I observed 19 geminids over a 45 minute time between about 3:00 and 3:45 AM Dec.
14. My view was restricted since I viewed toward Providence through a window
from inside - too cold to stand outside.

About one third of the 19 meteors were between about 0 and -1 magnitude and were
visible for about and estimated two thirds the distance from zenith to horizon. 
The rest were in the 2nd or 3rd magnitude range with much shorter trails.

I haven't tried this yet but it looks rather simple. 
http://wcs.ruthner.at/index-en.php

I purchased a copy of WebCamScheinern (WCS) about a year ago.  It's pretty
simple to use.  The only problem that I have is getting the very last
adjustment out of it.  When I think I have the perfect alignment and I retest
it I seem to have over shot my adjustment.  I then correct and I've gone too
far the other way.  That being said it brings the mount to very close to polar
alignment.  I also have a copy of PemPro that also has a polar alignment
feature.  Like WCS the last few adjustments on the Titan are very sensitive to
over correction.

 
Lloyd Merrill
Windsong Observatory
Cumberland, RI




________________________________
From: JimH <jim@...>
To: skyscrapers_rias@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wed, December 23, 2009 9:11:48 AM
Subject: [skyscrapers_rias] Drift align using a webcam, DSI, Imaging Source, etc

 
I haven't tried this yet but it looks rather simple. http://wcs.ruthner.
at/index- en.php







[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Mike Brown's Planets blog discusses some of the dwarf planets and now a new one
was just discovered from the southern hemisphere.

   http://www.mikebrownsplanets.com

2009 YE7 was discovered about 10 days ago, Dec. 17, 2009, and is quite bright
(absolute brightness) for an object of its size at more than 50 AU from the sun.
However, it is still quite faint at 20th magnitude apparent brighness and a
tough one to image.

Wikipedia has some very preliminary information about it at:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_YE7

   Bob N.

There is a new comet coming into the inner solar system from a direction near
the sun, so it isn't easily visible and one of the dangers of something striking
the earth without much warning. This comet could possibly be bright enough to be
seen during daytime after it rounds the sun and heads back out into the solar
system.

Here is the NASA web site with the animated movie images:

http://sohodata.nascom.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/soho_movie_theater

When you get to the above page, click on LASCO C3, fill in 100 for the "latest N
images" for animation, then click on SEARCH. You can see the comet coming in
toward the sun from about the 7 PM clock position.

If you keep looking, you should see the comet emerge from passage behind the
sun's occulting disk on the SOHO Observatory.  This should happen in the next
day or so if the comet survives the close passage by the sun.

   Bob N.

NO ONE SHOULD TRY TO OBSERVE A COMET THIS CLOSE TO THE SUN UNLESS THEY ARE VERY
EXPERIENCED SOLAR OBSERVERS AND KNOW THE DANGERS OF ACCIDENTALLY LOOKING AT THE
SUN!!!

It is also just reported by other observers that the comet did not survive close
passage around the sun....and that it disintegrated.

See also the Spaceweather web site:

    http://www.spaceweather.com/

   Bob N.


--- In skyscrapers_rias@yahoogroups.com, "Starman" <bob_napier@...> wrote:
>
> There is a new comet coming into the inner solar system from a direction near
the sun, so it isn't easily visible and one of the dangers of something striking
the earth without much warning. This comet could possibly be bright enough to be
seen during daytime after it rounds the sun and heads back out into the solar
system.
>
> Here is the NASA web site with the animated movie images:
>
> http://sohodata.nascom.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/soho_movie_theater
>
> When you get to the above page, click on LASCO C3, fill in 100 for the "latest
N images" for animation, then click on SEARCH. You can see the comet coming in
toward the sun from about the 7 PM clock position.
>
> If you keep looking, you should see the comet emerge from passage behind the
sun's occulting disk on the SOHO Observatory.  This should happen in the next
day or so if the comet survives the close passage by the sun.
>
>   Bob N.
>

Posting at request of Skyscrapers member, Al H.

**********************************************************

I was having some fun playing with the Mars Rover image site.

You can make your own 3D images from the stereoscopic NAV  camera images saved
on the web site.    You Need Photo shop;   But it is really easy!

Google "How to make a 3D RGD image", and you can see a couple of cool tutorials.
You can adjust the depth perception to match your

eye.. WORKS AWESOME!

Image files from the NaV Camera list right and left cameras with the letters "L"
for left and "R" for right on the 4th from the end digit in the file name.

