Stormy weather was in the driver's seat for the better part of our
reporting period. The weekend weather forecast is looking up for a change.
Skies are forecast to be clear the next several nights... and temperatures
a bit milder than we've had lately. Having just reached the last quarter
phase of
the moon, this couldn't be a much better situation. I'd recommend that
you take advantage of the situation and get outside and enjoy the beauty
of the winter night sky. There are several new additions to reacquaint
yourself with, so...what are you waiting for?
The planet Venus is still at its absolute brightest now.... a blistering mag-4.7.
Anyone who's looked westward on a clear evening around sunset has surely
seen Venus. They may have mistaken it for a plane or something, but
they've seen it. Venus is the brightest "star-like" object in the
night sky... by far. Venus is currently about 52" in diameter... on
its way to just over 60" or 1' in January.
Running quickly west to east through the solar system...
Mars is high and towards the south at dark... while
Saturn is rising in the east around 8:00pm.
The planet Jupiter brings up the rear... rising just before 4:00am.
Now, its time to go deep. The waning phase of the moon has Earth's
nearest neighbor rising just before 1:00am... and... with it getting dark
so early now... currently around 6:30pm... this is an ideal weekend to go
deep. I've been watching Orion climb above the hills to the east of my
house for the last several weeks. It is now doing so pretty early in the
night. Many people are familiar with the constellation Orion... and can
easily find it by looking for the 3 stars that make up his belt. If you're
one of those people... then you should have no trouble finding this weeks
constellation...
the constellation Eridanus. Fooled you, huh? You thought we were going
to visit Orion this week. Sorry. As a consolation though... Eridanus is
known as "the river of Orion"... because it flows before the feet of the
mighty hunter.
Not familiar with Eridanus? That's ok. This is a
nice constellation to add to your bag of tricks. Eridanus' long and
winding shape has led to it being referred to in many cultures. For
instance, it represented The Nile to the Egyptians, The Po to Italians,
and the Yellow River to the Chinese. Within Eridanus' boundaries lie a
wealth of deep sky treasure. This week, we'll point out two that should be
added to your observing list. First up is a beautiful mag10 spiral galaxy,
NGC1232. This modest sized galaxy is just about perfectly face on from our
perspective... opening up its beautiful spiral arms for us to see. This is
the more southerly of the two... so be sure to hit this one first. After
you've had your fill of spiral galaxy... move your scope a bit to the
northeast and you'll find a beautiful little planetary nebula, NGC1535.
This beauty is about mag 9.6... putting it within reach of 4-6"
telescopes. Sweep the area at low power looking for a pale bluish nebula.
Once you come upon it... be sure to crank up the magnification... as this
beauty will reveal lots of internal detail at higher powers.
Finally, Utah Skies would like to wish
everyone a Merry Christmas.
Astronomy News
From Around The World, and Beyond
Partial Ingredients for DNA and Protein Found Around Star
Friday, December 23rd, 2005 - For the first time ever, astronomers using the Spitzer Space Telescope have found precursors to DNA and Protein.. the most fundamental building blocks to life as we know it... surrounding a distant star. The ingredients were found in the inner regions of this distant solar system... at a distance similar to the distance that Earth orbits the Sun. Checkout the NASA Press Release for more details on this very exciting discovery.
Hubble Finds News Uranus Rings & Moons
Thursday, December 22nd, 2005 - Astronomers using the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope have discovered a pair of new rings orbiting the planet Uranus. The rings are incredibly faint and required that Hubble take an extra long exposure just to glimpse them. In addition to this, they also announced the discovery of a pair of new moons as well. The discovery brings the total to 27 moons. Checkout the Hubble Press Release for more details.
Winter Solstice Morning
Wednesday, December 21st, 2005 - This near-last quarter moon was caught this morning in the west-south-western sky as the first light of the year's shortest day touched the peak of Ecker Hill near Park City, UT. Due to the tilt of the earth's axis relative to its orbit around the sun, we experience seasons, and today (about 5:30 this afternoon, actually) is the Winter Solstice, the point in the earth's orbit when those of us in the northern hemisphere are smack dab in the middle of winter (of course, that means our friends south of the equator are in short-sleeves and enjoying a sun that's high in the sky - Summer Solstice). Interestingly, the earth is closer to the sun in December than in July, but our non-circular orbit has no appreciable effect on our seasons.
