25 November 2006

Observing Location	VP The Sun is low enough now that I am going to have to move back to PSC for a while to get an unobstructed view.
Observational Period	1045-1100 EST
Atmospheric Conditions	Cloud Cover Clear Temperature 45°F Wind Calm Humidity Low Feels Like Brisk The sky isn't as deep a shade of blue as it could be so there is some light haze up there. Transparency Good Seeing I
Instruments	Brunton 8x21 compact binocular w/gold shade 14 welder's glass - Charlie
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Target Sunspots Constellation Sco Category Solar Time 20061125.1045 EST Comments Heliographic Latitude (B0) +1.58° Heliographic Longitude (L0) 217.56° Position Angle (P) +18.12° Carrington rotation number (CR) 2050 I did not are any plage or spots again today.   Groups Spots R North 0 0 0 South 0 0 0 Total 0 0 0 R = (Groups * 10) + Spots)

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Observing Location	TotL
Observational Period	2030-2400 EST
Atmospheric Conditions	Cloud Cover Clear Temperature 40s F Wind Light Breeze< Humidity Moderate Feels Like Raw There were some fair weather cumulus clouds down to the south when I arrived but they cleared off then filled back in again as we were packing up. By then cloud cover was Scattered to Broken but we had packed up so it didn't matter. The clouds were moving SW to NE. NOAA said there would be a light breeze early in the evening and then it would die down. That didn't happen. There was a light breeze blowing out of the south all night. The air felt a little moist all night and my bags felt moist when I packed up. Due to the humidity transparency wasn't as good tonight as last night but was better than usual. Transparency Good Seeing I
Instruments	Canon 15x50 IS binocular - Charlie Takahashi 102 refractor - Peter Pentax 20x60 binocular - Kin
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway Peter Tagatac Kin Lee Hawaiian George Times Up New York Midnight Central Park Ride - ~25 cyclists

Target The Pleiadea, M45 Constellation Tau Category DSO: OCl Time 20061125.2045 EST Comments A couple stopped by before Peter had his scope set up or I my binocular and wanted to see something so I got out the binocular and dropped in on the Pleiades. The cluster was about half way up the sky and we could see six stars at that time. Later in the night when they were closer to the zenith my count dropped to five. Peter tells me that I have been listing the stars seen incorrectly. He says I am seeing Atlas and am not seeing Celaeno. In effect I have shifted my view one star to the right. I am sure he is correct as he knows the sky much better than I do, but that isn't the way I figured it from the picture in the lady Sky at Night magazine.

Target Kemble's Cascade & NGC1502 Constellation Cam Category Asterism Time 20061125.2102 EST Comments The upper part of the cascade was much less distinct than the lower. I could not see any indication of NGC1502 but the double star.

Target Castor Constellation Gem Category Double Star Time 20061125.2155 EST Comments Neither Peter nor I could split it in my binocular. In his scope at low to medium power it looks like a big star with another star about half as big tangent to it. I did not split them and was not even sure I was seeing the secondary rather than flare.

Sigma Ori

Target Sigma Orionis Constellation Ori Category Double Star Time 20061125.2200 EST Comments A wide triple system with a fourth faint star to the primary's 10:00. The primary is cream colored. The dim star appears orange to me, blue to Peter. There is a wide triple above it. In the binocular I can see the primary and one star to the left.

Target M42/M43 Constellation Ori Category DSO: Neb Time 20061125.2230 EST Comments In Peter's scope I see lots of nebulosity around M42 and can see the fish mouth. There is a wide ring of nebulosity around M43 that looks like a halo around the Moon.

Kin says my Frog is a guy with braces and Peter says my Leaping Fingerling is a boat.

Target Nair Al Saif, ι Ori Constellation Ori Category Double Star Time 20061125.2243 EST Comments An easily split very unequal double (2.8/6.9, 11.3"). There are a couple of wider apparent doubles nearby but they are not marked as doubles in Planetarium.

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The leader of the cyclists asked about the meaning of the star name Capella, α Aur. I don't remember what he thought it meant but was taking its meaning from music and the term for unaccompanied singing, a cappella (acappella, acapella, a capella, acapella or a capela). Peter wasn't sure but speculated that since it as the alpha star of the constellation it might be something to do with the head then deferred to me since I make notes of all the meanings of new star names I run across. I didn't know either and don't remember ever having studied Auriga so had to look it up when I got home.

Mythology

One of the first constellations to be named, but the reason for the name has been lost. Perhaps its early naming relates to it having an A name. It is depicted as a charioteer carrying a goat in the crook of his left arm. He may represent either a Roman god, Hephaestus, or his son, Erechtheus, both of whom were lame and are both credited by the Greeks with the invention of the chariot as the first kind of wheelchair.

Name	Bayer Flamsteed	Mag.	Meaning	Comment
Capella	α Aur	0.08	little she-host Latin	6th brightest star in the sky
Al Anz	ε Aur	3.03	one of the "kids" one of the brightest stars of the Milky Waya 5-star multiple star system
Haedi (Sadstoni) (Saclateni)	ζ Aur	3.69		one of the "kids" a binary system
Hoedis II	η Aur	3.!8		one of the "kids"
Hassaleh	ι Aur	2.69		Auriga's foot
Alnath El Nath	β Tau	1.65	the butting one	officially the star is actually part of Taurus although it forms one of the corners of Auriga
	θ Aur	2.65
Menkalinan	β Aur	1.90	shoulder of the rein-holder Arabic	eclipsing binary
	ν Aur	3.97		one of the "false kids"
	τ Aur	4.51		one of the "false kids"
	υ Aur	4.72		one of the "false kids"