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/spirit.html

1. Copy both files to hard disc.

2. Open both with Photoshop

3. Convert the left image to "GRAYSCALE" by going to "IMAGE>MODE>GRAYSCALE

4. Turn on the "Channels" window by going to "WINDOW>CHANNEL"

5.  Hold down shift key and select "BLUE and GREEN channels only.

6.  go to Right image

7.  Turn Image to grayscale same as above.  BTW website photos from NAV are
already in Grayscale.

8.  SELECT>ALL  and copy.

9 . Switch back to left image - PASTE

10. On channels window select "RGB" - This will highlight all channels.

11.  Don the RB 3D glasses and view image.

12. You can change the perspective by selecting the move tool from the standard
tool window - re-aling channels. whereever.  Where Left and Right images
coincide exactly will be the plane of the screen ,, anything behind will go "IN"
and
anything in front will "STICK OUT"

Really Cool!  It's like walking around on MARS!
I've made several already,,

Regards & Clear Skies All

Al

This IMAX film opens in March. Is anyone interested in going?

http://www.imax.com/hubble/

Count me in!   Glenn



From: skyscrapers_rias@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:skyscrapers_rias@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of JimH
Sent: Monday, February 01, 2010 11:32 PM
To: skyscrapers_rias@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [skyscrapers_rias] Skyscrapers movie night





This IMAX film opens in March. Is anyone interested in going?

http://www.imax.com/hubble/





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

"Award winning science journalist Kelly Beatty will deliver a public
lecture "The Sputnik Years" TOMORROW, Feb 18, at the Ocean Explorium, 174 Union
Street in New Bedford, as part of their monthly Cosmic Voice series.
Informal reception starts at 6:15, lecture at 7:00 pm, Q&A afterwards. Bio and
lecture summary below. So whether you were around to witness Sputnik zoom
overhead or came on the scene after the space age was in full swing, come hear
this fascinating tale of how the U.S. space program came to be -- and where it's
headed in the future."

"The Sputnik Years"

"This retrospective will explore the events leading up to Sputnik's launch, the
political fallout that led to America's response (Explorer 1), the formation of
NASA, and the crucial role that amateur astronomers played in tracking the first
satellites."

  ----

"Kelly Beatty has been explaining the science and wonder of astronomy to the
public since 1974. An award-winning writer and communicator, he
specializes in planetary science and space exploration as Senior
Contributing Editor for Sky & Telescope magazine. Beatty is also on the
astronomy faculty at the Clay Center Observatory in Brookline, Massachusetts. He
holds a Bachelors degree from the California Institute of Technology and a
Master's degree in science journalism from Boston University.

Beatty enjoys sharing his passion for astronomy with a wide spectrum of
audiences, from children to professional astronomers, and you'll
occasionally hear his interviews and guest commentaries on National Public
Radio. During the 1980s he was among the first Western journalists to gain
firsthand access to the Soviet space program. Asteroid 2925 Beatty was named on
the occasion of his marriage in 1983, and in 1986 he was chosen one of the 100
semifinalists for NASA's Journalist in Space program. He received the American
Astronomical Society's Masursky Award for meritorious service to planetary
science (2005), the American Geophysical Union's Robert C. Cowen Award for
Sustained Achievement in Science Journalism (2009), and AAS's inaugural Jonathan
Eberhart Planetary Sciences Journalism Award (2009)."

Here is a nice video of the Hubble telescope image of the Ultra Deep Field
image.

  www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAVjF_7ensg

This film is supposed to start today, but the only place nearby that is playing
it is at New England Aquarium.

--- In skyscrapers_rias@yahoogroups.com, "JimH" <jim@...> wrote:
>
> This IMAX film opens in March. Is anyone interested in going?
>
> http://www.imax.com/hubble/
>

Jupiter apparently has lost its S. Equatorial belt, at least temporarily. 
Jupiter has been on the other side of the sun from earth and this recent event
happened during its passage behind the sun as seen from earth. Jupiter can be
seen in the morning sky before dawn.

Recent images can be found at the web site below:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1277734/Jupiter-loses-stripes-sci\
entists-idea-why.html

Isn't that what happened to Jupiter in the movie 2010 just before it imploded?

--- On Thu, 5/13/10, Starman <bob_napier@...> wrote:

From: Starman <bob_napier@...>
Subject: [skyscrapers_rias] Jupiter Loses S. Equatorial Belt
To: skyscrapers_rias@yahoogroups.com
Date: Thursday, May 13, 2010, 7:52 PM







 









       Jupiter apparently has lost its S. Equatorial belt, at least temporarily. 
Jupiter has been on the other side of the sun from earth and this recent event
happened during its passage behind the sun as seen from earth. Jupiter can be
seen in the morning sky before dawn.



