12 August 2006

Observing Location	CSP When I arrived Peter and Kin were already set up about a block south of our usual location. The reported worse than normal light and sound-pollution at our normal location. Where we were, adjacent to the hockey rink, they had normal gooseneck street lighting and the bulb over us was not working. The next lamp north of us only came on intermittently and not at full brightness so this location is a little darker than our usual venue. There was still a lot of highway traffic noise and the ground was vibrating enough that the scope was bouncing and the viewing challenging. Just before dawn Peter and I walked north. To an area fairly close to Gracie Mansion where the sun would rise through a less obstructed horizon.
Observational Period	0100-0630 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	We had varying amounts of generally light clouds all night. The seeing was exceptional except for the effects of ground vibration, which was less obvious in the lower power binoculars than in the scope. I didn't detect boiling anywhere around the limb of the Moon. Transparency Fair Seeing Excellent
Instruments	Canon 15x50 IS binocular - Charlie I used light blue 80A photographic filters over my objectives to cut the light to a much more comfortable level than the unfiltered binocular. The blue color was noticeable at first but my mind quickly adapted to it and I just saw shades of black and white. I had the Baader AstroSolar filter film for solar observing. Takahashi 102 refractor - Peter Fujinon 7x50 binocular - Peter Celestron 7x50 binocular - Kin
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway Peter Tagatac Kin Lee

Target Perseids Meteors Constellation Category Meteors Time 20060812.0100 EDT Comments I saw more meteors this morning than I had seen over a similar timeframe last night and they were mostly better specimens. The most impressive was one Peter and I both caught during the first part of the 0300 hour. It had a sparkling tail and was observed plunging vertically over about 7° of the SE sky. Two of the meteors during the 0400 hour were also nice. I stood around looking at various parts of the sky, mostly in the direction of the radiant, between observing the Moon and some DSOs with Peter. When he had a string od meteor sightings early in the 0400 hour I moved out to the river where I could lay on a park bench and look up. This is when I saw most of my meteors but I think it was due more to meteors being present than to my change in technique. I changed primarily because my neck was very sore from having had it tipped back all night. My field of view was still into the radiant. Hour Meteors ZHR 0100 0 0 0200 1 1 0300 1 1 0400 4 5 0500 0 0 Total 6 7 Average 1 ZHR = observed meteors * correction for radiant hieght see 12Aug06 post

Target Moon Constellation Psc Category Lunar Time 20060812.0115 EDT Comments Mare Crissium is mostly in shadow and looks very nice. In by binocular I can see light shining through a gap in the crater wall onto the mare floor. In the telescope I could see the shadows of two sharp peaks projected onto the surface behind them.

Target Double Cluster, NGC869 & NGC884 Constellation Per Category DSO Time 20060812.0118 EDT Comments The bright stars were very crisp and both clusters were filled with stardust that was on the verge of resolving.

Target Muscleman Cluster, Stock 2 Constellation Per Category DSO Time 20060812.0130 EDT Comments On first seeing it in the telescope I thought it might be a high power view of the bottom of Kembles Cascade in the area of NGC1502. It is a linear feature with a triangle of brighter stars at the bottom. After my eye became accustomed to the view I could see the arms stretched out to the sided higher up and stardust sprinkled around the linear core.

Target Trumpler 2 Constellation Per Category DSO Time 20060812.0140 EDT Comments This is another linear cluster. It appeared to me to be a line of four brighter stars, the brightest one being a little yellow and the others blue, with a few dimmer stars kicked off at an angle to the right.

Target The Pleiades, M45 Constellation Ori Category DSO Time 20060812.02mm EDT Comments Peter pointed this out and asked me to identify it and my initial reaction was Delphinus but it didn't look right. Then I realized what I was seeing. It has been a long time since we have seen the Seven Sisters. We counted their number several times during the night and both peter and I always cane up with six easily seen and never went deeper.

Target Sagita, The Arrow Constellation Sge Category Constellation Time 20060812.02mm EDT Comments I had trouble finding the arrow. Eventually I found the shaft and then the fletchings.

Target Delfinus, The Dolphin Constellation Del Category constellation Time 20060812.02mm EDT Comments We observed Delphinus to compare its magnitude with that of Sagita and both agreed that Del was much easier to see.

Target Vulpecula, the Fox Constellation Vul Category Time 20060812.02mm EDT Comments I had mentioned reading a recent (Space,com I think) article that describes the cowboy boot that is the new way of depicting this constellation and noted that the asterism doesn't even include the alpha star. We didn't try to find the cowboy boot but I did locate the big hockey stick that is the traditional stick figure.