Eccentric Kuiper Belt Object Challenges Theories
Tuesday, December 20th, 2005 - An object orbiting the Sun in the outer reaches of our solar system has
astronomers and planetary scientists rethinking some of the most basic theories on the creation of our solar system. Officially designated as 2004
XR 190 by the International Astronomical Union and nicknamed "Buffy", this object has an orbit that keeps it twice as far from the Sun as the planet Neptune. Additionally, it is only 1/2 the size of the planet Pluto. Buffy inhabits a region of our solar system known as the Kuiper Belt, a vast region inhabited by tens of thousands of small objects ranging in
size from hundreds of meters to hundreds of kilometers. The vast majority of KBO's orbit on the same plane as the planets. Buffy has an orbit that is
highly inclined. Additionally, most KBO's have very elliptical orbits... pulling in close... and then swinging out to the outer limits of our solar system.
Buffy has an almost perfectly circular orbit. Current theories do not account for an object of this nature. Intrigued? Find out more.
NASA's New Horizons Probe
Saturday, December 17th, 2005 - NASA mission specialists are busily preparing for the January 2006 launch of the New Horizons Spacecraft. The craft will travel for over 9 years and 4 billion miles to reach its first objective... the planet Pluto. It'll snap many pictures as it approaches and then passes Pluto... then continue on to study a few members of the Kuiper Belt... some of the most distant members of our solar system. Stay tuned for more details.
The Real Lord of the Rings
Friday, December 16th, 2005 - The orbiting Cassini Spacecraft recently captured this exquisite shot of Saturn's
ring beautiful system. Taken in infrared, this shot highlights some gaps in the rings. From bottom to top, they are the Cassini Division, the Encke Gap
and the Keeler Gap. Checkout NASA's Planetary Photojournal for more details. Skywatchers Note: The planet Saturn can now be found rising in the
eastern sky around 8:30pm. It is one of the brightest star-like objects in the sky and can be seen without any optical aid. Of course, if you want to see
those beautiful rings, you're definitely going to need a telescope.
Luna and the Seven Sisters
Wednesday, December 14th, 2005 - The Moon and the open clusterM45, also know as the Pleiades, were in conjunction last night. The view to the naked eye was of a very bright, waxing gibbous moon and just a few of the brightest objects in the vicinity; the Pleiades were not visible, though. This image however, a digital composition of two separate images, shows the two objects as they were in relation to each other. As the moon continues on to full and then wanes gibbous, the beautiful Sisters will once again shine in the evening sky.
Saturn's Mysterious Bulging Rings
Tuesday, December 13th, 2005 - The orbiting Cassini Spacecraft has returned some incredible images of a
mysterious bulge in the outer edges of the planet Saturn's beautiful
rings. The bulge is only evident when the rings are viewed edge-on. Earlier images taken by the Voyager
spacecraft hinted at this phenomenon. Cassini will take additional images of the area so that the vertical extent of the bulge can be more
precisely measured. Checkout NASA's Planetary Photojournal for more details.
A Pair of M's
Monday, December 12th, 2005 - As the Moon, in its ancient lunar ritual, sped around the Earth Sunday night December 11th, it had a close and beautiful encounter with the red planet, Mars. This chance meeting in the night sky - a conjunction - had the two celestial bodies (from our perspective here on Earth) less than a finger's width apart. This apparent proximity, measured in degrees, minutes, and seconds of arc, was about 49' when this image was taken, or less than two apparent moon-diameters. Look again Monday and Tuesday to see the Moon close to the Pleiades.
Weekend Conjunction
Saturday, December 10th, 2005 - This weekend, look for a waxing gibbous moon to pose alongside M45... aka The Pleiades Star Cluster in an event known as a alignment. The pair will swap sides Saturday night & Sunday night as the moon continues its journey through the evening sky.
Ghost-Moon Rise
Friday, December 9th, 2005 - The moon rose ghostly yesterday afternoon, looking much like a wispy cloud or a haunting specter. Past first quarter and approaching full, the moon is waxing gibbous.
