30 October 2006

Observing Location	VP
Observational Period	1130-1145 EST
Atmospheric Conditions	Cloud Cover Clear Temperature 64°F Wind 7 mph gisting to 21 mph Humidity Feels Like A cool late summer day It is very nice out today and is supposed to remain clear and fairly mild tonight. Transparency Excellent Seeing II
Instruments	Canon 15x50 IS binocular w/Baader AstroSolar filter film - Charlie
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Target Sunspots Constellation Vir Category Solar Time 20061030.1130 EST Comments Heliographic Latitude (B0) +4.53° Heliographic Longitude (L0) 199.92° Position Angle (P) +24.74° Carrington rotation number (CR) 2049 There is one spot that has just rotated onto the disk.   Groups Spots R North 0 0 0 South 1 1 11 Total 1 1 11 R = (Groups * 10) + Spots) Group 921 Heliographic Latitude -8° Heliographic Longitude 136° Mcintosh System Axx This is a small gray spot that is over in the foreshortening zone on the trailing limb of the disk. It is surrounded by a void area. The spot is a short distance off the limb at 8:00.

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Observing Location	Roosevelt Park, Battery Park City, New York, NY Lat.: 40.71842025145855°&nbap;Long.: -74.0167486667633°
Observational Period	1600-1615 EST
Atmospheric Conditions	Cloud Cover Clear Temperature Warm Wind Calm Humidity Low Feels Like Warm Transparency Excellent Seeing I
Instruments	Canon 15x50 IS binocular w/Baader AstroSolar filter film - Charlie
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Target Sunspots Constellation Vir Category Solar Time 20061030.1600 EST Comments Heliographic Latitude (B0) +4.51° Heliographic Longitude (L0) 197.45° Position Angle (P) +24.71° Carrington rotation number (CR) 2049 The only thing that has changed since this morning is that the spot is now at 9:30 on the disk.   Groups Spots R North 0 0 0 South 1 1 11 Total 1 1 11 R = (Groups * 10) + Spots) Group 921 Heliographic Latitude -8° Heliographic Longitude 134° Mcintosh System Axx

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I went down to the World Financial Center to survey the area to see if there is a better location for observing the upcoming transit of Mercury than Wagner Park where the AAA has announced they will be. I was not sure what the skyline was like but want to be able to see the event, which extends beyond out local sunset, as long as possible.

I entered the park from the north end of the Esplanade at Chambers St and walked south along the river to Battery Park then took the ferry over to Staten Island to check out the shoreline there just in case it might be better.

My initial reaction was that the north end of the park would provide the best view as it appeared that the sun should be setting over the Bayonne Bridge which is the lowest point on the horizon. There were a few other locations which had good views, but this area has a nice wide sidewalk and river traffic and splashing waves should not be a problem.

I checked with Battery Park Authority and a park enforcement officer who both told me I would need a permit as soon as I mentioned a tripod and it would have to be gotten from the Battery Park Conservancy which has offices just north of the South Cove and is not open on Sunday. I don’t want to go get set up and then get kicked out and miss the event. I would rather try it from Central Park.

Today I went back and walked the area again because my compass was swinging wildly in various areas but came to the same conclusion based on what Planetarium and my Compass were telling me. So I went to the Conservancy office to wee what they had to say.

They guy there was nice and interested. He is also a little worried since I am the second person who has requested a permit for the event and he doesn’t know how many people to expect.

There is a permit fee of $50 or $200 depending on what type of use you are requesting, but it didn’t apply to me because I am an individual and not doing commercial work.

I submitted the permit for the north end of the Esplanade, to cover five people with equipment who would answer questions if approached by the public and offer views. They will discuss the request at one of their meetings and email me with their decision.

At sunset I went back to the permit area and found that the sun wasn’t anywhere near where my compass said it would be. I walked the whole area again and determined that the best locations are really near the NY Waterway ferry landing and at Albany Street. Back I went to the office to modify my permit and we decided that Albany Street (Lat.: 40.71054021692633°, Long.: -74.01821851730347°) would be best for both them and me since there is less traffic and more sidewalk there.

The sun will set over a higher horizon than I was hoping for but it will still be lower than at Wagner Park by a degree or two so will provide more time for photographing the event.

If the permit is denied my fallback location will be the American Merchant Marine Memorial just south of Pier A.

Permit location map

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Observing Location	TotL
Observational Period	1900-2230 EST
Atmospheric Conditions	Cloud Cover Clear becoming Scattered Clouds Temperature Cool Wind Light Breeze&br>hidting to Breeze Humidity Moderate Feels Like Chilly It started out clear then around 2145 the clouds started to full in. The temperature was warmer then it has been recently. Transparency Good Seeing III
Instruments	Canon 15x50 IS binocular - Charlie Fujinon 7x50 binocular - Peter Takahashi 22x60 binocular - Peter Harry (the Kite): 6" DIY Newtonian Reflector - Peter Peter got a couple of new eyepieces yesterday and as I was getting ready to leave out Harry on the tripod so we could yet one of then out. It was immediately obviouc why I christened this scope The Kite. The front end of the scope was bouncing all over the place.
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Target C/2006 M4 (SWAN) Constellation Her Category Comets/Asteroids/Meteors Time 20061030.1905 EST Comments It was a lot easier getting into Hercules although I still had to go back to Draco to confirm where I was. It was easiest getting to ε Her from ζ Her and once I was there the comet was immediately visible. StarryNight Starter Edition graohic It doesn't look to me like its brightness has changed much. It is still brighter than M13, which I did not are, and nearly as bright as M31. The comet has moved about 8.45° since I last saw it near υ CrB on 26Oct06, about 2.1°/day. The last brigihtness estimate listed at Recent Comet Magnitudes is 4.7 for yesterday. For this graph I took the listings from Recent Comet Magnitudes and performed a quick mental estimate of the mean value for each day.

Target Moon Constellation Cap Category Lunar Time 20061030.2100 EST Comments Lunation 1037 Phase Waxing Gibbous First Quarter +29h Age> 8d20h45m Elongation 105.26° % Illuminated 63.2% Magnitude -10.8 Altitude 27.7° We looked at the Moon through both binoculars and briefly through the bouncing Kite. Copernicus was just off the terminator in the middle of the Moon. The Teneriffe Mountains were just off the terminator below Plato Mount Pico and Mount Piton could be seen on the floor of Mare Imbrium The Alpine Valley was visible cutting through the Alps Mountains just east of Plato I looked for Rupes Recta, the Straight Wall, and think I saw it in Mare Nubium While looking for Rupes Recta we used the arc of the craters Ptolemaeus, Alphonsus, and Arzachel as a landmark. The floors of Hershel and Alpetragius, much smaller craters on the ends of the arc, were in deep shadow Virtual Moon Atlas graphic