24 August 2005

Observing Location	Metropolitan Ave and East Tremont Road, The Bronx, NY This location is at the top of a hill and has good views to the west, north and east but the apartment buildings of Parkchester block the low sky to the south. The street lights and traffic lights proved to be bothersome today.
Observational Period	0500-0600 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	It was just a little cooler than I would have liked it without a sun to warm my skin but the air was dry and still. I had checked Clear Sky Clock, the satellite image and my weather widget in Firefox and was assured that it was clear out but it was partly cloudy, approaching 50%. The view to the west was lost completely. Mars and the Moon were intermittently covered by clouds. There was no haze evident and seeing appeared good when I looked at stars and the ISS through the binoculars. Transparency Good Seeing Good
Instruments	Canon 15x50 Image Stabilized binocular - Charlie
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Target	ISS Visible Pass
Constellation
Category	Satellite
Time	24Aug05, 0525 EDT
Comments	I found the following listing on CalSky a couple of weeks ago. It wasn't there yesterday when I went back for an update. Accurate time: 5h24m21.82s ISS may occult Procyon, Alpha CMi (SAO 115756, HIP 37279 HD 61421), mag=0.4. Separation: 0.015d Position Angle: 236.9d Angular Velocity: 13.2'/s Angular diameter: 17.2" size: 73.0m x 44.5m x 27.5m Satellite at az: 95.9d E h: 14.8d dist: 1079.3 km mag=2.3m Satellite apparently moves to direction 95.5° Centerline, Closest Point: Lon: 73d51m30s W Lat: +40d50m28s dist: 0.35 km az: 22.1d NNE Path direction: 112.1d ESE ground speed: 11.227 km/s Star chart from www.heavens-above.com There were dense clouds to the west so I missed the start of the pass. I had turned north hoping to see it pass close to Polaris but had given up on that and turned east hoping I might catch it setting. At 0530 EDT by my pocket watch I saw something bright tracking through the sky to the north with peripheral vision. I turned back north to see ISS passing through its maximum altitude on this pass. I got it in the binocular and followed it through the rest of the pass so can't say how close it appeared to Castor and Pollux. Before setting it passed close by Gomesa, β CMi, on one side and close by on the other side of Procyon, α CMi.

There were lots of old friends out this morning but I didn't have time to observe them due to the approach of the shuttle pass and after it the impending dawn and lightening skies.

Target	Mars and the Moon
Constellation	Ari
Category	Planet
Time	24Aug05; 0515 EDT
Comments	Mars and the Moon were high in the south, nearly overhead, and intermittently covered by clouds. They were 4.6° apart.

Target	Orion
Constellation	Ori
Category	Constellation
Time	24Aug05; 0515 EDT
Comments	Orion was laying on his back a little lower in the SE sky.

Target	Gemini
Constellation	Gem
Category	Constellation
Time	24Aug05; 0515 EDT
Comments	Castor and Pollux, the Gemini twins, were laying on their side in the east. Their heads and Pollux's left foot (Alhena, γ Gem, Mag 1.95) were the only stars visible naked eye.

Target	Saturn and Mercury
Constellation	Cnc
Category	Planet
Time	24Aug05; 0515 EDT
Comments	Saturn and Mercury were a little farther north in Cnc. I remember them appearing to the left of Castor and Pollux but Planetarium says they were below and to the left.

I had brought my solar filter with me planning to stay out to do a morning sunspot count but the sun wasn't going to rise above the apartment buildings for about 2 hours and I didn't have any reading material with me so headed back home.

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Tonight looks like a very good observing night. And I spent it getting a new monitor for my computer. When I went out to the recucle bins Cassiopeia was nicely framed between the buildings attached to mine. I could see dimmer stars around Altair even in the glare of street lights. It looks like it is a winter night arrived early.