7 July 2006

Observing Location	TotL
Observational Period	1915-2400 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	Mostly cloudy and seasonably warm. Light haze. Then conditions went downhill. Most of the night it was a challenge trying to see Jupiter and the Moon through the clouds. On a few rare occasions there were gaps in the clouds but they were mainly teasers out to the west that filled in before they got to the south. Transparency Poor Seeing Good
Instruments	SAR: Coulter CT-100 -Charlie Canon 15x50 IS binocular - Charlie
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Target	Sunspots
Constellation	Gem
Category	Solar
Time	20060707.1925 EDT
Comments	Viewed through haze and clouds. 898 According to Space Weather this spot is supposed to have split in two. I can't split the components but definitely see a lobe on the side of the main portion of the spot. 899 This is a new group since I last observed. I can see two spots in the group. The P spot is large and was easily found. The F spot is much smaller and took some work.   Groups Spots R North 0 0 0 South 2 3 23 Total 2 3 23

Target	Lacrosse 3 across the Moon
Constellation	Sco
Category	Satellite & Lunar
Time	20060707.2034 EDT
Comments	I was all set up and thought I might have a chance at this one since my scope’s theoretical resolving poser is about a minute of arc and the satellite subtends two minutes> The Moon is waxing gibbous so the pass would be over the lighted surface longer. Just as my alarm was going off signaling the start of the pass the clouds moved in over the Moon.

Target	Iridium 54 Flare
Constellation	Cam
Category	Satellite
Time	20060707.2126 EDT
Comments	This Mag -6 flare burned through the clouds briefly and faded. It looked golden to orange.

Target	Jupiter
Constellation	Lib
Category	Planet
Time	20060707.2219 EDT
Comments	I saw Jupiter early in the evening then there was a gap in th clouds and it had four moons. This time when it came into clear air one of the moons was transiting or occulted.

Target	Moon
Constellation	Sco
Category	Lunar
Time	20060707.2226 EDT
Comments	The Moon was in the head of the scorpion tonight between and below Antares and Dschubba. I could see both claws in my binocular but was only able to find one star in SAR. There was a break in the clouds when the views of the moon were very crisp in both the binocular and the scope but most of the time I was looking through clouds. Mare Crisium and Sinus Iridum appeared to be as dark as Plato Aristarchus was very white There is a darker crater right next to Aristarchus, Heroditus, that I have never noticed before although its mane is familiar so Peter or Ben have probably pointed it out Schicard is on the terminator Mersenius and Gassendi, on the edge of Mare Humorum are well defined

Target	The Coathanger
Constellation	Vul
Category	Asterism
Time	20060707.2330 EDT
Comments	I located The Coathanger in my hand held binocular and tried to do the same with the scope but there were not enough stars uncovered by the clouds for long enough for me to star hop to it. I tried getting there from Cygnus, from Lyra and from Aquila and each time I got lost in the clouds before I got there