[Lvas] FW: The Virgo Diamond

Fri Apr 3 05:52:52 PDT 2009

LVAS all,

A more formal invitation.

Roger Ivester

From: drivester at hotmail.com
To: jdire at gardner-webb.edu; dolive at gardner-webb.edu; trenglish at gtcc.edu; dbrook at bellsouth.net; steve.davis at fascontrols.com; jbcustom at darrcam.com; blclapper at yahoo.com; tjafj at bellsouth.net; reskridge1 at carolina.rr.com; frankb at celestialwonders.com; bspencer5 at carolina.rr.com; pdwebb53 at sc.rr.com; martyk1 at bellsouth.net; direduo at bellsouth.net; judyhoff at carolina.rr.com; jlspacerox at aol.com; rivester at carolina.rr.com
Subject: FW: The Virgo Diamond
Date: Fri, 3 Apr 2009 12:46:21 +0000

Good mornig to all,

I am asking for your help in both imaging and "visual" observations of this most fascinating and interesting object, "The Virgo Diamond".

In the event that my article will be accepted by Sky & Telescope I want it to be very comprehensive, thorough, and most importantly...interesting to all.

There is one image out there of this most beautiful "jewel" but unfortuantely I do not have the AP's permission to send to the S&T staff which is meeting this morning. This may be the only "modern image" by an amateur in the world today of this most interesting object. 

This is not good as I am now going to have to send Dennis Di Cicco an e-mail and tell him that the AP with the image is out of town. Too bad.  

Who would be willing to participate in getting a "world class" image of this object ASAP, and assisting me as the imager of this project? 

When you read Dennis di Cicco's e-mail as following you will note that the article will take at least a year before publication. However, he did indicate that there may be other smaller opportunities before then.

I feel sure that I will have at least a month to prepare my report.  I will begin a new series of observatins as soon as possible. I have only my original work from 1993 at current. I am actually going out tonight in the moonlight with my 10-inch reflector if the atmosphere is calm. Tomorrow night also. I want to know if it is possible to see it under these conditions.

 I consider this to be an experiment, possibly to be used in the article.  

I would like to ask others to assist me in the visual part of this project. Please do your finest work with careful attention to all detail. Information should include all the normal "stuff" that you would expect. Your name, location, conditions, scope, eyepieces, magnification and a measure or calculated FOV. Please send to my home e-mail.

I have sent an e-mail to my friends in the LVAS and I feel sure that there will be a few of which will be exited about getting the opportuity to participate in this project.  I have spent a great deal of time as of current.

I have been talking to quite a few others with greater experience than I regarding this type of issue.

I have also talked with my friend of almost 20 years, a former editor of both S&T and Astronomy magazine, James "Jim" Mullaney. He has over written over 500 astronomy articles for different magazines and publications. He has just completed the "Cambridge Double Star Atlas" with Wil Tirion. The book should now be available.  I am fortunate to know Jim Mullaney, as he has advised me on quite a few things over the years.  

Jim asked me almost 15 years ago to begin submitting observational information to both magazines...maybe to be consisdered as a regular contributor. I Just didn't feel worthy at the time, and was not sure of what I wanted to do. 

The "Virgo Diamond" is my calling. Why this obscure, faint and most difficult, but most beautiful little jewel? The object is basically unknown to most all amateurs and has probably been observed by less than 20 people in the world today. I don't know this to be a fact, but I have never read of it ion any "popular publication", nor have I heard anyone talk about it. It has the potential to be the an "observers challlenge" and an "imagers" delight for the ages.

It is my goal to have an article that is worthy of S&T. I am dedicated to this project and will work hard in achieveing success.  

Please let me know how you are interested in helping in this project. 

Best regards, Roger

    I can see how it might be possible for a man to look down upon the earth and be an atheist, but I cannot conceive how he could look up into the heavens and say there is no God.      Abraham Lincoln

From: ddicicco at skyandtelescope.com
To: drivester at hotmail.com
Date: Thu, 2 Apr 2009 08:20:58 -0700
Subject: RE: The Virgo Diamond

Roger,

What cool stuff! I’m especially impressed with the collection of notebooks and sketches. As many times as I’ve tried in the past, I’ve never been able to keep a constant set of notes – way too much of my life is written on scraps of paper (just ask my tax accountant!).

