7 February 2006
Columbus Dispatch
I scanned the satellite imagery in both Google Maps and Google Earth trying to find the location of the scopes but the resolution of the images is not sufficient to get a good look at individual houses let along a standalone dome.
Early reports on the SuitSat experiment indicated that the radio's batteries died shortly after it was set adrift. But it has since been heard from by people all over the world. The signal is weak and requires a high gain antenna to receive it so my decision not to get cranked over it was a good one.
It strikes me that the science behind the experiment it bogus. Ostensibly it is to see what the temperature is inside the spacesuit and how long the transmitter batteries last. But who cares how cold it gets in an empty spacesuit. Any time anyone wears one of the things they are using climate control so all we are learning is how cold it is in space and I have to believe that we have instruments on the outside of the ISS and other satellites that are already gathering that data.
This appears to me to be a way for some ham radio operators to get a fancy toy to play with and for NASA to get rid of some ISS garbage.
I just got spam from Sky and Telescope announcing a new pocket star atlas. It sells for $20 and is called Sky & Telescope's Pocket Sky Atlas. At 6"x9" it is a little big for my pocket though. It is printed in color and has stars down to Mag 7.6 which is over a full magnitude dimmer than most full size atlases I see in the stores. There are 80 maps with adjacent maps showing adjacent areas of the sky (want a concept). Around the map collar are markings telling what map to turn to if the one on the facing page isn't the one you need. It is spiral bound with a paper spine which will prevent you from folding it back for one hand use.
Scheduled to ship in April but the are taking pre-orders now.
| Observing Location | Science, Industry and Business Library, Madison Ave @ 34 St, New York, NY | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Observational Period | 1900-1915 EST | ||||
| Atmospheric Conditions | The temperature has dropped considerably since this afternoon and it looks clearer than the forecasts were predicting. If they got it wrong and it doesn't get hazy then tonight will be a good observing night. I have to put is some time with my nose in a book studying for my ham radio exam and again am not dressed for standing out in the cold so won’t be observing again until next week.
| ||||
| Instruments | Naked-eye observing | ||||
| Observing Party | Charlie Ridgway |
| Target | Moon |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Tau |
| Category | Lunar |
| Time | 20060207.1900 EST |
| Comments | Upon leaving the library tonight after yet another round of Windows updates on the Tablet PC I stopped to observe the Moon shining above the buildings across the avenue. There was a tiny dot of light to its 7:00 that I found was Alnath, β Tauri. Off to the right were Aldeberan, α Tauri and Mars. Although I could not see Orion, Planetarium tells me that the three red “stars” Betelgeuse, Aldeberan and Mars are still lined up and will remain like that through next week when Mars will begin to pass Aldeberan and form a long isosoles triangle |
posted by Charlie at 21:07
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