Dec! Good Luck!? I was looking for Uranus last Fall at the Chiefland Star Party in Florida, in a nice dark sky, and was getting frustrated because I was following the directions I got from the magazines, Astronomy and Sky and Telescope. . .?, but even though I knew where?to look, I wasn't seeing it, because I didn't know what to look for.? I went over to the guy next to me and asked him to find Uranus in his LX200 and let me see what it looks like.? As soon as I saw it, and got the pattern of stars around it, I found it easily in my own scope by star-hopping.? I actually had had it in my scope before, but it just looked like a medium-bright star.? Once I knew what to look for, I found Uranus, and as I zeroed in on it, and increased the magnification, I could detect a pale greenish color, which I hadn't noticed before. G3 ?"Rick Bish <2bookworms@...>" <2bookworms@...> wrote: Thanks Ted and Kent! Your different perspectives were very George Reynolds, Deputy Commander, Tidewater South Section Royal Rangers Visit my Web page:? ? "Solar System Ambassador" for South Hampton Roads, Virginia ?Member, Back Bay Amateur Astronomers (BBAA)? Do you Yahoo!? - Powerful. Affordable. |
Re: Moon map/atlas
Joe, Even though Rukl's is out of print, both Rob Schonk and I obtained copies on Half.com for about $25.? You put in a "pre-order" and then wait patiently.? You may have to extend your pre-order several times. The Cambridge Star Atlas has a couple pages on the moon's features, but probably not enough for all the objects on the Lunar Certificate.? You can buy some Moon Maps from the Astronomical League Store (either on-line or their paper catalog - contact our ALCOR, Georgie June), which are good.? They have two versions - regular and mirror-image (for the different types of scopes and inverted/reversed views or not). When I did the Lunar Club, I used a book I got through Half.com, Observing the Moon Through Binoculars and Small Telescopes, by Ernest H. Cherrington, Jr.? This is an excellent book, and I kept it by my scope every night I worked on the Lunar Certificate.? I did not have Rukl's at that time.? I also own Atlas of the Lunar Terminator, but I don't think it's as good as Cherrington's book.? I used the original edition, but there is a 2nd edition, updated several years ago.? The one I used pre-dated the manned Lunar landings! G3 ?"joseph_piotrowski " wrote: Dale, George Reynolds, Deputy Commander, Tidewater South Section Royal Rangers Visit my Web page:? ? "Solar System Ambassador" for South Hampton Roads, Virginia ?Member, Back Bay Amateur Astronomers (BBAA)? Do you Yahoo!? - Powerful. Affordable. |
RA / Dec
Rick Bish <[email protected]>
Welcome to the group, Joe!
Thank you everyone for your help with right ascension and declination. You guys are so helpful and knowledgeable and I really enjoy being a BBAA member. Oh....yes an announcement: Now that the skies are opaque with cloud coverage, the storage facility and D.A.V., behind my house, have shut all their flood lights off. My backyard has never been so dark! Rick Bish |
Re: R.A. and Dec
I was actually going to suggest the Cambridge Star Atlas. Great atlas.
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Kent ----- Original Message -----
From: <2bookworms@...> To: <backbayastro@...> Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2003 11:55 AM Subject: [backbayastro] Re: R.A. and Dec Thanks Ted and Kent! Your different perspectives were very |
Re: Current Comets
Woody, Denice K
And a trick I use to remember which is which is Declination is when you're
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laying down flat and Right Ascension is ascending upwards towards the sky..... -----Original Message-----
From: S. Kent Blackwell [mailto:kent@...] Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2003 9:52 AM To: backbayastro@... Subject: Re: [backbayastro] Re: Current Comets Hello Rick. Think of Right Ascension and Declination this way. When we draw a map of the earth we use latitude and longitude lines. This greatly assists in finding an accurate location. The same is done in the sky. We draw imaginary lines across the sky. Those line running north and south are called RA, or Right Ascension. Lines running east and west are DEC, or declination. If you look at any detailed map of the sky you'll see these marked on sky maps. I suggest you go to a library or bookstore near you and see if any books are offered with good sky maps. A couple of especially good star atlases for beginners are listed below. I doubt you'll find either at a library or any local bookstores, but each can be ordered. The Edmund is especially recommended for a beginner, and besides the star maps is crammed with much useful information. It's beautifully written by the late Sam Brown in the 1950s. In the late 1970s it was updated by Terence Dickinson, and again in the late 1990s. I still refer to mine and I've been observing more years than I care to remember. Kent Blackwell The Edmund Mag 5 Star Atlas ID30091-18 $6.95 www.scientificsonlin.com 800-728-6999 Wil Tirion's Bright Star Atlas 2000 @$10 Wilmann-Bell Richmond, VA www.willbell.com 804-320-7016 ----- Original Message ----- From: <2bookworms@...> To: <backbayastro@...> Sent: Friday, February 21, 2003 9:19 PM Subject: [backbayastro] Re: Current Comets Hey Kent, To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: backbayastro-unsubscribe@... Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to |
Re: Moon map/atlas
Rob,
Thanks I've already found and down loaded it. I to sound old because I'm not(although my teenagers think I'm neanderthalish) but you can't beat paper(ie, books). Joe --- In backbayastro@..., "Rob Schonk" <robschonk@h...> wrote: Theres a great freeware atlas called Virtual Atlas of the Moonavailable at: the club library have any? How about stuff from the Internet?That isif we ever see the moon or stars again.Sigh! >>disagreement to make the United Nations look like a mutual admiration society.out of print. It is sometimes available on the used book market. I usedthe Hatfield Photographic Lunar Atlas and found it quite easy to useand learn from. I also found a large format fold out map of the moon byGeorge Phillipits binder and pasted it to a Styrofoam poster board that I could takeout to theClub certificate.available and dozens of sites dedicated to lunar observing. A. L. P. O. has alunar section on their website Youmight also consider getting the league's lunar club pamphlet.
