[Lvas] Eleventh Hour Photo

roger ivester drivester at hotmail.com
Mon Apr 6 13:50:47 PDT 2009 

 

LVAS all,

 

Dr. Don Olive at GWU really came through with this eleventh hour photo, or should I say pulled one out of the hat.

 

Roger

  

> Date: Mon, 6 Apr 2009 09:54:44 -0400
> From: dolive at gardner-webb.edu
> Subject: Re: [Lvas] Observing The Virgo Diamond
> To: drivester at hotmail.com
> CC: jdire at gardner-webb.edu; trenglish at gtcc.edu; jlspacerox at aol.com; dbrook at bellsouth.net; steve.davis at fascontrols.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
> 
> 
> Here is a 90sec exposure on a Epsilon 180 corrected Newtonian with an 
> SBIG ST-2000 camera. f/2.8 Field of view is 80.5x60.4 arcminutes.
> 
> The scope is at the Tzec Maun Observatory in Western Australia.
> 
> 
> roger ivester wrote:
> > Don,
> > 
> > This is unbelievable. I am finishing a letter to Dennis at S&T as of 
> > this moment. Yes, I would love to have your image. I will change my 
> > write-up.
> > 
> > Please send to me immediately if at all possible. Don, I thank you so 
> > much for your interest and efforts.
> > 
> > Tom English was so very kind to advise and assist me also via e-mails 
> > last night... nearing midnight.
> > 
> > Amazing!!!  

>>  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/
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > > Date: Mon, 6 Apr 2009 09:21:07 -0400
> > > From: dolive at gardner-webb.edu
> > > Subject: Re: FW: [Lvas] Observing The Virgo Diamond
> > > To: drivester at hotmail.com
> > > CC: jdire at gardner-webb.edu; trenglish at gtcc.edu; jlspacerox at aol.com; 
> > dbrook at bellsouth.net; steve.davis at fascontrols.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
> > >
> > >
> > > Roger,
> > >
> > > Were you able to observe the Virgo Diamond this weekend? I understand
> > > you are writing an article about the Diamond. I took a couple of
> > > images of it Sunday morning. You are welcome to the pictures if you
> > > want to take a look or use them.
> > >
> > >
> > > roger ivester wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Good morning all,
> > > >
> > > > I had a great time last night. The "Diamond" is almost as difficult
> > > > "visually" as climbing "White Oak Mountain" on my bicycle...maybe more.
> > > >
> > > > Roger
> > > > /* */
> > > > 
> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > >
> > > > From: drivester at hotmail.com
> > > > To: lvas at lvlug.org
> > > > Subject: RE: [Lvas] Observing The Virgo Diamond
> > > > Date: Sat, 4 Apr 2009 10:38:05 +0000
> > > >
> > > > Rob,
> > > >
> > > > I am very sorry to hear that your wife is in the hospital. Please give
> > > > her my best. My thoughs and prayers will be with the both of you.
> > > >
> > > > I am hopeful that you can attempt this most "illusive" object...for 
> > sure
> > > > an observers challenge. With the passing of 16 years my memory of this
> > > > object seems to have been lost.
> > > >
> > > > This object is a "jewel" only in an image...not visually. But for
> > > > a "visual" challenge it is fabulous. I would consider it to be 
> > excellent.
> > > >
> > > > The night for us was beautiful, and fairly calm. The seeing and
> > > > stability was superb. If you noticed on the previous e-mail, I used
> > > > 266X, as it was neccesary to see the two fiainter stars.
> > > >
> > > > If not for the half moon...killing my contrast, I may have had an 
> > easier
> > > > time. High magnification is an essential for seeing this object.
> > > >
> > > > I would be happy to send a mallingcam image to S&T...we need an 
> > image. I
> > > > want "us" to have a thorough report using all instruments, and images
> > > > with both "conventional camera" and a "mallincam".
> > > >
> > > > If it were not for my large 6-inch "manual" "Parks Optical" setting
> > > > circles I would not have been able to find this object. Star 
> > hopping is
> > > > going to be extremely difficult on this object. I love to star hop, 
> > but
> > > > some objects are just too tuff and require far too much time.
> > > >
> > > > Rob, I am really hopeful that you can and Jim can obtain an image.
> > > >
> > > > Time of my writing 6:30 AM Saturday ... eastern time.
> > > >
> > > > Best regards, Roger
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > Date: Fri, 3 Apr 2009 21:51:50 -0700
> > > > > From: scopegeek at gmail.com
> > > > > To: lvas at lvlug.org
> > > > > Subject: Re: [Lvas] Observing The Virgo Diamond
> > > > >
> > > > > Roger,
> > > > >
> > > > > Too windy in Vegas to try to capture a Mallincam image tonight. 
> > If wife
> > > > > is released from hospital tomorrow and the wind dies down, I will
> > > > > attempt to capture the Virgo Diamond tomorrow night.
> > > > >
> > > > > Rob
> > > > >
> > > > > roger ivester wrote:
> > > > > > LVAS all,
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Time of writing: 12:30 AM eastern time
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I had great difficulty locating and seeing the "diamond" with my
> > > > > > 10-inch tonight. Please study the "Sloan" image that was originally
> > > > > > sent by Tom English before you begin your search.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > You will first see only two stars, the N and W. They are by far the
> > > > > > brightest. I was using *190x* when I first noticed these two 
> > stars. I
> > > > > > did not think that this was the "diamond" until I used averted 
> > vision
> > > > > > and saw the S star "wink". I then increased my magnification to 
> > *266x*
> > > > > > and with averted vision I could see all four stars, but could 
> > not hold
> > > > > > the E star constantly.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I took me over an hour to realize that I was seeing the "diamond".
> > > > > > Why? I could only see the two stars as described above.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I was so excited as it has been almost 16 years since I looked 
> > at this
> > > > > > very challenging asterism. I don't remember it being so dim. 
> > The half
> > > > > > moon at approximately 50° degrees to the west reduced my contrast
> > > > > > considerably.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I had mentioned on a previous e-mail that I had performed some
> > > > > > excellent double star work with an 80% moon. It should be noted 
> > that
> > > > > > with faint stars of this magnitude they become very difficult 
> > to see
> > > > > > with the moon.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I am very hopeful that Jim will be able to image this faint 
> > asterism
> > > > > > this night.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I will be anxious to here a report.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Roger
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > 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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