The sun is a fascinating subject; it's appearance changes from day to day. In fact, it is the only star in the sky that we can see any details on at all! This week, however, the sun is quiet; there are no large sunspots visible.
Mercury remains visible in the western sky, low on the horizon after sunset. Having reached its greatest eastern elongation on the 20th of June, it is falling back into the sun's glare and it's inferior conjunction on July 18th.
Because of its proximity to the Sun, Mercury is never really viewed against a dark background. Rather, it always struggles to be seen over the light of the setting or rising Sun. Patience (and clear skies) will reward you with some beautiful evening views of this planet.
In the accompanying image, Mercury is seen following the sun toward the western horizon of southern Utah with a slender crescent moon close behind.
Still in the morning sky near sunrise, Venus marks a beginning of the "early-bird's" day. Having attained its greatest western elongation earlier in the year, Venus is continuing its inexorable journey appearing to fall into the sun towards its superior conjunction at the end of October.
If you have a telescope handy, take a peek at the love goddess' name sake; the crescent of Venus is lovely indeed. Venus was beautiful along side the Pleiades on the June 23rd , and look forward to the first of July when Venus rises with Aldebaran, the 14th of July when Venus and the Crab Nebula dance together, and the 26th and 27th of August when Venus and Saturn rise together less than a degree apart!
The ESA's Venus Express spacecraft is now in its mission phase. The ESA reports "On 3 June at 13:42 UT, after 207 days of flight, 43 orbits around Venus and many test activities, Venus Express has formally completed its commissioning phase and has entered the routine science phase...The nominal mission is scheduled to last till the end of October 2007." Venus Express will study the planet in great detail, in particular the Venusian atmosphere and clouds.
While we train our optics skyward nightly, there are visual treasures and marvels to behold earthward. Pictured here is a collection of richly colored rock in the Uinta Mountains, a massive range in Northern Utah carved by glaciers from an immense uplift of Precambrian rock. Some of this rock is exposed as colorful quartzite and shales. The main crest of the Uinta Mountains runs west to east for more than 60 miles, rising over 6,000 feet above the Wyoming and Uinta Basins to the north and south. The highest point in Utah is Kings Peak at 13,528 feet.
The Moon will be new on the 25th, and begin waxing crescent until first quarter on July 3rd, when it will wax gibbous approaching full on July 11th. Those observers that consider the moon "light pollution" look forward to this time of the synodic cycle as the moon travels with the sun, keeping the night sky dark, favoring views of distant, elusive, and faint fuzzies - galaxies, nebulae, and clusters.
Remember, as the moon waxes and wanes, you can look forward to those phases where Moon observations are most fascinating. Features appear - mountains, craters, rilles - as the sunlight casts long, defining shadows. Look along the portion of the Moon separating light from dark, known as the terminator, for the greatest contrasts.
The Red Planet is found high in the western sky at sunset as it moves to it's superior conjunction opposite the Sun later in the year. Look at this sweet shot taken by Utah Skies member Brian Jolley last year when Mars was at its closest. He took this through the historic Clark refractor at Lowell Observatory.
Even without a telescope the view of and around Mars is interesting. Having moved through the constellation Gemini, Mars is approaching a conjunction with Saturn around June 17th. On its way, it will pass through M44!
Planet Jupiter | Solar System | The Utah Skies Report
Jupiter is currently rising late in the afternoon, placing it favorably for those wanting views of the Sun's largest planet before heading off to bed.
This image is an example of what Jupiter has to offer viewers: interesting detail in the equatorial bands and, if conditions are right, swirls and festoons. Much beautiful structure can be seen through a typical telescope, but results vary depending on telescope aperture and sky conditions. Too, the Great Red Spot has some company: another storm has grow in proportion near the GRS, and has come to be known as Spot Jr!
If you have binoculars, point these towards Jupiter. While you won't be able to see any details on the planets surface, binoculars will clearly show you several of Jupiter's brightest moons, and regular observations will show them jockey for position as they orbit the giant planet. The movement is quite apparent, sometimes even in the span of a few hours.
This sweet shot of Jupiter nicely shows its great red spot and some of the incredible details just waiting your observation. Additionally, you can see one of Jupiter's moons eclipsing the giant planet. The round "ink spot" on the planet's surface is the shadow cast by its moon. Watching Jupiter's moons as they orbit and occasionally transit the giant planet is a very interesting part of observing Jupiter.
