Posts Made By: Linton Rohr

This state park is adjacent to the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands N.P.
After several previous misses, we finally had enough time to take the turn-out that leads out to the point.
The point looks out over the Colorado River canyon, just before it meets up with the Green.
The Abajo Mtns. loom on the distant southern horizon.
Linton

This state park is adjacent to the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands N.P.
After several previous misses, we finally had enough time to take the turn-out that leads out to the point.
The point looks out over the Colorado River canyon, just before it meets up with the Green.
The Abajo Mtns. loom on the distant southern horizon.
Linton

Spent an afternoon in Arches too, back in March.
Here's our state mascot, Delicate Arch, from a different vantage point.
Linton

Anyone getting any good detail on Mars lately?
I was able to clearly see the polar cap and some albedo features about 10 days ago.
I was using my 10" f/6 Starmaster at about 150x (10mm Ethos).
Haven't been able to get out much since, due to either clouds or wind.
I'm hoping that some of you are getting more eyepiece time.
Linton

I'm in favor of minimal moderation, but this is definitely in the wrong forum! 8O
Linton

Greetings all,
I was treated to my best fireball ever last night, by a wide margin! I had woke up at 4:00 and was lying there about to fall back asleep, when my wife Karen started shouting to look. When I opened my eyes, the entire sky out our large, N/NE-facing windows was dazzling white! A moment later, a large, white, slow-moving fireball came into view at the top of our view. I estimated it to be at least half the diameter of the moon and it had a long trail behind it, which Karen says had a green tint. Then it morphed into an orange fireball, with undulating flames trailing out perhaps 3 degrees behind it! A few small chunks fell from it, but for the most part, it remained intact until it cooled into dark flight. The whole show lasted about 5 or 6 seconds, which will remain burned into my memory forever.
I usually compare bright meteors to Venus, but this one was more like the sun! It was traveling from N/NW to E/SE and descending at about a 5 to 10 degree angle. It appeared to be right over
Capitol Reef N.P., but was probably much further away... possibly over toward Moab or even western Colorado.
I'll be filing an AMS report on it and I'm hoping a lot of other people saw it.
Linton

We recently took a drive out to Mars. Well, okay...
the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah.
Operated by the Mars Society, science teams from around the world come here to simulate living on Mars.
A short drive east of Capitol Reef N.P., it's kind of a cool thing to have in the neighborhood!
Linton

more info here... http://mdrs.marssociety.org/

I'd better post some winter scenes while I can.
Spring is just around the corner. Yeah, right!
Linton

Local landmark Torrey Knoll, after a New Year's snow...

The IDA proclaimed my back yard the next Dark Sky Park today.
I'm very happy to have been part of the teamwork on this.
Linton


Capitol Reef National Park Gains International Dark Sky Park Status

Tucson, AZ - April 16, 2015 - Few places in the continental United States experience nights as dark as those on the Colorado Plateau, but not even the isolation of the Plateau's wild lands make its skies immune to the harmful effects of light pollution.

Protecting the natural nighttime environment in some of America's greatest national parks and monuments requires educating park staff, visitors and local communities, and adopting good outdoor lighting practices. Capitol Reef National Park (CRNP) in Utah has undertaken a multi-year program doing just that and today, the International Dark-Sky Association recognizes CRNP as a Gold-tier International Dark Sky Park.

"We are thrilled to honor the excellent work at Capitol Reef National Park that has put it on the map for serious amateur astronomers and casual stargazers alike," said IDA Executive Director J. Scott Feierabend.

Capitol Reef National Park staff members see the IDA designation as a complement to their outreach and education programs, raising the Park's international profile and promoting a greater diversity of tourism. "Visitors have the opportunity to experience a wild landscape, by day and night, at Capitol Reef," said Lori Rome, Chief of Interpretation at the Park. "We encourage everyone to see the beauty for themselves."

Scenic Landscapes Day And Night

Capitol Reef National Park sprawls over 98,000 hectares (242,000 acres) of federal land in southern central Utah. It is named for a visually spectacular region of the Waterpocket Fold, a geological feature that made the area virtually impassable to early Anglo-American settlers. Its domes and cliffs of white Navajo Sandstone, reminding early visitors of the dome of the United States Capitol building, define the Park's landscapes.

Despite serving over 830,000 visitors in 2014, CRNP has largely resisted infrastructure development and instead offers visitors a rustic experience. As a consequence there is very little artificial lighting in the park, so visitors experience a night that is remarkably close to what it would have been in the pioneer era.

"Most of Capitol Reef National Park is very distant from large metropolitan areas with associated outdoor lighting that causes perpetual sky glow," explained Dan Duriscoe of the National Park Service Night Sky Team. "A climate with a high percentage of cloudless conditions and typically very clear air also contribute to outstanding night sky quality."


Complete IDA announcement here:
http://myemail.constantcontact.com/New-Dark-Sky-Park-Added-in-Utah.html?soid=1102000932216&aid=HRTHGC7pg3M

I ran across this great time-lapse video last week and thought it would be worth sharing.
The Untouched combines both daylight and night sky landscape imagery. Enjoy!
https://vimeo.com/125232988

Linton