24 May 2006

Observing Location	TotL
Observational Period	2045-0145 EDT We were all packed up and ready to go before midnight but then stood around talking. mostly about local clubs and events.
Observational Conditions	Most of the weather forecasts were saying it would be clear tonight and I was anticipating a carbon copy of last night. NOAA was saying clouds would begin to dissipate around 2100 EDT abd that by 2300 EDT there would be 0% cloud cover. But the reverse is what actually occurred. Around about 2300 EDT stripes of cloud began to pass over the area. Although we were able to see some of the stars of the Coma Berineces Star Cluster we were not seeing as many as we saw last night and the sky wasn't as dark as it was last night. It was still a good night. Transparency Good Seeing Good
Instruments	SAR: Coulter CT-100 - Charlie Takahashi 102mm refractor - Peter
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway Peter Tagatac Kin Lee

Target	Robins
Constellation
Category	Fauna
Time	2006524.2015 EDT
Comments	I entered the park at 72 St snd immediately passed a dormitory tree. As I walked north I continued to hear robins but not in the numbers that were in the dormitory tree until I got to TotL where the noise level picked up again but was already dieing down for the night.

Target	Jupiter
Constellation	Vir
Category	Planet
Time	20060524.2105 EDT
Comments	In SAR: One moon on the leading edge and three on the trailing limb. Maybe a dark stripe where the equatorial bands would be. The moons each have small tails.

Target	Iridium 59 Flare
Constellation	Cas
Category	Satellite
Time	20060524.2118 EDT
Comments	Not Seen This flare wa supposed to be low - 15 ° above the horizon - so I had moved all the way back to the NE ball field to be sure I would see low enough and still I missed it. [Now that I see what constellation the flare was in I understand why I missed it. I think I was looking too far south.]

Target	Saturn & M44
Constellation	Cnc
Category	Planet & Deep Sky Object
Time	20060524.2150 EDT
Comments	In SAR: Not round but not as cigar shaped as I am used to. In the Tak: We observed it several times as passers by stopped to see what we were doing. Late in the evening at high power it looked soft but was still a nice sight. I don't remember seeing the Cassini Division or any moons.

Target	Envisat
Constellation	Dra - UMi
Category	Satellite
Time
Comments	Picked it up late in the orbit as we were trying to figure out why peter's Palm was not working properly at the time the pass started. It wasn't terribly bright but was easily visible.

Target	M13
Constellation	Her
Category	Deep Sky Object
Time	20060524.2300 EDT
Comments	In SAR it was smaller than a pea but again looked extended horizontally. In the Tak: At high power I could see a few points of light and it looked like it had arms; at low power it looked more circular with a central brightening and was the best view in my opinion.

Target	M57, The Ring Nebula
Constellation	Lyr
Category	Deep Sky Object
Time	20060524.2315 EDT
Comments	In SAR: I was on the FOV but could not see it. Peter thought he saw it but said it required averted and came and went.

Target	M92, NGC6341
Constellation	Her
Category	Deep Sky Object
Time	20060524.2315 EDT
Comments	In the Tak: Dim but very concentrated at high power.

Target	Alberio
Constellation	Cyg
Category	Double Star
Time	20060524.2320 EDT
Comments	Very unequal. Golden and blue. Peter said it was an old friend but not knowing what he was pointed at I didn't make the connection until I thought about what direction the scope might be pointing in and what was out that way.

Target	Iridium 34 Flare
Constellation	Leo
Category	Satellite
Time	20060524.2325 EDT
Comments	This Mag -7 flare fairly exploded on the sky at nearly peak brightness and started to fade very quickly but persisted much longer than most Iridiums.

Target	Rasalgethe, α Her
Constellation	Her
Category	Double Star
Time	20060524.2337 EDT
Comments	In the Tak: At low power I could not split them cleanly but could tell that it was an unequal double without being told what I was supposed to be looking for. At high power it was an easy split with the secondary being at about 5:23 to the primary. The primary is very orange and the secondary is more white.

Target	NGC6210
Constellation	Her
Category	Deep Sky Object
Time	20060524.0007 EDT
Comments	Planetary Nebula Fairly bight and small but larger than a star and would not resolve. Peter thought it might be bluish but I couldn't detect any color other than gray. One of my Planetarium catalogs says it is bright blue.