Saturn is now rising mid-morning and reaching the highest point in its path across the sky in the late afternoon; the spectacular views of the ringed planet will soon come to an end as it moves behind the sun with the passing weeks. Some truely great views of the ringed planet and its satellites are available on the Cassini Huygens pages. This sweet shot was taken by Don Brown of Utah Skies.
Uranus is currently rising in the early morning, about an hour after Neptune.. The Earth and Uranus have ostensibly achieved their greatest separation, and will soon begin to draw nearer again.
This fascinating image was taken from a ground-based telescope in the European Southern Observatory.
Planet Neptune | Solar System | The Utah Skies Report
The planet Neptune, is currently rising several hours before the sun, leaving you precious little time to view the 8th rock. To speed up your acquisition of the planet, look just east of south before first light. Find Deneb Ageldi; Neptune is just about 4.5° west and north of "the water goat's tail". At just a touch brighter than mag 8, Neptune should be visible as a faint star-like object in binoculars or as a bluish object in a telescope. Once you've found it, higher powers will clearly reveal the disk of the planet .
This beautiful image of Neptune and its moon, Triton, was taken by the Voyager 2 spacecraft from a perspective that will never be had from Earth. Interesting to note is the gray hue of the planet in this image. The atmosphere of the planet preferentially scatters the light forward from this vantage and so removes the bluish tinge, and reddens the color.
Planet Pluto | Solar System | The Utah Skies Report
Pluto is rising before midnight, giving you the time you'll need to seek this faintest of planets. To know you've seen Pluto is going to require observations over several nights, carefully noting star patterns until you see one point of light move relative to the others: that's Pluto!!! But don't try this at home kids, unless you have some serious aperture, because at mag 15+, you're gonna need it!
This image of Pluto and its moon Charon was taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, showing the improved performance of a space-based observational platform over ground-based telescopes.
The Hubble Space Telescope has distinguished itself as a premier source of astronomical images. Amazing HST images have graced the covers of major magazines and newspapers worldwide. In recognition of the amazing advances in astronomy and physics which have come from Hubble discoveries, we'd like to devote a section of this report to some of these incredible images, and share some of them with you. Our latest comes directly from the Hubble Heritage Team.
The "Rotten Egg" Nebula: A Planetary Nebula in
the Making
The object shown in these NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope images
is a remarkable example of a star going through death throes just
as it dramatically transforms itself from a normal red giant star
into a planetary nebula. This process happens so quickly that such
objects are quite rare, even though astronomers believe that most
stars like the Sun will eventually go through such a phase.
This
star, with the prosaic name of OH231.8+4.2, is seen in these
infrared pictures blowing out gas and dust in two opposite
directions. So much dust has been cast off and now surrounds the
star that it cannot be seen directly, only its starlight that is
reflected off the dust. The flow of gas is very fast, with a
velocity up to 450,000 mph (700,000 km/h). With extreme clarity,
these Hubble Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS)
images reveal that the fast-moving gas and dust are being
collimated into several thin streamers (on the right) and a
jet-like structure (on the left), which can be seen extending away
from the centers of both pictures. On the right, wisps of material
in jet-like streamers appear to strike some dense blobs of gas.
This interaction must produce strong shock waves in the gas.
The
pictures represent two views of the object. The color image is a
composite of four images taken with different NICMOS infrared
filters on March 28, 1998. It shows that the physical properties
of the material, both composition and temperature, vary
significantly throughout the outflowing material. The
black-and-white image was taken with one NICMOS infrared filter.
That image is able to show more clearly the faint detail and
structure in the nebula than can be achieved with the color
composites.
Observations by radio astronomers have found many
unusual molecules in the gas around this star, including many
containing sulfur, such as hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide.
These sulfur compounds are believed to be produced in the shock
waves passing through the gas. Because of the large amount of
sulfur compounds, this object has earned the nickname "The Rotten
Egg" Nebula. It resides in the constellation Puppis.
These
NICMOS data pose a serious challenge to astrophysical theorists:
How can a star generate such tightly collimated streams of gas and
dust and accelerate them to such very high velocities? William B.