Target The Coat Hanger Constellation Vul Category Time 2006 EDT Comments We both located it in hand held binoculars. I still had the 80A filters on my binocular so it was a little faint but still easily distinguishable.

Target Auriga, The Charioteer. Constellation Aur Category Constellation Time 20060812.03mm EDT Comments Auriga was mid way up the sky in the NE and very plainly seen. Peter went looking for M36, M37 and M38 and I found the Leaping Minnow and the smiley face.

Target Taurus, The Bull Constellation Tau Category Constellation Time 20060812.03mm EDT Comments Taurus was stretched out horizontally across the NE and E sky. The Hyades were faint but could be seen naked-eye.

Target Orion, The Hunter Constellation Ori Category Constellation Time 20060812.03mm EDT Comments Orion was rising laying on his back. Eventually I saw all of the major elements except the shield and sword. By the time he was getting up high enough for the sword to start punching through the muck Helios was getting ready for his daily ride across the sky.

Target Gemini, The Twins Constellation Gem Category Constellation Time 20060812.03mm EDT Comments The twins were rising over the Triborough Bridge laying on their sides. All I saw of them were their heads, Castor and Pollux.

Somewhere around here we had another discussion of the ecliptic and the position of the Sun and Moon on it and along the zodiac. I just don't think about the ecliptic other than as the point at which the planets rise and set and how steeply they do it.. Mostly I know it for that portion of it (Cancer through Aquarius) depicted on the ceiling of Grand Central Terminal. Mentioning GCT and the constellations there Peter mentioned Orion as being there but mot part of the zodiac and I through in Pegasus and Triangulum and Musca Borealis which is now a part of Aries. That reminds me of my project to observe obsolete constellations which I have never gotten off the ground,

Target Aries, The Ram Constellation Ari Category Constellation Time 20060812 EDT Comments Aries was hanging in mid sky in the SSE. Hamal, α Ari, and 41 Ari were easiest to see; Sheridan, β Ari, a little more difficult.

Target Triangulum, The Triangles Constellation Tri Category Constellation Time 2006 EDT Comments The triangle is large and easily seen. I don't recall ever having noted it before.

Target Musca Borealisn the Northern Fly Constellation Ari Category Obsolete Constellation Time 20060812 EDT Comments This was a small constellation that was adjacent to Aries and Triangulum. I think it was over the ram?s tail end but am not sure. It is usually depicted on the star charts with two pairs of wings so as a bee or wasp rather than a fly.. I have not located a stick figure for it so don't know exactly what stars it was comprised of. Peter looked up in the area above Aries and found three stars that he thinks are it.

Target Venus Constellation Cnc Category Planet Time 20060812.0440 EDT Comments Venus appeared big and bright yellow over the Triborough Bridge. We tracked it until just before sunrise.

Target Mercury Constellation Cnc Category Planet. Time 20060812..0445 EDT Comments Mercury appeared tiny under bright Venus but it was easily seen naked-eye until it was well up in the sky.

Target M44, Praesepe, The Beehive Cluster, NGC2632 Constellation Cnc Category DSO Time 20060812. EDT Comments Not Seen It should have drifted through the FoV after Mercury but the sky was too bright.

Target Saturn Constellation Cnc Category Planet Time 20060812. EDT Comments Not Seen I tried to drift this by setting up on Venus then waiting 70 minutes for Saturn to rise when it should be about one FoV to the right. Before Saturn had risen Mercury had already disappeared naked-eye and the sky on the horizon was a bright yellow.

Target ISS Visible Pass Constellation (Dra, UMi, UMa, Lyn, Gem, Ori) Category Satellite Time 20060812.0434 EDT Comments A low pass, I got it in the binocular as it passed through N and was able to track it through trees and all the way across the sky until it set into buildings in the SE.

Target Iridium 12 Flare Constellation Psc Category Satellite Time 20060812.0515 EDT Comments Not Seen Somewhere hear the Moon. Mag -6

Target Sunspots Constellation Gem Category Solar Time 20060812.0630 EDT Comments There was considerable boiling as the sun rose but it wuickly settled down and I was able to ovserve much earlier than is normally poaaible. I had planned to try to observe the spot without magnification but forgot about that plan as I started to pack up. 904 FhO (bipolar group with penumbrae around spots at each end; large symetric penumber; open distribution with few if any spots between principal spots, group clearly consists of two components) This morning the f spot appears to be two smaller, closely spaced spots enclosed it a common penumbra, just like the p spot.   Groups Spots R North 1 4 14 South 0 0 0 Total 1 4 14 R = (Geoups * 10) + Spots)