I agree that getting the Virgo Diamond mentioned again is S&T is worthwhile, but it may have to wait at least a year – we just finished the editorial copy for the July issue! There may, however, be an opportunity to do something on our website ASAP in the way of a small observing feature. Let me review this with a few colleagues (some of the staff is currently in Philadelphia for the 100 hours of astronomy kickoff). Also, I’d like to see the photo you mention.

I’ll get back to you by the beginning of next week, if not before. And please let me know about the photo.

Best,
Dennis 

Dennis di Cicco
Senior Editor
Sky & Telescope (a New Track Media company)
90 Sherman Street
Cambridge, MA 02140
617-864-7360 (voice)

From: roger ivester [mailto:drivester at hotmail.com] 
Sent: Thursday, April 02, 2009 10:55 AM
To: Dennis Di Cicco; roger ivester
Subject: The Virgo Diamond

Dear Dennis di Cicco,

In the May 1993 edition of Sky and Telescope Page P-110. There was a most interesting article about the newly discovered "Virgo diamond". I was fascinated and could hardly wait to observe this object. I used a 10-inch F/4.5 reflector telescope and was able to see this small and illusive object using a magnification of 190x. I observed it on April 14th 1993 at 11:55 PM under good conditions. I did a sketch that night of which I am attaching. I could only see four of the five stars.

I am attempting to keep the art of sketching and taking notes alive. I am currently a member of the Cleveland County Astronomical Society in Boiling Springs NC and also the Las Vegas Astronomical Society.

I have asked one of my AP friends to get an image for me and I just received one yesterday via a third party. It is beautiful and I wonder if it is the only modern "amateur image" of this object available today. I must get his permission before I can send it...hopefully today.  

I am not aware of one amateur "advanced or otherwise" that has ever heard of the "Diamond". 

It would be my opinion that there are very few people in the world today that have ever observed or imaged this most beautiful "jewel".

I would predict that this object when "announced" again will become a favorite of all who enjoy a challenge. It will also become an "imagers" delight. An object for the ages. 

Dennis, I feel this must be reported again in S&T for the enjoyment of all. I asked a friend in NV to observe with a 16-inch reflector this past weekend. Their weather was much better than ours. He could not find it as he was looking for a much larger object.  

I would also like to share a picture of my 5,000 hours of notes and sketches, and a few of the hundreds of objects that I have sketched. I have detailed notes of all of my observations. I feel amateur astronomy still needs a few visual observers out there still sketching and taking notes. 

Best regards,  Roger Ivester

> Date: Wed, 1 Apr 2009 01:02:27 -0400
> From: trenglish at gtcc.edu
> To: drivester at hotmail.com
> Subject: Re: FW: [Lvas] FW: Virgo Diamond
> 
> Roger,
> I looked up the Virgo Diamond on the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and Wikisky tonight. An SDSS image is attached. This is a very neat little group.
> Go to Wikisky (http://www.wikisky.org/), zoom out from M31 (the default view), drag the view around until you find Virgo, then zoom in on the appropriate coordinate. If you move your mouse over an object it will give you information. 
> 
> The diamond is clearly seen in these interactive surveys, and the westernmost star is a double, giving 5 stars. 
> Looking for this 5th star is certainly a greater challenge than looking for extra stars in the Trapezium (but don't tell BoB!)
> 
> The northernmost star is TYC 4948-53-1 (12h33m18.96s, -0d38'32.3", m=10.892)
> The westernmost star (the double) is USNOA2 0825-07771246 (12h33m17.88s, -0d38'59.1", m= 12.1)
> The southernmost star is USNOA2 0825-07771362 (12h33m19.61s, -0d39'15.7", m=13.7)
> The easternmost star is USNOA2 0825-07771459 (12h33m20.79s, -0d38'50.5", m=13.45)
> 
> The TYC star was measured by the Hipparcos mission, thus explining its precise magnitude measurement. I looked it up at the Hipparcos web site, and found that its parallax had been measured to be 64.8 milliarcseconds, putting it at around 50 light years from us. Here's the Simbad page for the star: http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=TYC+4948-53-1
> -t.e
> 
> E-mail correspondence to and from this sender may be subject to the North Carolina Public Records law and may be disclosed to third parties. 
> 
> 

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