21 August 2006

Observing Location	PSC
Observational Period	1200-1215 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	Scattered cumulous clouds; warm with a moderate breeze. Some humidity; no haze; only slight rippling on the northern limb of the Sun and not continuous. Transparency Good Seeing Good
Instruments	Canon 15x50 IS binocular w/Baader AstroSolar filter film - Charlie
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Target Sunspots Constellation Leo Category Solar Time 20060821.1200 EDT Comments Group 904 has disappeared and a new group (no number on Space Weather as of yet) is just rotating onto the disk in the southern hemisphere. It looks small but is dark black and it is foreshortened so I suspect that it will turn out to be another large group. I can't make out any detail in it but I think there is an area of plage between it and the limb. [22Aug06: The new group is 905.]   Groups Spots R North 0 0 0 South 1 1 11 Total 1 1 11 R = (Geoups * 10) + Spots)

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Observing Location	MetOval
Observational Period	1720-1735 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	Hot; no breeze; some humidity perceptible; no clouds; no haze; continuous turbulance on the top and bottom limbs of the Sun. Transparency Excellent Seeing Good
Instruments	Canon 15x50 IS binocular w/Baader AstroSolar filter film - Charlie
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Target Sunspots Constellation Leo Category Solar Time 20060821.1720 EDT Comments I still don't see Group 904. The new group has rotated into the upper left quadrant. I can see a smaller spot behind the p-spot, where I was seeing plage earlier today.   Groups Spots R North 0 0 0 South 1 2 12 Total 1 12 12 R = (Geoups * 10) + Spots)

Target Wildlife on the Oval Constellation Category Fauna Time 20060821.1730 EDT Comments There is a bird bath here that is frequented by birds primarily in size order. When there are several pigeons there they go basically undisturbed but they coexist peacefully with the sparrows. The bully seems to be the starling who hasn't molested the larger pigeons but chases off all the sparrows within reach. While I was watching a squirrel came by and looked up at the birds. You could tell he wanted to be up there but the bath is three feet high on a cement pillar that has minimal relief and the bowl overhangs the pillar by 6-9 inches all around. He circled for a little but then backed off about three feet and just looked up. When there was only one pigeon there he made a flat-footed leap all the way onto the edge of the bowl. When he had had his fill he hade another leap and landed 3-4 feet from the bath. A while later a larger squirrel came by and made a running leap at the pillar hitting it about half way up. From there he hit the under side of the bowl and scampered up on top. Another bird has arrived that looks like a sparrow but is about half way in size between the sparrows and the starlings. They seem to do more bathing than drinking and fight with each other and everyone else. The birds have all taken flight from the east side of the oval to the west. The ones that are roosting in the trees to the east are all well within the tree's canopy. I haven't been able to find him but that is usually a sign that one of the hawks is in the area. After a bit all the birds flew back to the east, then shortly after everyone is back on the ground foraging.

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Observing Location	TPO I arrived at TotL to find that they are setting up for a Metropolitan Opera concert. The stage is north of the walk and high enough that it obstructs the entire northern horizon. It is terrible down here. I have to listen to the noise of the play being performed in the adjacent theater. (A lot of people seemed to be bailing out at intermission and Kin and I were both offered a ticked it we wanted to go in and see the second half. The woman said it was a good play, but wasn’t staying for the whole thing herself.) This area seems to be more light-polluted also. While it does have a little better southern and eastern horizon I miss seeing the Manhattan skyline, even with its geigenschein.
Observational Period	1945- EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	Cirrostratus clouds up to about 15 degrees in the south, 5° in the north. And some isolated clouds overhead. It was supposed to be clearer than this. Moderate wind out of the north; mild temperatures. Conditions got worse the longer we stayed and it is not looking good for seeing the last crescent Moon tomorrow. There was a halo around Jupiter. Transparency Fair Seeing
Instruments	Canon 15x50 IS binocular - Charlie
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Target Jupiter Constellation Vir Category Planet Time 20060821.2010 EDT Comments I got a large crowd of people who wanted to see Jupiter just at dusk. All four planets were lined up on the western limb.

Target Lacrosse 5 Visible Pass Constellation Cas Category Satellite Time 20060821.2050 EDT Comments This wasn’t something we were looking for, I just happened to be looking into Cassiopeia when it drifted past Caph and on a ways into the NE.

Target Unknown Satellite Constellation Sco Category Satellite Time 20060821.2100 EDT Comments I was looking in Scorpius with the binocular when this satellite came into the FoV going west to east and passed right under Antares.

Target ISS Visible Pass Constellation Category Satellite Time 200608.2108 EDT Comments We didn’t pick this one up until it was passing through north and it disappeared shortly thereafter in the NNE.