13 August 2005

Observing Location	PSC The condo oval is not an ideal place to observe with the street lights around the periphery and overhanging trees blocking the high sky and surrounding apartment buildings blocking the low sky. But it is a relatively safe place to be alone in the middle of the night. I moved around the oval to various locations trying to see as much sky as possible. The best views are to be had standing at the chain fence surrounding the grass. But I spent most of my time sitting on the benches and looking out from under the trees.
Observational Period	0400-0530 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	The Forecastfox extension to Firefox keeps popping up and saying that it is mostly clear out and the NOAA IR satellite says it is so. But my neighborhood doesn't seem to be included in mostly. It was comfortably warm with a delightful breeze and some humidity noticeable in the air. Rain that fell early last night still had not evaporated. The sky ws a uniform milky color when I went out. It got better but toward sunrise it was looking milky again. The only star I saw was aldeberan. When I was heading home Mars was even starting to dim. Transparency Poor Seeing Unknown
Instruments	Maked-eye observing
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Naked-eye Limiting Magnitude Observations	N - E 0.87 Zenith -0.7 W - S -

Target	Perseids Meteor Shower
Constellation
Category	Meteors
Time	13Aug05; 0400-0530 EDT
Comments	Not Seen - again I saw one flash of light out of the corner of my eye but I think it was light glinting off my eyeglass frame from the street light behind me.

Target	Iridium Flare
Constellation	UMa
Category	Satellite
Time	13Aug05; 0506 EDT
Comments	Not Seen Iridium 17 flared at Mag -3 and should have been easily seeable. I didn't have a compass with me so had to guess at where to look for it. I suspect it was behind the buildings across the oval from my location. If I could have taken time out from not observing meteors I could have figured out what constellation it was in but that wouldn't have helped me any since I couldn't see any stars to begin with.

Target	ISS Visible Pass
Constellation
Category	Satellite
Time	13Aug05; 0516 EDT
Comments	Not Seen This was going to be a Mag 1 event, dimmer than Aldeberan was, and relatively low on the horizon, 24° so would have been a difficult event under the prevailing atmospheric conditions. Aldeberan was twice as high and not always easily seen.