Posts Made By: Dave Mitsky

Don't forget to watch the Scientific American Frontiers program on dark matter and dark energy at 9:00 on PBS tonight!

Dave Mitsky

See http://www.astrohbg.org/s4/index.php for further information.

Dave Mitsky

FYI, there's a very interesting article on the Sun, complete with some great images, in the July issue of National Geographic.

Dave Mitsky

Here's my list of deep-sky objects located between 16 and 18 hours of right ascension.

Dave Mitsky

Sixty-five deep-sky objects for July: NGC 6140, NGC 6236, NGC 6340, NGC 6395, NGC 6412, NGC 6503, NGC 6543 (Draco); IC 4593, M13, M92, NGC 6106, NGC 6166, NGC 6173, NGC 6181, NGC 6207, NGC 6210, NGC 6229, NGC 6482 (Hercules); B61, B62, B63, B64, B72, IC 4634, IC 4665, LDN 42, LDN 1773, M9, M10, M12, M14, M19, M62, M107, NGC 6284, NGC 6287, NGC 6293, NGC 6304, NGC 6309, NGC 6356, NGC 6366, NGC 6369, NGC 6384, NGC 6401, Tr 26 (Ophiuchus); NGC 6440, NGC 6445 (Sagittarius); B50, B55, B56, Cr 316, M4, M6, M7, M80, NGC 6144, NGC 6153, NGC 6192, NGC 6231, NGC 6242, NGC 6302, NGC 6337, NGC 6451 (Scorpius); NGC 6217, NGC 6324 (Ursa Minor)

Challenge deep-sky object for July: NGC 6380

Here's my list of binary and multiple stars for July.

Dave Mitsky

Forty binary and multiple stars for July: Eta Draconis, 17 & 16 Draconis, Mu Draconis, Struve 2273, Nu-1 & Nu-2 Draconis, Psi Draconis (Draco); Kappa Herculis, Gamma Herulis, Struve 2063, 56 Herculis, Struve 2120, Alpha Herculis (Ras Algethi), Delta Herculis, Rho Herculis, Mu Herculis (Hercules); Rho Ophiuchi, Lambda Ophiuchi, 36 Ophiuchi, Omicron Ophiuchi, Burnham 126 (ADS 10405), Struve 2166, 53 Ophiuchi, 61 Ophiuchi (Ophiuchus); h5003 (Sagittarius); Xi Scorpii, Struve 1999, Beta Scorpii, Nu Scorpii, 12 Scorpii, Sigma Scorpii, Alpha Scorpii (Antares), h4926 (Scorpius); Struve 2007, 49 Serpentis, Struve 2031 (Serpens Caput); 53 Serpentis, Struve 2204, h4995, h2814 (Serpens Cauda); Epsilon Ursae Minoris (Ursa Minor)

Challenge binary star for July: 24 Ophiuchi

After watching the struggling Eastern League Harrisburg Senators defeat the Bowie Baysox on Tuesday evening I journeyed to the Astronomical Society of Harrisburg's Naylor Observatory (see http://www.astrohbg.org/naylor_observatory.php for images) at Lewisberry.

My first view through the 17" f/15 classical Cassegrain was of Jupiter at magnifications of 162 (40mm U.O. MK-70), 202 (32mm U.O. Koenig-II), and 259x (25mm U.O. MK-70). The GRS had nearly finished its transit at the time that I began observing.

My next target was C/2001 Q4 (NEAT) at 10h39m, 56d09', using the same magnifications. The fifth magnitude comet had dimmed a bit since I saw it last and was best seen at 162x. The coma was smaller.

After fitting a 2" Orion UltraBlock filter to the 40mm MK-70 I had a look at M8 and M20 in Sagittarius.

Before my search for Pluto began I observed the globular clusters M10 (162 and 259x) and M12 (162x) in Ophiuchus. I then began my star-hop eastward from Eta Ophiuchi using finder charts from Starry Night Pro, Sky & Telescope, and the RASC Observer's Handbook. Pluto (162 and 259x) was its usual nondescript and unremarkable self. This was the first time that I observed the icy world this year.

I finished my session with another comet, C/2003 K4 (LINEAR), which was located at 15h38m, 56d09' and which was over a magnitude and a half fainter than Comet NEAT Q4. I used 162m, 202, and 259x on this comet too.

I also saw Jupiter, M4, and M6 through the club's 12.5" f/6.5 Cave Newtonian and two Meade SCTs belonging to other members.

Dave Mitsky

I'm sending this message from the airport at Santa Cruz, Bolivia. The Southern Skies Star Party is now over, brought to a somewhat premature end by the political situation here. Be that as it may I experienced 6 nights of superb observing from the shores of Lake Titicaca at an altitude of over 12,000 feet. During the course of the week I viewed hundreds of objects under seventh magnitude skies including the southern greats such as the Eta Carinae Nebula, Omega Centauri, Centaurus A, 47 Tucanae, the Jewel Box Cluster, and both of the Magellanic Clouds using my 15x70 binocular and a number of telescopes including a Takahashi FS-106, a 10 inch Starmaster Dob, and a 22 inch Starmaster Dob. Spending time with David Levy while he was hunting comets in the early morning was quite a treat.

There will be more to follow.

Adios,

Dave Mitsky

I saw the unbelievably poorly directed "Bourne Supremacy" on Saturday night. What a waste of a good cast and script on such a badly edited and cinemagraphed movie! Director Paul Greengrass takes the handicam to new depths of artistic "style" over content. The best fight scene and the big car chase are almost impossible to follow thanks to the nearly nausea-inducing, out-of-frame camera work. Isn't it reasonable to expect to actually see the action in an action movie? Wouldn't it be nice to have a scene last longer than 5 seconds? (Damn MTV and the sorry effect its had on filmmakers!) Take some Dramamine before seeing this self-indulgent mess.

Dave Mitsky

An eleventh magnitude supernova was discovered on 2004/07/31.76 by Koichi Itagaki. SN 2004dj is located approximately 160" east and 10" north of the nucleus of NGC 2403, an 8.5 magnitude spiral galaxy in Camelopardalis, at 7h37m17s, +65d35'58". This supernova is unusually bright and has already been observed with only 90mm of aperture.

See http://www.rochesterastronomy.org/sn2004/n2403s1.jpg for an image of SN 2004dj.

Dave Mitsky

An eleventh magnitude supernova was discovered on 2004/07/31.76 by Koichi Itagaki. SN 2004dj is located approximately 160" east and 10" north of the nucleus of NGC 2403, an 8.5 magnitude spiral galaxy in Camelopardalis, at 7h37m17s, +65d35'58". This supernova is unusually bright and has already been observed with only 90mm of aperture.

See http://www.rochesterastronomy.org/sn2004/n2403s1.jpg for an image of SN 2004dj.

Dave Mitsky