Latter from the California Institute of Technology and his group
are using these data to obtain a better understanding of the
detailed structure in the outflowing material, look for evidence
for the origin of the thin streamers and jets, and learn more
about the star itself. This information will give astronomers a
more complete understanding of the final stages in the lives of
stars like our Sun.
These results were presented at a conference
called "Asymmetrical Planetary Nebulae II: From Origins to
Microstructures," Aug. 3 to 6, 1999 at the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology. The results also will be published in the
Astrophysical Journal.
Credit:NASA,
ESA, William B. Latter (SIRTF
Science Center/California Institute of Technology), John H.
Bieging (University of Arizona), Casey Meakin (University of
Arizona), A.G.G.M. Tielens (Kapteyn Astronomical Institute),
Aditya Dayal (IPAC/NASA Jet
Propulsion Laboratory), Joseph L. Hora (Center for Astrophysics),
and Douglas M. Kelly (University of Arizona).
Our Constellation report is an easy way for people to become familiar with the nighttime sky. We’ll discuss myths associated with the various constellations as well as describing the numerous deep sky objects residing in the area. No equipment is required to view the constellations, though a star chart can be quite helpful. This ease of observing makes constellations a natural place to begin your journey to the stars.
This weekend we move on to the constellation Eridanus the "River of Orion". Eridanus' long and winding shape has led to it being referred to in many cultures. For instance, it represented The Nile to the Egyptians, The Po to Italians, and the Yellow River to the Chinese.
Eridanus is the longest constellation in the sky, spanning over 50°.
Ok, let's start things off with Elliptical Galaxy NGC1199(mag11.5). This object has the distinction of being the northern-most of this weeks objects in Eridanus. So.. I'll bet that many will be able to find this one pretty quickly. Once you've tracked this galaxy down, you might be in for a treat. Depending on the aperture of your scope, you just might notice a whole bunch of companions. As the accompanying image shows, NGC1199 is the brightest in a fairly large grouping of galaxies. Check it out.
Next we'll hit Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC1300(mag10.5). Located about 6° south east of NGC1199, this should be another relatively easy find. You should be able to spot this in instruments as small as 4". However, to see the spiral arms, you'll need a bit more aperture. Probably 8-10" and a dark clear view to the south. Actually, dark and clear is probably a prerequisite for all the rest of this weeks objects.
Moving about 2.5° southwest of NGC1300 we come to Spiral Galaxy NGC1232 (mag9.9). This beautiful spiral is very photogenic as you can see. Spirals like this one are some of my absolute favorite viewing subjects. There is a certain grace to their appearance. At just shy of mag10 and a mere -20° declination, you guys ought to be all over this one.
Next we'll hit Spiral Galaxy NGC1532(mag11). Again, this is not the faintest galaxy we've ever sent you out after, but it's far southern declination of -32° will most certainly give you a run for your money :)
Remember... an objects height above the horizon is 90 - your latitude - the objects declination. So, in this case NGC1532 is 90-40-32=18° above the horizon. This example works for my viewing location here in Park City.
Moving on, we come to Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC1291(mag8.5). This is the brightest object in this weeks list. What do you think of as you view the accompanying image??? Exactly... Breakfast. This looks like a picture perfect sunny-side egg :) However, at -41° declination, this object will be a mere 9° above the southern horizon from my viewing location in Park City. This'll be a really tough catch for us "northerners" :)
My advice would be to save this for a trip to southern skies. Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Florida... or... perhaps a bit more exotic :)
Moving on, we come to Spiral Galaxy NGC1084(mag10.6). This tiny little galaxy can be found bordering the western edge of Eridanus... just about into Cetus.
Next up... for a change of pace... we've got a nice Planetary Nebula, NGC1535(mag9.6). This sweet shot was taken by... yup... you guessed it Al Kelly. It seems that Al owns Eridanus given the number of incredible shots from this constellation that he's taken.! Have you taken the time to checkout Al's Astrophotographer of the Month page? This is some of his best work (as of a couple of years ago, anyway)
Anyway... back to NGC1535. This beauty is fairly bright at mag9.6 and fairly small at only 44" in diameter. This ought to help you...giving it a fairly high surface brightness. Once you find this baby, cranking up the magnification ought to reveal some incredible detail.
