31 July 2006

Observing Location	PSC
Observational Period	1115-1130 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	Hot and humid with little air movement.; a light, general haze and parches of cirrus. Transparency Good Seeing Excellent
Instruments	Canon 15x50 IS binocular w/Baader AstroSolar filter film - Charlie
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Target	Sunspots
Constellation	Gem
Category	Solar
Time	20060731.1115 EDT
Comments	I could only make out one group today and it appeared to be in the northern hemisphere but was larger than Group 901 was yesterday. It is possible that it is a southern hemisphere group and that the Sun's equator hasn't leveled off yet between it being roughly an hour before local noon and that being Daylight Saving Time.   Groups Spots R North 1 1 11 South 0 0 0 Total 1 1 11 R = (Geoups * 10) + Spots) I have checked Space Weather and foudnd that there are now groups 902 and 903 on the western edge of the sun. 903 has developed rigiht on the limb and is too small for me to see. 902 might be shrinking or growing but the change in size is less than 25% according to rayben systems, inc.

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Tonight was another installation in the HBO/Bryant Park Summer Film Festival. They were showing A Shot In The Dark, the first film in the Pink Panther series. It was so humid that it was uncomfortable just sitting there doing nothing but watching and listening. When I got home I went up to MetOval to finish reading the chapter I am in in Signor Marconi’s Magic Box. It wasn’t bad to start but the longer you sat there the more you noticed the humidity. I looked up at one point and saw stars but the conditions were too uncomfortable to try to appreciate them.

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Summary of Observing Time for the Year to Date:

	Day			Night			Total
	Hours	Days	Avg	Hours	Days	Avg	Hours	Days	Avg
Jan	3.25	4	0.81	17.50	6	2.92	20.75	9	2.31
Feb	1.00	1	1.00	10.25	6	1.71	11.25	6	1.88
Mar	2.00	1	2.00	12.00	7	1.71	14.00	8	1.75
Apr	12.5	12	1.04	40.75	14	2.91	53.25	16	3.33
May	3.00	4	0.75	27.00	10	2.70	30.00	10	3.00
Jun	7.00	7	1.00	18.50	12	1.54	25.50	13	1.96
Jul	10.50	14	0.75	43.50	15	2.90	54.00	19	2.84
TOTAL	39.25	43	0.99	169.50	70	2.29	208.75	81	2.50

The weather hasn't been all that great this month with lots of rain, haze and heat, but still I have had a record observing month with more sessions and hours than during months when the nights were logner. I don't think those hours have been as productive as those of other months when I was logging more objects seen. But I did see the Baby Scorpion for the first time and have found my own asterism, the Little Cassiopeia.