3 August 2005

Observing Location	CSP This is a trial run for out last crescent Moon observation tomorrow morning.
Observational Period	0500-0730 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	Hot. There was a band of haze on the horizon up to nearly 4°. No wind. Atmospheric boiling over the sun was terrible until it rose to about 10°-20°. Transparency Excellent Seeing Very Good
Instruments	Canon 15x50 Image Stabilized binocular with Baader AstroSolar filter film - Charlie Tacahashi 22x60 binocular - Peter Fujinon 7x50 binocular - Peter
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway Peter Tagatac

Target	Old Crescent Moon
Constellation	Gem
Category	Lunar
Time	3Aug05; 0500 EDT
Comments	When I arrived the moon was already up and easily visible naked-eye at 10°. Pollux and Castor were still visible to its upper left. At that time it was 27d21h11m and 2.9% illuminated. It forned a smile slightly rotated so the left horn was higher. Peter felt the limb was visible for a whole 180° but it didn't appear so to me. The right horn was very lumby on the inside where the terminator passed over the heavily cratered sout polar region.

Target	Sunspots
Constellation
Category	Solar
Time	3Aug05; 0600 EDT
Comments	The sun began to burn through the horizon haze as a big red ball below the span of the suspension bridge and tight up against its pylon. It was so muted that you could easily look at it naked-eye but could not see it at all through the solar filter. At 0602 it was just starting to become visible in the filter. At 0605 ot was rising above the bridge. There was so much boiling I couldn't make out the limb. It looked like I was looking down through a pot of boiling water. When the atmosphere steadies momentarily the sunspots look spectacular, a dard black against the bright orange of the photosphere. As the sun continued to climb the boiling lessened in the upper left quadrant and the sunspots started to become visible through the boiling. Yhe boiling had markedly decreased to good seeing by 0625 EDT and I began my sunspot count. By 0715 seeing ws excellent and the sun was white in the solar filter. 792 NE quadrant. I was seeing a lot more find detail on this spot this morning than I have been seeing from home in the evening. It may be the great seeing or may be that the spot is becoming mroe complex. There is some penumbra to the lower left of the umbra and lots of snudge type coloration around that. 794 SE quadrant. This spot has matured since yesterday. It now has a small penumbra and three p spots that are right on the margin of the void area. 795 NE quadrant. I called this one spot but I think there are some small spots on its leading edge. It is surronded by a void area but no penumbra. ? NW quadrant. Peter saw an area of discoloration over near the leading limb and I think I saw a small spot there.   Groups Spots R Northern Hemisphere 3 10 40 Southern Hemisphere 1 4 14 Total 4 14 54 NOAA Boulder Sunspot Number 112 R = 10 * Groups + Spots

Spaceweather.com has more pictures of the ISS and Space Shuttle transiting the sun. Looking at these pictures and back at my sketch of the sun the following day I am more convinced that I should be able to see these objects transiting either the Sun or the Moon with my Canon binocular.

Both images by Andreas Kunz and Thomas Schwarz of Germany.