1 October 2006

Observing Location	Metropolitan Ave @ McGraw Ave, The Bronx, NY
Observational Period	1815-1830 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	Cloud Cover Mostly Clear Temperature Cool Humidity Low Wind Calm Feels Like Cool Transparency Good Seeing Fair
Instruments	Canon 15x50 IS binocular w/Baader AstroSolar filter film - Charlie
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Target Sunspots Constellation Vir Category Solar Time 2006 EDT Comments Heliographic Latitude (B0 +6.68° Heliographic Longitude (L0) 219.29° Position Angle (PA) +26.02&ceg; Carrington Rotation Number (CR) 2048 The sun was sinking down into the dense atmosphere. I could see a line of haze across the lower portion of the disc. The limb didn't look round. I could see two spots, one over the other, one in each hemisphere a short distance off the eastern limb. Tonight Kin reported having seen three spots today.   Groups Spots R North 1 1 11 South 1 1 11 Total 2 2 22 R = (Geoups * 10) + Spots) Group 913 Heliographic Latitude +4° Heliographic Longitude 173° McIntosh System Axx This group is in the southern hemisphere and it appears to be the larger of the two. The spot is black and is surrounded by a large void area in the granularity of the disc. I do not detect any penumbra. Group 914 Heliographic Latitude -10° Heliographic Longitude 173° McIntosh System Axx This is the northern hemisphere spot. It is darker today than it appeared two days ago when I first saw it. There may be a void area around the spot.

---

Observing Location	TotL
Observational Period	1745-2000 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	It was a little chilly and the air felt moist although my bags didn't feel wet when I left. Cloud Cover Mostly Cloudy Temperatuer Cool Humidity Noticeable Wind Calm Feels Like Chilly Transparency Fair Seeing Good
Instruments	Canon 15x50 IS binocular - Charlie I.R. Optics 8-25x25 binocular with ruby coated objectives - Kin
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway Kin Lee

Target Moon Constellation Sgr Category Lunar Time 20061001.1950 EDT Comments Lunation 1036 Phase Waxing Gibbous 9d12h4m Elongation 109.18deg;E % Illuminated 64% Magnitude -10.9 Altitude 23.14deg; The image really looks crisp along the terminator. The Teneriffe Mountains and Mt Pico are standing out nicely Archimedes, Aristillus and Autolycus on the floor of Mare Imbrium and Erastosthenes between the Apennine Mountains and Sinus Aestuum look great with shadow on the inside western walls Tycho is lit with shadow on the western wall but the rays are barely visible The Apennines are showing shadow on the eastern slope but the Caucasus Mountains are hard to see. The Alps have a little shadow up on the northern end near the Alpine Valley. Western Carpathian Mountains are just starting to come out of the shadow.

Target Owl Cluster, ET cluster, NGC457 Constellation Cas Category DSO: OCl Time 20061001.2115 EDT Comments I think I saw the eyes, but that is all. I saw two stars of unequal brightness near where Planetarium shows the cluster. When we saw it in the Dob Friday night it was standing fairly upright so I think it should be hanging upside down in a binocular view. Planetarium appears to have a pair of brighter stars beneath the cluster which is what I think I was seeing. On the other hand, since I don't know how big the cluster is I may have been looking at something totally unrelated.

Target Neptune Constellation Cap Category Planet Time 20061001.2150 EDT Comments Not Seen I didn't see any more tonight with my binocular mounted on the tripod than I had on Friday when I was hand holding the optics. To be sure, the sky was a lot better on Friday.

Target Uranus Constellation Sgr Category Planet Time 20061001.2155 EDT Comments I thought I might have a chance at Uranus since it is brighter than Neptune and in the same field of view as an even brighter naked-eye star. I was able to find the water jar in Sgr but when I started dropping down toward the planet I ran into clouds and couldn't find the stars I needed to continue the hop.