October 9, 2010 #080 - Podcasts

Whenever I can pickup WIFI, as we have traveled, it has been fun to download Astronomical Podcasts to play on my MP3 player at night. It helps me to keep up with the current news in Astronomy and Space exploration. Many good people are producing high quality programs for the shear joy of it. Some are top notch professionals in the field and others very enthusiastic hobbiests.

I especially enjoy Fraser Cain, the editor of The Universe Today & Dr. Pamela L. Gay, an assistant professor of Physics at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville. Together they are the hosts of Astronomy Cast. Download their current and archived shows. I'm sure you will enjoy listening and you will learn a lot in the process. I have.

Some of my favorites are:
Astrocast - http://www.astronomycast.com/
The Planetary Society - http://planetary.org/misc/rss.html#podcast
Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics - http://www.jodcast.net/
Astronomy Magazine - http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=ss&id=104
365 Days of Astronomy - http://365daysofastronomy.org/

If you want a giant selection check:
Portal to The Universe - http://www.portaltotheuniverse.org/podcasts/

Clear Sky - Rich

October 8, 2010 #079 - Still on the Road

My wife and I have now been on the road for over a year. We are traveling in a 20 year old motor home, and spent the winter in Louisiana and the summer in the upper Great Lakes. This fall we traveled across MI, WI, MN, SD, WY, and are presently in central CO. We have met many wonderful people where ever we have traveled.

On the astronomy side I have found splendid skies are returning in many rural areas. I think this is occurring as small towns are fading into the past. This economy forces people to move to the larger cities to find a living. It must be heart breaking for folks to uproot and leave these places they have loved. Small town homes are boarded up and businesses are closing. Even in the ranching areas of the plains, many have abandoned homesteads. Only around the larger cities are rural areas being built up. It is plain to see that America is changing.

One of the first questions people ask is what do you do with no house to live in? How can you give up a place? The answer is you live from day to day, much as you did before. The place changes, you meet new friends, you see the beauty of each new area, new plants, new animals, untold natural wonders are open to you. I love to kayak, read, hike, watch nature and the sky, and meet new people. We are doing all those things in abundance. Many tell us they have dreamed of traveling but...

Samuel Clemons said "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."


Clear Sky - Rich

September 25, 2009 #078 - Arkaroola Observatory

Another stop on my Internet Aussie Walkabout was the Arkaroola Wilderness Area where there is an excellent observing site with lots of facilities for the southern hemisphere observer. What first caught my eye was the roll off roof observatory with three observing chairs that can be used to scan with binoculars. They mention that there can be large temperature variations from day to night. If you look closely at the pictures you will see a lot of reflective foil insulation to ward off daytime heat. Their list of available equipment is impressive. I have always been interested in mobile observing chairs since I first read Leslie Peltier's article on his Merry-Go -Round Chair in Sky & Telescope back in the 70's.

Surf around and you will discover a lot of interesting Australian Astronomy links. It's fun to "Walk-A-Bout".

http://www.arkaroola.com.au/astronomy.php

Clear Sky - Rich

September 24, 2009 #077 - Clavé Eyepieces

During a recent Internet walkabout on the Australian astronomy sites I got a real shock. In Victoria, the owner of "Astronomy Alive", Cris Ellis is still offering Clavé eyepieces. The site shows f5mm, 6mm, 8mm, in 1.25"and 35mm in 2". In stock. I sure wouldn't think that he has very many as they have not been made, as far as I can determine, for years.

I have been using a Clavé 30mm and Clavé Barlow since the late 70's. I thought that the only way to pick any up were as they become available at infrequent personal sales. I would never give up mine as the quality of images they bring out on every scope I have had has been outstanding. I must admit that I have not used any of the new super lenses from Al Nagler. I can't seem to get past the fact that they cost more to purchase than I ever spent on a scope save for my 12.5" reflector.

