20 July 2005

It was hot and humid with a few clouds and a light, uniform haze. There was a light onshore breeze and minor boiling. Light pollution was the major impediment to observing.

Observing Location	Pier 54, Hudson River Park, New York, NY Lat: 40.741382, Long:-74.010644 The pier is on the water (it wouldn't make much sense to put one inland) so has a fairly good view of the western horizon...all horizons in fact. It also has a very good view of some serious security lights to the south, east and north, so it is not an ideal observing location. In comparison I would guess that Carl Schurz Park is better.
Observational Period	1945-2330 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	Transparency Good Seeing Fair
Instruments	Canon 15x50 Image Stabilized binoculars - Charlie Celestron 7x50 binoculars - Kin
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway Kin Lee

Naked-eye Limiting Magnitude Observations	I should have made a limiting magnitude assessment at this new sight but didn't think about it.

Target	Sunspots
Constellation	Cnc
Category	Solar
Time	20Jul05; 1955 EDT
Comments	The sun was totally featureless.

Target	Venus
Constellation	Leo
Category	Planet
Time	20Jul05; 2000 EDT
Comments	I located Venus easily before the sun had set by panning over and up the appropriate angular distances and it was right there in my field of view. I was not able to locate Regulus which should have been in the same field of view just to the left of Venus. At 2015 I picked up Venus naked-eye. At 2057 I finally saw Regulus.

Target	Mercury
Constellation	Leo
Category	Planet
Time	20Jul05; 2000 EDT
Comments	Not Seen I had reversed my angular offsets from Venus and was looking too far north and not far enough down, but since I swept the whole area anyway I should have seen it is it was seeable. I think it was too deep in the schmutz.

Target	Jupiter
Constellation	Vir
Category	Planet
Time	20Jul05; 2040 EDT
Comments	I first observed the planet naked-eye. At that time only one moon was visible at 10:00 to the planet, probably Ganymede but possibly Callisto.

Target	Moon
Constellation	Sgr
Category	Lunar
Time	20Jul05, 2115 EDT
Comments	It looks full and golden yellow. Copernicus looks like a big white festering sore with a gray inflamed area around it. Good ray structure is visible out of Tycho. On the left limb kust below the equator thre is a large dark marea/crater with a smaller one to its 10:00. [Grimadi and Riccioli]

Target	M18, M22 & M25
Constellation	Sgr
Category	Deep Sky Objects
Time	20July05; 2140 EDT
Comments	Of the three the only one which was seen was M25. An arc of 3 stars, the two right brighter. A deep smile of bright stars with some dims below

Target	M21, M8 &anp; NGC 6530
Constellation	Sgr
Category	Deep Sky Objects
Time	20Jul05; 2150 EDT
Comments	Just a diagram in my notebook.

Target	M33, Triangulum Galaxy
Constellation	Tri
Category	Deep Sky Object
Time	20July05; 2155EDT
Comments	Not Seen

Target	M17 & M18
Constellation	Sgr
Category	Deep Sky Objects
Time	20Jul05; 2200 EDT
Comments	Not Seen

Target	M16
Constellation	Ser
Category	Deep Sky Object
Time	20Julor; 2205 EDT
Comments	Not Seen

Target
Constellation
Category
Time	EDT
Comments

Target	NGC(?) 611
Constellation	Cyg
Category	Deep Sky Object
Time	20Jul05; 2235 EDT
Comments	Just a diagram again.