24 September 2005

Observing Location	PSC
Observational Period	1630-1645 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	Mild, dry, no clouds. Light breeze and no boiling. Transparency Excellent Seeing Excellent
Instruments	Canon 15x50 Image Stabilized binocular with Baader AstroSolar filter film - Charlie
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Target	Sunspots
Constellation	Leo
Category	Solar
Time	24Sep05; 1630 EDT
Comments	808 NW quadrant.   Groups Spots R Northern Hemisphere 1 1 11 Southern Hemisphere 0 0 0 Total 1 1 11 NOAA Boulder Sunspot Number ? R = 10 * Groups + Spots

Observing Location	TotL Another strange sprinkler night. The infield sprinklers never came on and then around 0010 EDT they came on but were pointed at the outfield. We were a little apprehensive after having been drenched the last time we were here but eventually it became apparent that this was all the sprinkler activity we were going to see for the night and did not pose a threat even though the wind was out of the south. The police stopped by shortly after 0100 EDT to remind us that the park was closed and make sure we were packing up to head out.
Observational Period	2015-0115 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	It was another clear night but degraded a little toward midnight. Peter thought it was a Mag 5 night but we didn't spend a lot of time looking for dim stars. Transparency Very Good Seeing Very Good
Instruments	Canon 15x50 Image Stabilized binocular - Charlie Tacahashi 22x60 binocular - Peter Fujinon 7x50 binocular - Peter
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway Peter Tagatac Tom McIntyre

I started the night off alone and thought it was going to stay that way. Then Tom McIntyre showed up without any equipment after a lecture at the Met. He said he had been on the roof garden and observed Venus setting from there. He stayed a little while them left and I thought I was going to be alone but Peter arrived after dinner with his family.

Target	θ Ser
Constellation	Ser
Category	Double Star
Time	24Sep05; 2034 EDT
Comments	A fairly equal, white double star. Well separated.

Target	NGC6633
Constellation	Oph
Category	Deep Sky Object
Time	24Sep05; 2041 EDT
Comments	An open cluster. Eight stars in a jagged \ with a dusting of faint stars all around. High and right of Yale 6928.

Target	NGC869 & NGC884, Double Cluster
Constellation	Per
Category	Deep Sky Object
Time	24Sep05; 2110 EDT
Comments	Two colons followed by a period on a /.

Target	Kemble's Cascade
Constellation	Cam
Category	Asterism
Time	24Sep05; 2118 EDT
Comments	Observed with Tom and again when the Times Up bikers came through the park. Hope to the cascade: Follow a line from β Cas [1 Cas] through ε Cas [5 Cas] and extend it that distance again From η Per [the top of the steeple] jump to Yale 918 then to Yale 1035 [front foot of the giraffe] and go a little over 1 FOV farther About half way between γ Cas [3 Cas] and Capella and cheat high 1 FOV From Algol go 2 FOV to Mirfak then another 3 FOV cheating high along the way 2/3 of the way from Mirfak to α Cam [the shoulders of the giraffe] and cheat high 1 FOV

Target	β Oph
Constellation	Oph
Category	Star
Time	24Sep05; 2120 EDT
Comments	Just a very nice bright golden star. I was using it to hop to IC4665

Target	IC4665
Constellation	Oph
Category	Deep Sky Object
Time	24Sep05; 2123 EDT
Comments	A large open cluster just above β Oph. It is boxy with 10 bright stars.

Target	Satellite
Constellation
Category	Satellite
Time	24Sep05; 2120-2126 EDT
Comments	While counting stars in IC4665 a satellite flew through the top of the FOV. It was nice but nothing special. Then another one came into view right behind it. The second satellite was slightly brighter. The two flew at a constant distance of ~2°. I tracked them across the sky until they disappeared into the shadow at about 40° elevation over the Chrystler building. They were on a north to south track so were likely spy satellites. I need to do some research and see if I can figure out what it was that I saw.

Target	IC4756
Constellation	Ser
Category	Deep Sky Object
Time	24Sep05; ~2145 EDT
Comments	Open Cluster

Target	Stock 23, Pazimo's Cluster
Constellation	Cam
Category	Deep Sky Object
Time	24 Sep05; 2240 EDT
Comments	Small diamond of bright stars seen in the Takahashis. Peter referred to this as Pazmino's Cluster and says that it was originally given a Stock number then forgotten about and was rediscovered in 1977 by John Pazmino. I have also found references at SEDS and at Sky and Telescope saying is also known as Pazimo's Cluster rather than Pazmino's. RA 3:16.3 Dec +60° 21' Star hops to Stock 23: Half way between Kemble's Cascade and Miram [the steeple of Per] 1/3 to 1/2 the distance from Kemble's Cascade to the Double Cluster (~1.5 FOV) From Algol to up to ι Per [the base of the steeple] and continue that line a little more than the same distance (~2.5 FOV) Follow the dim leg of Andromeda out from the knee through the foot almost that distance again (~2.5 FOV)

Target	Alberio
Constellation	Cyg
Category	Double Star
Time	24Sep05; 2339 EDT
Comments	Not as much color as I remembered but great difference in brightness.

Target	Mars
Constellation	Tau
Category	Planets
Time	25Sep05; 0015 EDT
Comments

Target	M45; Pleiades
Constellation	Tau
Category	Deep Sky Object
Time	25Sep05; 0020 EDT
Comments

Target	Moon
Constellation	Aur
Category	Lunar
Time	25Sep05; 0025 EDT
Comments	The terminator is going right up through the middle tonight -- must be Last Quarter. [Last Quarter was 25Sep05 0242] It is passing just through the edge of Mare Imbrium and west of Ptolemaeus, Alphonsus and Arzachel (central peak evident). Werner is in daylight while Aliacensis right next to it is in shadow with only the top of its rim illuminated. The illuminated portion of the disk looks very flat except right along the equator. Few rays are visible The Alps are on the night side of the terminator but the tops of some of them are illuminated. The floors of Aristillus and Autolychus are in deep shadow. Archimedes looks like a doughnut laying on the surface of the marae. Sinus Iridum isn't very prominent. Plato does not appear as dark as usual. Grimaldi is very dark. And Aristarchus is very white. Some boiling is evident across the entire disk but is minor. I put the 80A filters on the binoculars and the rays are a lit more visible now. I have seen quite a lot of birds flying across the disk of the moon lately, many more than I normally notice. They are always flying toward the south. Winter is on the way.

Target	Looked For But Not Seen
Constellation
Category	Deep Sky Object
Time	24Sep05
Comments	Object Constellation Type M30 NGC7099 Cap Globular Cluster M14 NGC6402 Oph Globular Cluster M71 NGC6838 Sge Globular Cluster NGC247 Cet Spiral Galaxy NGC253 Sculptor Galaxy Scl Galaxy Sculptor System Scl Galaxy M74 NGC628 Psc Galaxy NGC6992 Veil Nebula Cyg Nebula NGC6800 Vul Open Cluster IC1318 Cyg Planetary Nebula NGC29 NGC6913 Cyg Open Cluster M36 NGC1960 Aur Open Cluster M37 NGC2099 Aur Open Cluster M38 NGC1912 Aur Open Cluster NGC1893 Aur Open Cluster IC410 Aur Galaxy NGC1647 Tau Open Cluster NGC1499 California Nebula Per Emission Nebula