11 August 2006

Observing Location	TotL
Observational Period	1930-2400 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	The clouds started filling in right about sunset when CSC said they would. It made for a spectacular skyline with the western side of the clouds colored orange and pink and the eastern side purple and gray, but lousy meteor observing conditions. Cool; moderate to low humidity; occasional gusts of light wind. There was light cloud everywhere turning the sky muddy at the outset. It broke up some here and there but soon turned to heavy broken clouds. Transparency Poor Seeing Good
Instruments	Canon 15x50 IS binocular w/Baader AstroSolar filter film - Charlie Fujinon 7x50 binocular - Peter Peter had the Takahashi 102 refractor along also and got the tripod set up but never got the optical tube out. He said several times that he thought the clouds would clear out but I guess he wasn’t certain enough that that would happen before midnight. Celestron 7x50 binocular - Kin
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway Peter Tagatac Kin Lee

Peter and I had a long discussion about the ecliptic and my analysis of Ottewell regarding its angle relative to the new moons. Peter says that the ecliptic is in a neutral position near both the spring and fall equinoxes, which seems right in my mind, and I can relate the height of the sun to the McGraw-Hill Sun Triangle, but it doesn't track with the measurements I made of the various angles in the 2005 Ottewell diagrams. I was having a lot of trouble visualizing what he was trying to describe.

Target Sunspots Constellation Leo Category Solar Time 200608111930 EDT Comments I am not really sure which hemisphere this spot is in and I didn't see the entire disk but my impression is that it is north so I am going with that. [Saturday morning, when I could see the entire Sun, it was obvious that this is a southern hemisphere group.] I tried to see past the binocular through a corner of the filter to see if the spot would be visible without magnification but it was setting too fast and there wasn’t enough unobstructed filter to get a good view. 904 This group is huge. Space Weather says it is 100,000 km across. If I hadn't seen it on Space weather I would have called it two groups. The p spot appears to be two unbras surrounded by a common penumbra. The f spot is a single large spot, well detached and also surrounded by a penumbra.   Groups Spots R North 0 0 0 South 1 3 13 Total 1 3 13 R = (Geoups * 10) + Spots)

Target Perseids Meteors Constellation Category Meteors Time 20060811.2030 EDT Comments Like they were saying on the internet forecasts, there were few meteors and they weren't spectacular. The ones I saw were generally short, faint and yellow to orange in color. Hour Meteors ZHR 2000 0 2100 3 2200 0 2300 0 Total 3 Average ZHR = observed meteors * correction for radiant hieght see Aug06 post

Target Robins Constellation Category Fauna Time 20060811.2005 EDT Comments The robins are flying in to the dormitory tree from the east. There are not as many of them as I have seen previously and not much singing.. There were a couple of families sitting on the grass near where I normally set up and their dor tied to the outside of the fence right where I had planned to be so I had to move a little to the east out of the dog's leash range. There were four or five kids involved and the older ones came over to see what I was doing. Once I told them I was looking for meteors they had lots of questions, most of them on the possibility of earth being struck by one. The boys, who were older, seemed to take that as a fact or even an adventure, while the girls appeared to be a little concerned about it. They did know about the die off of the dinosaurs and that it "was" caused by a meteor impact. When the lawn was closed and they were exiting their mother came over to make sure I was looking for meteors and asked if the portal was open. She said she had been at her meditation class and they had told them that the portal was opening and that this was a very powerful time. Her sone came over and said "There is no portal, lady.". I don't know from portals so couldn't resolve the conflict.

Target Jupiter Constellation Vir Category Planet Time 20060811.2015 EDT Comments Initially I saw two moons to the left and one to the right. Once it got a little darker another moon appeared on the left between the closest moon and the planet.

Target Iridium 45 Flare Constellation And Category Satellite Time 20060811.2208 EDT Comments Not Seen I don't know what happened for sure but thought a Mag -8 flare would have burned through the clowds in that area of the sky, Up in a western corner of Andromeda near Lacerta. There is a good bit to be seen over here.