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Re: R.A. and Dec
Rick,
Not that I'm any great expert, especially compared to Kent but the RA and DEC coordinates are usefull for marking the position on your star atlas. Then you need to star hop to the proposed location. This assumes you don't have a goto scope or digital setting circles which would enable you to find something by RA and DEC alone. I am very happy with my laminated Sky atlas 2000.0. I have some erasable markers and I just draw comets,planets etc in right on the atlas before going outside. I don't always find everything but at least it gives me a chance. Declination is just the angle from the celestial equator.By convention this is 0 degrees.Imagine a line going out in all directions from the earth's equator. North of the celestial equator are positive angles up to a max of 90 degrees at the North Star.South are negative numbers to negative 90 degrees.Because the stars move because of the earth's rotation each star stays on the same DEC.If you have an equatorial mount you can swing along the same DEC.For me DEC is easy.It was also easy for ancient mariners since it only depends on angles. That's why they had no problem with latitude out in the middle of the ocean.The angle the north star makes with the horizon is equal to your latitude.But remember the north star's declination is 90 degrees. Straight up at your latitude is the declination equal to your latitude(for Williamsburg it's about 37 degrees). Right ascension is harder for me and them because it all depends on the time of day. Its not measured in degrees but in units of time. Hours,minutes, seconds.This is because the earth rotates in 24 hours. That's why longitude was such a problem for seafarers.It was finally solved with the use of better clocks.But since RA is a moving target you are better off star hopping from known stars. I keep the two separate in my head with a little look at the words themselves. Stars seem to ascend in the east.An incline is a surface at an angle. Hope this helps rather than confuses. Joe(brand new member) --- In backbayastro@..., "Rick Bish <2bookworms@c...>" <2bookworms@c...> wrote: Thanks Ted and Kent! Your different perspectives were verycopy of Wil Tirion's book: The Cambridge Star Atlas. |
Re: Nightwatch 28 Feb
Ted,
Is there a problem with using Chippokes at all or just for this Friday? One of the more attractive things about the BBAA for me was the nearness of Chippokes for the nightwatch program.I have access to another site but there are no facilities(or lights) and I don't know if the farmer would agree to a crowd. Skies are pretty good with only a Williamsburg 20degree and Richmond 15degree glow.No visible lights. Also it might be harder for those from Virginia Beach. How many folks usually come to the Nightwatch? Joe --- In backbayastro@..., twforte@a... wrote: In a message dated 2/22/03 10:21:51 AM Eastern Standard Time,use NWRP, we would have to be out by midnight ... a real waste of an almost newmoon. The officers were considering either Land's End or Pettigrew. |
Re: Moon map/atlas
Dale,
Thanks.I can't make the March meeting. I will be speaking at the April meeting and would love to look at it.Since the general opinion is that Rukl's is the best but it is out of print, the one you mention sounds like the next best choice from what I can see on the net. Joe --- In backbayastro@..., "Dale Carey" <stargaz@e...> wrote: JoeTerminator." It brakes down every mnt. and crater one by one. Good way to getyour "lunar cert." I can bring it to next meeting on the 6th or catchup with me at home near Super K on Holland rd.the club library have any? How about stuff from the Internet?That isif we ever see the moon or stars again.Sigh!Service. |