Recent images can be found at the web site below:



http://www.dailymai l.co.uk/sciencet ech/article- 1277734/Jupiter-
loses-stripes- scientists- idea-why. html

























[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

The image of M13 in the Scituate Observatory photos folder (and this group's
home page temporarily) is somewhat like you would see through Skyscrapers' 12 or
16-inch SCT scopes on a good dark sky night. A very descriptive article of M13,
"It's Full of Stars!", by Dave H. is in the June, 2010, issue of the
Skyscrapers' newsletter.

The article about M13 can be read on the Skyscrapers' web site:

http://theskyscrapers.org

Information about remote, online robotic telescopes, that are accessible via the
Internet, (including Scituate Observatory) can be found here:

http://shareyoursky.com/directory/index.html

Bob N.

Two amateurs have observed, imaged and video recorded a bright flash impact on
Jupiter.  This is the second impact within the last year.  One amateur is the
australian who detected the last impact on Jupiter within the past year.  The
other amateur who video recorded the impact is in the Philippines.

   Information and video of the impact is on:

    www.spaceweather.com

Amateurs around the world can view Jupiter in the early morning hours above the
eastern horizon.

   Bob N.

I found this link on youtube and thought really put things into perspective in a
way that others can understand.    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgg2tpUVbXQ

Is anyone familiar with collimating a Celestron 130SLT? We had an inquiry from
someone local looking for help? I assume it's similar to a SMT?

Bob F.

In the Scituate Observatory "Photos" folder, there are image(s) of the Planet
Uranus with two of it's moons, Umbriel and Titania. A third moon, Oberon, is
just at the top edge of the overexposed image of Uranus and not visible in this
composite version of the image.

Umbriel (about 14.5 magnitude is just below the overexposed image of Uranus) and
Titania (about 14th magnitude and immediately below Umbriel)were taken on
8-28-10, about 6 hrs UT, with a 14" Meade SCT @f/6 and SBIG ST9 CCD camera.

Umbriel was discovered by William Lassell in 1851, while Titania was discovered
by William Herschel in 1787 (about six years after he discovered the Planet
Uranus in 1781). The other two moons, Ariel(discovered by Lassell in 1851) and
Oberon (discovered by Herschel in 1787) can be seen visually in 14 to 16 inch
amateur scopes.

Around the mid-1980s, Gerry D. and I were observing visually with my then almost
new 16" Newtonian under ideal conditions and were able to spot the 4 brightest
moons - Ariel, Umbriel, Titania and Oberon.

Bob N.

Excerpt from observing log of Tuesday, 14 Sep 2010.

It was getting on toward 23:00 hrs last night and I was taking an hour's worth
of images in an attempt to capture 19.2 magnitude Amor class asteroid 2010 RJ4.
This recently discovered asteroid is only 104 meters in size and 6 million miles
from Earth.  The object's speed limited me to 1 minute exposures, so I needed a
lot of images for stacking -  and some time was required.

To fill that time I took Bob Napier up on his invitation to remotely operate
Scituate Observatory.  Typing in the URL and got the following screen:
http://www.peterson-web.com/images/Napier1.jpg
(Since I did a print screen to capture what I was seeing here's the bottom of
the Scituate Observatory remote display:)
http://www.peterson-web.com/images/Napier2.jpg
This remote operation is thru ACP software, and Bob was one of the beta test
sites for the software.  I simply typed in the coordinates of P103Hartley and
made a couple of entries such as specifying a 30 second exposure, no guiding,
1X1 binning etc. The scope slewed and the camera exposed:
http://www.peterson-web.com/images/Napier3.jpg
This is a small jpg of the image I'd taken remotely.  How cool is that?

I subsequently entered NGC 7331 as a target name.  The software figured out the
coordinates.  I left the settings as is and pushed a button.  The scope slewed,
and the camera exposed again:
http://www.peterson-web.com/images/Napier4.jpg

We just did JPG format for expediency.  The setup will do TIF.  Normal stacking
and post processing would clean the images up, but my objective here was simply
to test the remote.

What REALLY got me excited can be seen in the ACP log (the white letters in the
brown background).  This Go-To is dead on.  After the scope slews, the software
takes an image and does a plate scan on it.  On the screen above, it reports
"Solved.  56 stars matched.  Pointing error is 0.443arcmin at 01.63°"  I'm not
sure whether this was the first or the second plate solve, but I do know that if
the first is beyond predefined limits a pointing correction is automatically
made.