Let's wrap things up with this constellations Utah Skies Challenge Object, Irregular Galaxy NGC1552(mag14). This faint little galaxy will put your deep sky searching skills to the test. Fortunately, it's pretty small -- 1.9'x1.4'. This raises it's surface brightness to a whopping mag 13 per arcmin2. Not exactly blazing, but it should be within the reach of an 8?-10? telescope.
While you're there (you did find it... didn't you :) Anyway... While you're there, see how many of NGC1552's neighbors you can find. As the accompanying image shows, there are a handful of faint neighboring galaxies to be seen as well. Aperture requirements will climb rather quickly for these. I'd throw in clear dark skies as well.
Good Luck!.
If you are able to find all of these objects, you may be one of the few, the proud, the Deep Sky Obsessed.
E-mail your findings to DeepSkyObservations@UtahSkies.org.
Ecological Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting
Big news: A groundbreaking book on the impact of artificial night
lighting. It's entitled, "Ecological
Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting"... and is due to be released
sometime in November. Published by
Island
Press, this book is sure to shed some light (pun intended) on the very
important, if somewhat mis-understood, topic of
light pollution.
While certain ecological problems associated with artificial night lighting are
widely known-for instance, the disorientation of
sea turtle hatchlings by beachfront lighting-the vast range of influences on
all types of animals and plants is only beginning to be recognized. From nest
choice and breeding success of birds to behavioral and physiological changes in
salamanders, many organisms are seriously affected by human alterations in
natural patterns of light and dark.
Ecological Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting is the first book to
consider the environmental effects of the intentional illumination of the night.
It brings together leading scientists from around the world to review the state
of knowledge on the subject and to describe specific effects that have been
observed across a full range of taxonomic groups, including mammals, birds,
reptiles and amphibians, fishes, invertebrates, and plants.
Ecological Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting provides a scientific basis
to begin addressing the challenge of conserving the nighttime environment. It
cogently demonstrates the vital importance of this until-now neglected topic and
is an essential new work for conservation planners, researchers, and anyone
concerned with human impacts on the natural world.
Here's the latest addition to Starry Night
Lights growing collection of night sky friendly
outdoor lights.
Manufactured by
Visionaire
Lighting, the
Monterrey
Series is an attractive commercial fixture that's as much at home on
campus as it is on Main Street. These would be great replacements for
the glare bombs that line Main Streets all around the country. These
fixtures incorporate night sky friendly performance in a stylish looking
package.
As you'd expect, you can find
this gorgeous, dark sky friendly outdoor light in the
commercial lighting section of your favorite outdoor lighting retailer, Starry Night Lights!
Newsfeed
Sun
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Moon
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
The sun is a fascinating subject; it's appearance changes from day to day. In fact, it is the only star in the sky that we can see any details on at all! This week, however, the sun is quiet; there are no large sunspots visible.
Ok, let's start things off with Elliptical Galaxy NGC1199(mag11.5). This object has the distinction of being the northern-most of this weeks objects in Eridanus. So.. I'll bet that many will be able to find this one pretty quickly. Once you've tracked this galaxy down, you might be in for a treat. Depending on the aperture of your scope, you just might notice a whole bunch of companions. As the accompanying image shows, NGC1199 is the brightest in a fairly large grouping of galaxies. Check it out.
Next we'll hit Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC1300(mag10.5). Located about 6° south east of NGC1199, this should be another relatively easy find. You should be able to spot this in instruments as small as 4". However, to see the spiral arms, you'll need a bit more aperture. Probably 8-10" and a dark clear view to the south. Actually, dark and clear is probably a prerequisite for all the rest of this weeks objects.
Next we'll hit Spiral Galaxy NGC1532(mag11). Again, this is not the faintest galaxy we've ever sent you out after, but it's far southern declination of -32° will most certainly give you a run for your money :)
Moving on, we come to Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC1291(mag8.5). This is the brightest object in this weeks list. What do you think of as you view the accompanying image??? Exactly... Breakfast. This looks like a picture perfect sunny-side egg :) However, at -41° declination, this object will be a mere 9° above the southern horizon from my viewing location in Park City. This'll be a really tough catch for us "northerners" :)
