12 December 2005

Observing Location	TotL
Observational Period	2030-2300 EST
Atmospheric Conditions	CSC, as of 1000 hours in some unknown time zone, says it will be clear tonight but not terribly transparent. Clear Sky Clock graphic NOAA seems to be painting a more optimistic picture NOAA graphic although the weather radar at mid-afternoon showed some moderate precipitation scattered around the area. NOAA graphic I have decided that tonight will be an observing night unless conditions get really bad closer to time for me to leave. It was cold and a little windy outside of the park but surprisingly calm on the Great Lawn. My feet became painfully cold by 2300 EST and I had to quit earlier than I wanted to. Time Temperature °F Wind MPH Wing Gusts MPH Wind Chill 1952 32 7 -- 24 2051 28 10 16 5 2151 27 10 17 3 2251 25 10 -- 10 When you look at the chart it was windier then I remember it. Transparency Good Seeing Good
Instruments	Some Assembly Required: Coulter CT-100 - Charlie Pentax 20x60 PCF WPII binocular - Kin
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway Kin Lee

Target	Moon
Constellation	Ari
Category	Lunar
Time	2045-2300 EST
Comments	The main goal for tonight was to observe the Moon and a bunch of stars on the dark limb to see how faint a star I can see next to the Moon. I noticed this afternoon while checking to see how far Mars would be from the Moon, that there would be some brighter stars than I was trying to observe during the occultation and decided to take this opportunity to try and calibrate the scope. Planetarium for Palm graphic When I first started out I could only see two stars at the extent of the FOV when the Moon was placed at the left extent of the FOV. Botein, δ Ari, at Mag 4.35 was see at the top of the FOV about a degree off the limb and ζ Ari at Mag 4.87 was on the opposite field stop from the moon nearly 2° away. I could not see any trace of any of the Mag 6 or 7 stars. By 2300, when my feet were frozen and I was packing it in, I could still see both δ Ari, now about 52' away at 2:00 and ζ Ari, now about 50' away at 5:00. The terminator was just east of Aristarchus and Marius G. Reiner was on the dark side of the terminator but the far crater wall was catching light. It looked like there was a valley or other depressed area (link an historic wagon road along one of the trails west) between two bright rays coming out of Tycho and ending at the far side of Mare Nubium. The craters Lubinezky, Bulliandus and Pitatus were observed in a row crossing Mare Nubium toward Tycho. Virtual Moon Atlas graphic On the western side of the moon there was a gray area noted between Mare Chrisium and Mare Tranquiletatis. On its eastern edge is the bright crater Proclus which showed two strong rays pointing toward Mare Chrisium. Virutal Moon Atlas graphic Virutal Moon Atlas graphic A similar gray area was noted to the east of where Mare Tranquilitatis and Mare Fecunditiatis meet which is Mare Gutenberg. Mare Gutenberg did not appear to me to be a mare having a lighter color and apparent rougher texture than the larger marea. On the NE margin of the mare where it buts up against Mare Tranquilitatis is a bright spot which is the crater Censorinus. Virutal Moon Atlas graphic

Target	M42
Constellation	Ori
Category	Deep Sky Object
Time	12Dec05; 2115 EST
Comments	I was poking around in Orion and looked at Betelgeuse - nice and golden yellow - and Bellatrix just to get practice at finding things then dropped down to the Sword. There was a smudge of light around the Triangulum. I can just get the whole Sword in the FOV.

Target	Mars
Constellation	Ari
Category	Planet
Time	12Dec05; 2130 EST
Comments	Mars is more impressive naked-eye than it is in the scope. Although I did see a few Mag 7 & 8 stars in the FOV (and should have observed them to try and determine my limiting magnitude but didn't) the scope basically isolates the planet from everything else. Out of context it is just a bright dot flaring in the eyepiece.

Target	Engagement Ring
Constellation	UMi
Category	Asterism
Time	12Dec05; 2143 EST
Comments	The diamond was bright but the ring was faint and I probably would have missed it if I hadn't been looking for it. I didn't count the number of stars I saw but did note a break in the ring and didn't see the star that is displaced there toward the center of the ring.

Target	Geminid Meteor
Constellation	Cas
Category	Meteor
Time	12Dec05; 2150 EST
Comments	I was facing Kin talking when a bright white, fast meteor streaked from high overhead down the dividing line between Cas and Cep. It was just above the denuded branches of the tree to the west of our observing position and Caph. I think the tail was probably about 10° long. Following the track back it pointed directly at Castor and Pollux making it a Geminid. The Geminids peak on Wednesday and have their radiant just above Castor's neck. Starry Night Starter Edition graphic

Target	Saturn
Constellation	Cnc
Category	Planet
Time	12Dec05; 2230 EST
Comments	I looked at Saturn a couple of times in Kin's binoculars when it was down in the trees and just cresting them and then in my scope after it was up about 25°. In the binoculars I could tell that it wasn't round. In the scope I thought I saw a gap between the rings and the planet on the right side but I don't know if it was just me knowing there is one there. I was there by myself so couldn't have the observation confirmed. Given that everything bright appears in my scope to have comet trails to the left I think it is doubtful that I would be able to see separation at 21x.

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I was looking for something to read while waiting for one of my library reserve books to become available and borrow an Andromeda series book. Over the weekend I got word thatMiss Leavitt's Stars has already come in for me. Other people have it on reserve so I am switching over to read it and return it as quickly as possible. I haven't gotten very far in it but so far it is a very easy read and at 130 pages someone who reads well would probably finish it in a sitting or two.