The Straight-Up Cam

[Turtle]

The Perseid meteor shower peaks in a couple days & I may have a fair chance to record a SUCTON meteor. The radiant is of course in the constellation Perseus, just East of Lyra.

If we get a 4.0 or greater earthquake, I expect to capture the motion on the SUCTON instrument, adding to its scientific usefullness.
That is all.

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by Turtle

In doing some research on Vega & the constellation Lyra I identified an interesting varible star I believe I have recorded on the SUCTON instrument. Not only does this start to give me a range of sensivity of the instrument for astronomical observation in SuperNightshot mode, I may actually record the variable binary varying.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_Lyrae

I have Beta Lyrae in view, as well as its nearby companion star Gamma Lyrae.

Originally Posted by Wicky

Gamma Lyrae (γ Lyr / γ Lyrae) is a star in the constellation Lyra. It also has the traditional names Sulafat or Sulaphat (arab. "turtle")

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamma_Lyrae

Because Gamma Lyrae is magnitude 3.3 and dimmer in my current image than Beta Lyrae, I conclude Beta Lyrae is in the brighter stage of its variability between 3.4 & 4.3.
Interesting too that Gamma Lyrae is also called Sulaphat, the Arab word for turtle. The gods have smiled on project SUCTON yet again.

[Mercedes Benzene]

When do you predict the next earthquake in your area to be?

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by Mercedes Benzene

When do you predict the next earthquake in your area to be?

I have neither the developed sensitivity nor the instrumental data correlations to make earthquake predictions other than facetiously. Funny you asked though as a large quake just struck in Mexico.
I have just observed a phenomenon on the live feed from the SUCTON equipment, and I have to wait for a full tape review to see if I caught it on digital tape. I call the phenomenon SCM, for Sudden Cloud Movement. I see these movements every once in a while as I watch weather on the live feed, and it is a movement of an entire cloud quickly in one direction & then back. I have two possible explanations.
* One, they are artifacts of the digital processing in the camera.
* Two, they result from a passing ELF/VLF/ULF wavefront.

Until or unless I manage to catch this on tape, they remain a mystery as I have found no mention in the meteorological references.

Addendum: Here's the link to the 6.0 quake in Mexico. In the time it took to go get it, we had another 6.0 quake in Indonesia. (neither registered on the SUCTON unit.)
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/...kes/usrgaw.php
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/...kes/usrgb2.php

[Turtle]

Breaking News!!! Stop Amazing observation! Stop Wow! Stop
I just stopped the real-time SUCTON feed VHS tape as it reached its 6 hour limit, & reviewed it in fast forward before rewinding it for reuse. What I saw were quickly forming vortices in the cloud bases, looking for all the world like a satellite view of a hurricane. Two of them rotated clockwise & one rotated counterclockwise. I also saw a couple start to form & then peter out.
I have to get back to the review so I can get the recorder back online.
That is all. Please return your seats to the upright position; the smoiking lamp is on.

[Mercedes Benzene]

What I saw were quickly forming vortices in the cloud bases, looking for all the world like a satellite view of a hurricane.

That sounds freakkin sweet.
Could you please post a video of that on youtube.com or something.
I really wanna see that!!

[SolarFreak]

wow very cool!!! I wounder how a wireless webcam would do. I might have to go pick one up and see about setting up. great idea.


edit

Well I picked up a wireless web cam today. I tired it out side tonight but no matter how I adjust it its too dark to see anything. Tonight is very clear and lots of stars are easy to see.

Oh well I will try it again in the daytime see how it goes.
I got the linksys wvc54gc and its sucks. After reading some hardware forums they mostly all agree its sucks.
Looks like I will take it back tomorrow.

Can anyone recommend a good one?

you can take a look
http://58.91.235.40:1727/
Im not sure how long I will have this stream up. maybe until morning when I can take it back to the store.

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by Mercedes Benzene

That sounds freakkin sweet.
Could you please post a video of that on youtube.com or something.
I really wanna see that!!

I can post short videos right here in the Science Gallery, & I certainly will use all means to try and post a vortex video. I checked the Interval recording progress & I have now filled about 1/2 of an hour length tape.

Originally Posted by SoalrFreak

wow very cool!!! I wounder how a wireless webcam would do. I might have to go pick one up and see about setting up. great idea.
edit
Well I picked up a wireless web cam today. I tired it out side tonight but no matter how I adjust it its too dark to see anything. Tonight is very clear and lots of stars are easy to see.

Nice idea Solar! Great follow-through too. I note that as to seeing stars I have to use the "SuperNightshot" mode on the camera, which is an infrared option with the shutter slowed. The regular "Nightshot" mode does not show any stars at all.
If we have more enthusiastic experimenters like yourself, we can build an array.

[SolarFreak]

ZOLATON thats GREAT!!! Taking back my cam, I found a used Sony DCR-PC5 super night shot . Is this the same kinda cam you are using?

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by SolarFreak

ZOLATON thats GREAT!!! Taking back my cam, I found a used Sony DCR-PC5 super night shot . Is this the same kinda cam you are using?

To ZOLATON & beyond!!!!
My camera is a Sony DCR-TRV140. It's several years old and judging from the myriad different models Sony has, I suspect they never make more than 10 of any 1 model. (make sure it has a computer connection port!)
Nonetheless, SuperNightShot is a trademarked Sony feature and has the same capability regardless of the model. Sooooo keeewwwwllll to add the first SUCTON member to the array.

It is just after 5:00PM here & I have a lot of contrail activity in view. I don't know how much detailed analysis I will (can? ) get into of the 100's of images just one tape provides. But steady watching of these contrails is loaded with enough information to calculate the wind speeds & direction, as well as the the rate & area of expanse of the contrail. Dated & timed to the second too, by the cameras internal clock.
Back to my SUCTON.