11 June 2006

Observing Location	Met Oval
Observational Period	1640-1655 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	No clouds but a light haze visivle near the sun. It was a little cool, particularly out of the sun, and breezy. Transparency Good Seeing good
Instruments	Canon 15x50 IS binocular with Baader AstroSolar filter film - Charlie
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Target	Sunspots
Constellation	Psc
Category	Solar
Time	20060611.1640 EDT
Comments	The ecliptic appeared to running 11:30-5:30. Only two groups/spots were visible in the center of the disc. 892 The leading group is the larger and is easily seen, but not without magnification. I can only see one large spot and do not detect a penumbra. 893 This group is small and was not initially detected. It also appears to be a single spot.   Groups Spots R North 1 1 11 South 1 1 11 Total 2 2 22

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Observing Location	White Plains Road and the Cross Bronx Expressway, Bronx, NY I used this location because, looking along the Cross Bronx Expressway, it has the lowest view of the western horizon. It is, however, a major interchange between the interstate and a major local street so is well lit and vehicle lights are bothersome. You have to move around a lot to get a sight line to the desired chunk of sky that is least impacted my sodium vapor street light
Observational Period	2030-2105 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	Clear and cool with brisk gusty winds.
Instruments	Canon 15x50 IS binocular - Charlie.
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Target	Jupiter
Constellation	Lib
Category	Planet
Time	2006.0611.2049 EDT
Comments	I noticed Jupiter behind me and knew the other targets would start to appear soon.

Target	Mercury
Constellation	Gem
Category	Planet
Time	20060611.2055 EDT
Comments	I had thought that I would first sight Castor and Pollux in the binocular and use them to locate Mercury and then, after knowing where Mercury was would see it naked-eye. But I first saw Mercury naked-eye. When I first got the binocular on it it appeared to have comet tails, as though I was using SAR, but they were not there after the sky got a little darker.

Target	Saturn, Mars and M44
Constellation	Cnc
Category	Planet and Deep Sky Object
Time	20060611.2059 EDT
Comments	I picked out Saturn naked-eye and could see Mars nearby in the binocular. M44 never did make an appearance.

Target	Castor and Pollux
Constellation	Gem
Category	Stars
Time	20060611.2100 EDT
Comments	I finally located Castor and Pollux in the binocular and two minutes later saw them naked-eye

Target	Mars
Constellation	Cnc
Category	Planet
Time	20060611.2103 EDT
Comments	Mars is now visible naked-eye.

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Observing Location	Met Oval The light-pollution here is very bad. There are four poles around the fountain that have two floodlights each, which light up the fountain making it daylight there 24x7. There are few places where you can go where one of these lights is not pointed straight at you. But there are benches there and there us usually a (sleeping) rent-a-cop in the security booth so it is a reasonably safe place to be with equipment in the middle of the night.
Observational Period	2115-2150 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	Slightly cool and breezy Transparency Good Seeing Good
Instruments	Canon 15x50 IS binocular - Charlie
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

I had a list of the few bright objects that I could see from near the fountain and the additional stars that were visible in one of the places where the floodlights were less offensive, but it appears that that didn't get saved so I will have to make that assessment again another time.

Target	Mars, Saturn and M44
Constellation	Cnc
Category	Planet and Deep Sky Object
Time	20060611.2115 EDT
Comments	Mars is close to η Cnc and Saturn is about as far away from δ Cnc. My IS batteries have died and I don't have a pair of spares so I will not see M44 tonight. Those stars are too faint to see from this light-polluted location without stable optics.

Target	Jupiter
Constellation	Lib
Category	Planet
Time	20060611.2128 EDT
Comments	All of Jupiter's moons are lined up in front of the planet.

Target	Cosmos 1035 Visible Pass
Constellation
Category	Satellite
Time	20060611.2145 EDT
Comments	This satellite came out of the north and passed high to the east at Mag 2.8. I had a little trouble getting a big chunk of sky to look at where the fountain floodlights wouldn't be shining right in my eyes and as a result of their glare the satellite seemed a little fainter than it should have been. I acquired it near α CrB and tracked it into the south and had just gotten it in the binocular when it set into a tree. It was a very fast moving satellite.

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Observing Location	White Plains Road at the Cross Bronx Expressway (again)
Observational Period	2200-2345 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	It was still cool and clear with gusty wind. Transparency Good Seeing Good
Instruments	Canon 15x50 IS binocular - Charlie
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Target	Iridium 6 Flare
Constellation	Leo
Category	Satellite
Time	20060611.2223 EDT
Comments	This was a low altitude flare on the front paws of Leo. It was listed as Mag -6. When I first saw it it was bright and brightened quickly then faded and winked out quickly before reaching Saturn. It was moving to the west at a low angle.

Target	Lacrosse 2 Visible Pass
Constellation
Category	Satellite
Time	20060611.2311 EDT
Comments	Not Seen

Target	Full Hay (Strawberry, Honey, Rose) Moon
Constellation	Oph
Category	Lunar
Time	20060611.2320 EDT
Comments	The Moon has been rising over the elevated subway tracks so I took a look between satellites. There are some light clouds in front of it, the only clouds anywhere in the sky. It is a nice picture. The limb up above Mare Crisium appears to be a little bumpier than in other sections. Moon's age: 15d1h54m, Illuminated: 99.6%. According to Planetarium Mag 9.2 TYC 6840-00755-1 will be occulted at the same time as the next Iridium flare but I can't see any stars anywhere around the moon.

Target	Iridium 53 Flare
Constellation	Cnc
Category	Satellite
Time	20060611.2340 EDT
Comments	This flare was about twice as high as the last one but did not look like the Mag -3 that it was advertised as. It appeared a little before the alarm went off on my PDA so I need to check the time on my computers and make sure they are not slow.