10 May 2005

Observing Location	Parkchester South Condominium Oval, Bronx, NY
Observational Period	1715-1745 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	Bright and clear. Seasonable temperatures and no wind. No perceptible humidity or haze.
Instruments	Canon 15x50 Image Stabilized binoculars with Baader AstroSolar filter film- Charlie
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Target	Sunspots
Constellation	Ari
Category	Solar
Time	10May05; 1715 EDT
Comments	Sunspot 758 seems to have condensed into three much more obvious features. I think I was able to see the feature without magnification. Sunspot 759 looks like it is bigger today, but this may be because it is not as foreshortened today as it was yesterday. SpaceWeather says 758 is now as big across as the diameter of Jupiter.

Target	Venus
Constellation	Tau
Category	Planets
Time	10May05; 1740 EDT
Comments	Not Seen I scanned the sky again for Venus but did not find it.

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Observing Location	TotL
Observational Period	2030-2315 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	It was another cloudless night but only fair transparency and the high wind would have made seeing poor. As soon as the sun went down so did the temperature. Tom was only wearing shorts so he didn't stay past the first Iridium flare sighting. The wind also picked up and blew until around 2230. The lawn had been spread with rodenticide so there was a lawn closed sign at the gate and it stood straight out and flapped briskly in the breeze most of the time. That would make the wind a Beaufort Force 4, 13-18 MPH with periods when large tree limbs swayed which would be Force 5 or 19-24 MPH. The air did not feel as moist tonight but if I had not have found as string if closely spaced satellites and the ISS passes predicted I would not have lasted as long as I did due to discomfort.
Instruments	Canon 15x50 Image Stabilized binoculars - Charlie
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway Tom Clabough

Naked-eye Limiting Magnitude Observations

North Mag. 4.60 East Mag. 3.67 Zenith Mag. West Mag. 4.37 South Mag. 3.96 Star Magnitude Faintest Star Seen Kuma ν1 Dra & ν2 Dra Ursa Minor, The Little Bear Polaris α UMi 2.04 ζ UMi 4.34 Kochab β UMi 2.10 Pherkad γ UMi 3.07 5 UMi 4.27 Ursa Major, The Great Bear Alkaid η UMa 1.90 Mizar ζ UMa 2.40 Alcor 80 UMa 4.03 Alioth ε UMa 1.80 Megrez β UMa 3.33 Phad γ UMa 2.46 Merak β UMa 2.39 Dubhe α UMa 1.70 23 UMa 3.69 ν UMa 3.82 Musscida ο UMa 3.38 θ UMa 3.19 κ UMa 3rd Leap of the Gazelle 3.62 ι UMa 3rd Leap of the Gazelle 3.16 Bootes, The Herdsman Arcturis α Boo 0.02 Murfid η Boo 2.70 ρ Boo 3.60 Seginus γ Boo 3.05 Nekkar β Boo 3.52 δ Boo 3.49 Izar ε Boo 2.72 Corona Borealis, The Northern Crown Alphecca α CrB 2.25 Nusakan β CrB 3.70 θ CrB 4.16 γ CrB 3.86 δ CrB 4.65 ε CrB 4.17 Hercules, The Heron Ζ Her 2.83 η Her 3.55 π Her 3.18 Draco, The Dragon Eltanin γ Dra 2.25 Kuma &nu1 Dra &nu2 Dra 4.90/4.89 Dsiban ψ Dra 4.60 Aldhibah ζ Dra 3.19 Ed Asich ι Dra 3.31 Virgo, The Maiden Spica α Vir 1.00 Porrima γ Vir 3.67 Jupiter -2.30 Auva δ Vir 3.40 Vindemiatrix ε Vir 2.85 Leo, The Lion Denebola β Leo 2.16 Zosma δ Leo 2.58 Algeiba; γ Leo 2.00 Ras Elased Borealis μ Leo 3.90 Ras Elased Australis ε Leo 3.00 η Leo 3.54 Regulus α Leo 1.40 Subra ο Leo 3.54 Chort θ Leo 3.36 ι Leo 3.96 Adhafera ζ Leo 3.46 Canis Minor, The Little Dog Procyon α CMi 0.40 Gomeisa β Cmi 2.92 Lynx, The Lynx α Lyn 3.15 Alsciaukat 31 Lyn 4.27 15 Lyn 4.37 Cepheus, The King Alderamin α Cep 4.26 Lyra, The Lyre Vega α Lyr 0.0 Cygnus, The Swan Deneb α Cyg 1.30 Sadr γ Cyg 2.22 Gemini, The Twins Castor α Gem 1.60 Pollux β Gem 1.10 κ Gem 3.59 ν Gem 4.08 Mekbuda ζ Gem 3.81 Libra, The Balance Zuben Elschemali β Lib 2.63 Zuben Elgenubi α1 Lib α2 Lib 5.17/2.77 Auriga, The Charioteer Capella α Aur 0.10 Menkalinan β Aur 1.92 Canis Major Sirius α CMa -1.44 Orion, The Hunter Betelgeuse α Ori 0.52

Target	Moon
Constellation	Tau
Category	Lunar
Time	10 May05; 2030 EST
Comments	I watched the moon setting with Tom and one of his birder friends from the NE corner of the Lawn near the baseball backstop. It looked a little thicker tonight. On my way into the park it looked like the limb up around 11:00 was lightly illuminated but that can not be. Earthshine increased as we looked but never got bright enough that I could see features naked-eye.