As for 2010 RJ4 – it got away, as sometimes happens.  That's forgettable.  But
my first experience with off-site imaging is not.  Thanks a lot Bob N.

Pete Peterson

If you've got 53 minutes, here's a link to the clearest non-mathematical
explaination of Einstein's theory that I've ever encountered. Dr. Brainerd
happens to be my daughter-in-law, but she lives up north of Boston and I never
wanted to impose on her to come down to an ASSNE meeting.  See:

http://forum-network.org/lecture/einsteins-relativity

As simplified as she makes it, I must confess that more than one viewing wasn't
enough to insure my understanding. But second time was the charm.

Good luck,

Pete Peterson

John Briggs has arranged for me to give a workshop (or a part of a workshop?) on
the use of Astrometrica software's stack and track function. It'll be held at
9am Sunday at Ladd Observatory.

John's setting up an observatory out in Colorado for remote control astrometry.
I can't imagine that there would be more than 5 other people in the world
interested in this material, but the transit room will be open and the session
is open to all.

Pete

Jim Hendrickson took a pile of photos and arranged them into a wonderful slide
show at http://www.flickr.com/photos/30623046@N08/sets/72157625789271989/show/

Thank you Jim.

Pete Peterson

--- In skyscrapers_rias@yahoogroups.com, "barringtonri" <pecorp@...> wrote:
>
> John Briggs has arranged for me to give a workshop (or a part of a workshop?)
on the use of Astrometrica software's stack and track function. It'll be held at
9am Sunday at Ladd Observatory.
>
> John's setting up an observatory out in Colorado for remote control
astrometry. I can't imagine that there would be more than 5 other people in the
world interested in this material, but the transit room will be open and the
session is open to all.
>
> Pete
>

Steve H.'s talk at the Skyscrapers' April meeting was about observing deep sky
objects and planets using the Mallincam real time video camera.
The talk was extremely innovative in describing how the video camera can be used
for astronomy education outreach and for groups like general public observing -
see the April, 2011 issue of Skyscrapers' newsletter linked from our web site:

      http://www.theskyscrapers.org

For those interested in using video cameras, like the Mallincam, for more
scientifically oriented observing see this web site:

      http://www.hristopavlov.net/Tangra/AstrometryExamples/

I'm sure Steve will be demonstrating how to use the Mallincam for observing
planets and deep sky objects at some of the Saturday evening public observing
sessions at Skyscrapers' Seagrave Observatory in N. Scituate in the near future.

Comet Garradd (C/2009 P1) is presently moving westerly and entering the small
constellation of Delphinus, the Dolphin, and transits about 11 PM EST.  It will
move westerly in the sky through Delphinus, Sagitta and then into Hercules in
October and November and becomming an earlier evening viewing object.  In 7X50
or 10X50 binoculars the nucleus should be visible.  In a small telescope (4" to
8") you might also see a broad hood and a very wide fan shaped tail.  It should
keep brightening from the current about 7.5 to 8th magnitude to possibly
becoming a naked eye comet as it travels through Hercules when viewed from a
light pollution free dark sky site.  This comet deserves periodic observing to
see if it reaches naked eye visibility in the next few months.

A 22.5 second time exposure CCD image appears (temporarily) above and in the
Photos section folder under "Scituate Observatory" as it appears for the end of
July.  The image was taken remotely via a web browser over an Internet
connection to the observatory.

For a sky position finder chart, see the following web site:

   http://www.aerith.net/comet/catalog/2009P1/2009P1.html

Comet Garradd was observed in 10X50 binoculars high in the western sky in the
early AM of Wednesday, Aug. 24 as it approached the M71 star cluster in Sagitta.
It was slightly brigher than M71 (mag. 8.2) and perhaps nearing magnitude 7.5. 
Once located, it was quite easy to see in the 10X50 binoculars.  There was no
apparent tail.  It appeared just as a large roundish amorphous glow without a
brighter central nucleus.

In the early morning of Aug. 26, Comet Garradd will pass within about 1/4 degree
of M71 and should make a nice pairing visually or photographically.  When the
comet passes by the M71 star cluster and since the cluster's stars are
unresolvable in binoculars, it might be difficult to tell which is the comet and
which is the cluster.  Only the movement of the comet relative to the background
star field will distinguish it from the cluster.