By the way the French Company Clavé is still in business. They sell telescopes but do not mention the brand of eyepieces that they come with.

http://www.clave.fr/

http://www.astronomyalive.com.au/

Clear Sky - Rich

September 23, 2009 #076 - Telescope

I was randomly browsing through some new commercial telescope web sites when I happened upon an Italian site with a novel type of scope for sale. I have seen this form in a few scopes built by ATM's in past years but not as a commercial offering. They are manufactured around a classical Dall-Kirkham optical system. I was struck by their outward beauty and the photos taken through them are equally impressive. Take a look and I think you might be impressed.

http://www.lazzarotti-optics.com/main.html

Clear Sky - Rich

September 22, 2009 #075 - Cassini

On January 1st. I wrote a post about the beauty of a new Cassini full Saturn picture. She may have topped that picture. Take a look at the Cassini Equinox Mission Site by The Jet Propulsion Laboratory. This is how we dream that things will look through our backyard telescopes. They keep coming out with better versions just when I think things can't get any better. In addition the team has been doing a little star gazing of their own. They have posted a photo of the seven sisters from Saturn. And I thought stargazing from the surface of mars was something!

http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/photos/imagedetails/index.cfm?imageId=3661

The Seven Sisters picture can be seen at:

http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/photos/imagedetails/index.cfm?imageId=3496

Clear Sky - Rich

September 19, 2009 #074 - Luna

It is an exciting time for lunar science. Both the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, in operation, and the JAXA - Kaguya (Selene) mission, which has now been completed, have returned some fantastic views of the lunar surface. Take some time to watch the movies, it feels like you are flying just above the lunar surface. Then look at the Apollo landing hardware, observed from orbit for the first time almost 40 years after the landings. Just out are some one meter resolution looks at the lunar south pole. Not in my wildest dreams did I ever hope to see such places with the clarity that is now available.


The JAXA movies can be found on You Tube:

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=DA9C6AA8E11F7E56

the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter pictures can be seen:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/main/index.html


Clear Sky - Rich

September 18, 2009 #073 - Astronomy Music

Listening to Last FM Radio and found one of my favorite songs. If you haven't listened to Amethysium you have missed a treat. Try "Autumn Interlude" for a star observation listening treat.

"Feels like I could reach up into dark October skies
Scoop up seven of Orion’s stars, hold them like shiny diamonds
Then I turn and return to a world less than I’d like it to be
Strange thoughts staring at the stars on an autumn’s night "


http://www.last.fm/music/Amethystium/_/Autumn+Interlude


Clear Sky - Rich

September 17, 2009 #072 - Eyepieces

I was browsing the Internet this morning and happened upon a telescope sales site in Japan by Kokusai Kohki. To my surprise I find that they sell erfle eyepieces, apparently on a production by order basis. Time span a few weeks. From the pictures they look very much like those sold by University Optics. University stopped selling the erfle several years ago. I am including a picture showing the apparent cosmetic quality of these eyepieces and a list of what is available. Has anyone out there had any experiences with this Brand? What kind of optical quality do they have? It would be interesting to hear about them.

http://www.kkohki.com/English/kkohkiparts.html



Clear Sky - Rich

September 2, 2009 #071 - Meteor

We are sitting watching the moon and Jupiter rise out of Lake Superior on this beautiful Wisconsin evening. As we looked across the lake a meteor as bright as Jupiter falls north of the moon almost directly down towards the water. The color was a pale yellow until it neared the surface when there was a marked deceleration and the color turned bright sparkling silver. At the very lowest point, almost at the surface of the lake from our perspective, it dimmed and slowly lost its brightness, at it terminus it looked as if there was a trail of smoke like debris.

I spent several days watching meteors in the Perseid Shower period last month. On the peak evening I saw almost 90 per hour and half a dozen sporadic meteors before the moon became too bright. During the clear night a couple of days later there were still a few that were bright enough to be seen in the moon light.

Looking south I am reminded, as Scorpius sets, Sagittarius is at mid sky, and Orion makes an after midnight appearance, that winter again approaches. We are adjusting to retirement but why has the clock speeded up?

Clear Sky - Rich