Target	Jupiter
Constellation
Category
Time	10May05; 2100 EDT
Comments	We saw three moons off the leading limb of the planet and one behind. Planetarium indicated Callisto and Ganymede were out in front, Europa eclipsed and Io trailing. J-Moons! Indicated that Europa would be above Ganymede which is what we were seeing.

Target	Iridium 5 Flare
Constellation	Boo
Category	Satellite
Time	10May05; 2126 EDT
Comments	This was a very bright flare reaching Mag -4 according to Heavens-Above. It was moving to the south about horizontal to the horizon. Information about Iridium satellites and flares: Iridium Constellation 66 satellites +6 spares Orbital Planes 6 Orbital Height 780 km (485 Mi) Inclination of Orbital Planes 86.4º Orbital Period 100 minutes, 28 seconds Satellite Weight 689 k (1,500 lbs) Spot Beams 48/satellite 30 Mi diameter) Satellite Lifetime 7-9 years Launch Vehicles Boeing Delta II   5 satellites/launch Khrunichev Proton   7 satellites/launch Chinese Long March 2C   2 satellites/launch Sky and Telescope article on observing Iridium Flares. Pictures of most of the Iridium satellites flaring. A detailed article about Iridium Flares. The official Iridium company Web page. The Iridium Constellation Iridium 2 Iridium 3 Iridium 4 Iridium 5 Iridium 6 Iridium 7 Iridium 8 Iridium 10 Iridium 11 Iridium 12 Iridium 13 Iridium 14 Iridium 15 Iridium 16 Iridium 17 Iridium 18 Iridium 19 Iridium 20 Iridium 21 Iridium 22 Iridium 23 Iridium 24 Iridium 25 Iridium 26 Iridium 28 Iridium 29 Iridium 30 Iridium 31 Iridium 32 Iridium 33 Iridium 34 Iridium 35 Iridium 36 Iridium 37 Iridium 38 Iridium 39 Iridium 40 Iridium 41 Iridium 42 Iridium 43 Iridium 44 Iridium 45 Iridium 46 Iridium 47 Iridium 49 Iridium 50 Iridium 51 Iridium 52 Iridium 53 Iridium 54 Iridium 55 Iridium 56 Iridium 57 Iridium 58 Iridium 59 Iridium 60 Iridium 61 Iridium 62 Iridium 63 Iridium 64 Iridium 65 Iridium 66 Iridium 67 Iridium 68 Iridium 69 Iridium 70 Iridium 71 Iridium 72 Iridium 73 Iridium 74 Iridium 75 Iridium 76 Iridium 77 Iridium 80 Iridium 81 Iridium 82 Iridium 83 Iridium 84 Iridium 86 Iridium 90 Iridium 91 Iridium 94 Iridium 95 Iridium 96 Iridium 97 Iridium 98   Miscellaneous Iridium 911 Iridium 914 Iridium 920 Iridium 921 Dummy Mass 1 Dummy Mass 2   This list, derived from the current NORAD TLEs for the constellation, indicted that there are, in fact, 94 satellites up there. I believe the 900 series satellites are the tumbling satellites.

Target	Unknown Satellite
Constellation
Category
Time	10May05; 2104 EDT
Comments	A satellite going past the handle of the Big Dipper going roughly N to S.

Target	Cosmos 1437 Rocket
Constellation
Category	Satellite
Time	10May05; 2138 EDT
Comments	Not Seen I do not have good luck picking up rockets coming out of the north and heading through west to south.

Target	Lacrosse 3
Constellation
Category	Satellite
Time	10May05; 2158 EDT
Comments	Not Seen Another one out of the north through the west.

Target	Zi Yuan 2
Constellation
Category	Satellite
Time	10May05; 2203 EDT
Comments	I picked it up coming out of Boo and lost it a little over a minute later in UMi

Target	Cosmos 1933
Constellation
Category	Satellite
Time	10May05; 2205 EDT
Comments	I scrolled down too far on the palm and was looking where the next satellite will be so didn't even have a chance of seeing this one.

Target	Saturn
Constellation	Gem
Category	Planets
Time	10May05; 2210 EDT
Comments	Saturn is flaring and looks like a comet heading down the slope of the ecliptic.

Target	Envisat
Constellation
Category	Satellite
Time	10May05; 2219
Comments	Mag 2.9. Picked it up above Acrturus and tracked it through the handle of the Big Dipper and down near the east of Polaris where it faded out. The path exhibited a marked appearance of turning as it passed through UMa.

Target	Resurs 1-4 Rocket
Constellation
Category	Satellite
Time	10May05; 2236 EST
Comments	Mag 3.6. Very dim and short lived. Heading from the east into the head of Draco.

Target	Iridium 53 Flare
Constellation	Cyg
Category	Satellite
Time	10May05; 2251 EDT
Comments	Mag -1. This one was much dimmer than the -4 flare earlier in the evening but it was lower and in more atmosphere. Heading from north to east.

ISS

Target
Constellation
Category	Satellite
Time	10May05; 2303 EDT
Comments	Mag 2.4. I picked it up just above the trees and tracked it on a flat trajectory into Cas above the old police precinct chimney.

Target	Lacrosse 4 Rocket
Constellation
Category	Satellite
Time	10May05; 2306
Comments	Not Seen Mag 3.0. This satellite should have appeared right about where the ISS appeared but be going up. It was to be a little dimmer than the ISS but the end of the track was to be in clearer air so should have been seen. This was another one that went from N to W.