26 September 2006

Observing Location	SIBL
Observational Period	1100-1115 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	Clear, mild. Lots of foiling from heating of building roofs and air conditioning exhaust. Transparency Excellent Seeing Fair
Instruments	Canon 15x50 IS binocular w/Baader AstroSolar filter film - Charlie
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Target Sunspots Constellation Vir Category Solar Time 2006 EDT Comments Heliphraphic Latitude (B0) +6.92° Heliographic Longitude (L0) 289.26° Position Angle (P) +25.59° Carrington rotation number (CR) 2048 No sunspots were seem   Groups Spots R North 0 0 0 South 0 0 0 Total 0 0 0 R = (Groups * 10) + Spots)

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Observing Location	TotL
Observational Period	2015-2230 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	It started out with very black, transparent skies but partky cloudy and ended up heat and a little hazy but mostly clear. Gegenschein became visible after 2315. [I wonder if the sky was really as black as it appeared at the time or if it appeared blacker than it was because it was being seen next to white cloud bottoms. We definitely did not are the Gegenacheigln above the skyline to the south when we started out.] Transparency Excellent Seeing Good
Instruments	Canon 15x50 IS binocular (hand held)- Charlie Takahashi 22x60 binocular - Peter Fujinon 7x50 binocular - Peter
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway Peter Tagatac

I had a meeting to attend downtown and was carrying my computer so didn't bring my tripod. I decided that I would listen to my Sky Walker tapes. I was part way through the first tape when Peter arrived. We eventually started comparing notes on objects he has been observing in preparation for writing a review on the Takshashi binocular. We looked at some open clusters and double stars. I didn't make notes on anything we observed. The one thing I do remember was that I unequivocally saw M57 tonight. We also saw both Uranus and Neptune in his binocular and in mine with image stabilization turned on.

I was quite happy that I saw all of the Little Dipper naked-eye again, including Mag.5.02 Pherkad Minor. Later we looked around a bit and both saw down to Mag. 5.32 in the Alpha Perseus Association. Then we dropped down to the fishhook asterism in Per and both saw the Mag. 5.39 star below δ Per, HIP 18396. Applying the correction factor for atmospheric extinction from the Observer's Handbook, that would make the zenith limiting magnitude about 5.6 at the time. It probably would have been even deeper if we had performed the test earlier in the night when it was cloudy but not as hazy.

I thought that I had seen two bright satellites following each other across the sky and was wondering if it was the ISS and a Progress capsule. On checking Heavens above I found that the only thing bright all night was an Iridium flare. It was a Mag. -4 and on the right trajectory, but a little earlier than what I saw. 3 am speculating that it was a slow fade because it was so bright and that the reason it appeared to me to be two equally bright satellites was due to cloud movement.