Follow this link to find Comet Garradd:

   http://www.aerith.net/comet/catalog/2009P1/2009P1.html



--- In skyscrapers_rias@yahoogroups.com, "Starman" <bob_napier@...> wrote:
>
> Comet Garradd (C/2009 P1) is presently moving westerly and entering the small
constellation of Delphinus, the Dolphin, and transits about 11 PM EST.  It will
move westerly in the sky through Delphinus, Sagitta and then into Hercules in
October and November and becomming an earlier evening viewing object.  In 7X50
or 10X50 binoculars the nucleus should be visible.  In a small telescope (4" to
8") you might also see a broad hood and a very wide fan shaped tail.  It should
keep brightening from the current about 7.5 to 8th magnitude to possibly
becoming a naked eye comet as it travels through Hercules when viewed from a
light pollution free dark sky site.  This comet deserves periodic observing to
see if it reaches naked eye visibility in the next few months.
>
> A 22.5 second time exposure CCD image appears (temporarily) above and in the
Photos section folder under "Scituate Observatory" as it appears for the end of
July.  The image was taken remotely via a web browser over an Internet
connection to the observatory.
>
> For a sky position finder chart, see the following web site:
>
>   http://www.aerith.net/comet/catalog/2009P1/2009P1.html
>

Seagrave's clear sky clock suggests that although the transparency will not be
the greatest, we've got a shot at viewing. Best viewing around here happens
between 18:00 and 19:00 hrs. Closest approach is about 18:28, and I've planned 3
pass-thru windows for 18:19, 18:37 & 18:44 hrs. That is, the scope will be
prepositioned so that the asteroid will start to pass thru the camera's fov at
those times. The moon is on the other side of the sky some 85° distant, and
shouldn't be a problem.

Interestingly, last night, exactly 24 hours before the opposition, 2005 YU55 was
only 28.5 magnitude!

I'd guess the chances of catching this flyby with the camera are 50/50. Visitors
are welcome to drop by.

Pete Peterson

Good to see you got some images of the asteroid too, Pete.  Good work, as
always.

My image sequences of 2005 YU55 didn't get started until about 7:30 PM because
of "technical difficulties".  Once started, although it was a comfortable night
outside, I retired inside and did all my imaging by "remote" control.  I
probably have about 200 images in total with some through a V filter.  The image
composite displayed above (as of Nov. 10) is made up of 13 exposures of 3
seconds each and stacked to show the asteroids path across the sky.  A video was
also generated of the asteroid passing through the field of view (17X17 arc-min
FOV).  It is posted here:

  
http://www2.turnto10.com/news/news/2011/nov/09/user-video-asteroid-flyby-31261-v\
i-34573/

It was difficult to find up to date orbital elements.  The set of elements
downloaded from the MPC website were somewhat out of date and differed from the
JPL elements set by a couple of degrees.
I ended up using the JPL elements to find the asteroid. Once found, it was quite
easy to follow the motion by periodically repositioning the telescope by remote
software control by a few arc-min per each 4 minute time interval.

   Bob N.



--- In skyscrapers_rias@yahoogroups.com, "barringtonri" <pecorp@...> wrote:
>
> Seagrave's clear sky clock suggests that although the transparency will not be
the greatest, we've got a shot at viewing. Best viewing around here happens
between 18:00 and 19:00 hrs. Closest approach is about 18:28, and I've planned 3
pass-thru windows for 18:19, 18:37 & 18:44 hrs. That is, the scope will be
prepositioned so that the asteroid will start to pass thru the camera's fov at
those times. The moon is on the other side of the sky some 85° distant, and
shouldn't be a problem.
>
> Interestingly, last night, exactly 24 hours before the opposition, 2005 YU55
was only 28.5 magnitude!
>
> I'd guess the chances of catching this flyby with the camera are 50/50.
Visitors are welcome to drop by.
>
> Pete Peterson
>

Portraits of Moons Captured by Cassini
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
December 12, 2011

"NASA's Cassini spacecraft successfully completed its closest-ever pass
over Saturn's moon Dione on Monday, Dec. 12, slaloming its way through
the Saturn system on its way to tomorrow's close flyby of Titan. Cassini
is expected to glide about 2,200 miles (3,600 kilometers) over the Titan
surface on Dec. 13......"

Read the rest of the NASA article here....

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2011-385

An Australian amateur astronomer, Terry Lovejoy, recently discovered a comet and
it just grazed the sun and survived the fiery plunge through the solar
atmosphere.  Below is a link showing the passage into the sun's atmosphere just
a few hundred thousand kilometers above the "surface".

http://sungrazer.nrl.navy.mil/index.php?p=news/birthday_comet

   Bob N.