[Lvas] Changes and permission

Sat May 2 08:09:04 PDT 2009

Roger,

Did it and sent it through my other e-mail.

Fred

From: drivester at hotmail.com
To: lvas at lvlug.org; fred.rayworth.ctr at nellis.af.mil
Date: Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:22:14 +0000
Subject: [Lvas] Changes and permission

David and Fred,

Re: The Virgo Diamond

David, would you be willing to summarize your report of the Virgo Diamond into a few shorts paragraphs with all pertinent infromation regarding this most unique asterism? Would you also crop and center the Diamond and send your completed version back to me? I also assume you will allow me permission to use your information and image as I see fitting in the future. I am very hopeful that S&T will allow me...or use my submitted information for an article early Spring 2010. It may or may not happen, but I personally think that it will.      

Fred, same for you regarding your notes and sketches...condense to a few paragraphs. Please don't leave out the information  regarding how you see the fainter members or components. Permission also to use at a later date.

I personally would like to thank you both for your interest, punctual observing, notes, imaging and sketching of this object.  

Fred, David; if you find this agreeable please sent your new information to my home e-mail. I plan on forwarding this and other material within the next 10 days to S&T.

I think that we have could have "spawned" an interest that might cause this dim and faint asterism to become an observers challenge for the ages? Who knows? 

Please write your material as you would like to see it in print.

drivester at hotmail.com

Good work... and best regards, roger ivester

    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: Sun, 26 Apr 2009 12:00:03 -0700
> To: lvas at lvlug.org
> From: Yahoo at awit.com
> Subject: [Lvas] Saturday (4/25/09) Observing
> 
> Instead of going out to Redstone, I wanted to try someplace where I 
> might be able to see Omega Centauri. I had been eyeing a spot south 
> of Jean, NV, essentially a parachute target area, about 6 miles south 
> of Jean. I wanted to see how bad the lights of Vegas, Jean, Primm, 
> and the interstate would be at the site.
> 
> This night was not the best for observing. Despite the clear 
> (non-cloudy) sky, the air was "thick", and the lights of Vegas washed 
> out the entire sky. There was a distinct lack of contrast, which 
> some of you may have seen even in Death Valley. The light dome 
> itself was close to 40 degrees, encompassing the Little Dipper. I 
> could just make out the mag 4.27 star in the bowl, but not the 4.96 
> mag star next to it.
> 
> The lights of Jean are a thin strip of yellow (sodium) on the 
> horizon. Any vehicle strategically placed will block it, and I don't 
> think it really has much of a light dome.
> 
> The lights of Primm did produce a small dome, however. But a well 
> placed vehicle could be useful.
> 
> Unfortunately, I had only the one vehicle, and I used it to block all 
> of the cars on the interstate headed for Vegas. The southbound 
> lights are blocked by the wall between the north/south traffic. But 
> northbound is quite bright.
> 
> Setting up my scope to the north of my truck, and doing most of my 
> observing south, worked out pretty well, despite all the obstacles.
> 
> Oh, one other thing. This site is 6 miles north of Primm, 6 miles 
> south of Jean. Want to know how far the average scofflaw gets from 
> either town before the cop pulls him over? Want to know whether that 
> headlight-blocking wall between the north and south lanes blocks 
> flashing cop lights?
> 
> The wind was calm throughout the evening, but the seeing was maybe 2 out of 5.
> 
> (I'm not sure if embedding images is going to work on the list, 
> here. If it doesn't, I'll repost with attachments.)
> 
> All images are using Meade LS200, 12 inch, f/6.2 focal reducer.
> 
> This is the Virgo Diamond (60secs, ISO1600)
> Emacs!
> 
> 
> Same image, 2x enlargement
> Emacs!
> 
> 
> The Virgo Diamond area, with magnitudes of some stars for reference 
> (from Skymap ver 11)
> Emacs!
> 
> 
> The Virgo Diamond is a pretty thing. I used the computer's RA/Dec 
> info to get to the coordinates, and there it was. I did not work 
> real hard at seeing it visually, the sky was just not dark enough. I 
> calculate the companion on the right hand start is about 7 seconds 
> separation and about mag 14.5. I'd like to get to a dark site with a 
> dark sky and see if I can pull it out visually.
> 
> M13 (60 secs, ISO 800)
> Emacs!
> 
> 
> Omega Centauri (60 secs, ISO 1600)
> Emacs!
> 
> 
> Omega was 5 degrees (max of 6.5 an hour later) above the horizon when 
> I took the photo. Note it has twice the exposure (ISO 1600 vs ISO 
> 800) as M13. The two photos are the same scale, I simply cut the 
> same size portion out of each photo, centered on the object.
> 
> If you play with the image a bit, you get an idea of what this 
> monster might be like, at say, 45 degrees above the horizon...
> Emacs!
> 
> 
> 
> -- David

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