16 December 2006

Observing Location	PSC
Observational Period	1045-1100 EST
Atmospheric Conditions	Cloud Cover Scattered Clouds Temperature high 40s F Wind Calm Humidity Low Feels Like Brisk There weren't many clouds, but they all had to pass between me and the Sun. There was constant boiling all the way around the limb. There must have been some wind last night after I got home because there are small branches on the ground around all of the trees in the neighborhood. Transparency Good Seeing II
Instruments	Canon 15x50 IS binocular - Charlie
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Target Sunspots Constellation Oph Category Solar Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20061216.1045 EST Comments Heliographic Latitude (B0) -1.10° Heliographic Longitude (L0) 300.83° Position Angle (P) +9.53° Carrington rotation number (CR) 2051 The only spot on the Sun is just off of the western limb. There is enough foreshortening going on that I can’t tell a lot about it.   Groups Spots R North 0 0 0 South 1 2 12 Total 1 2 12 R = (Groups * 10) + Spots) Group 930 Heliographic Latitude -11° Heliographic Longitude 13° Mcintosh System Dko I am getting advisories of spaceweather events resulting from the activity of this spot. It is way over near the western limb. I can still see the upper primary spot and think there is at least one spot beneath if, all surrounded by penumbra.

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Observing Location	TotL
Observational Period	2100-2400 EST
Atmospheric Conditions	Cloud Cover Clear to Overcast Temperature Low 40s F Wind Cakm to Gentle Breeze Humidity Moderate to High Feels Like Cold At the end of the night I could smell the moisture in the air. Cloud conditions fluctuated between clear and overcast. It always seemed to be best in the SW. Transparency Fair Seeing I
Instruments	Canon 15x50 IS binocular - Charlie Celestron 7x50 binocular - Kin
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway Kin Lee Hawaiian George

Target Bent Coathanger Constellation Cam? Category Asterism Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20061216.2115 EST Comments I was searching for Kembles Cascade and kept running into this group of stars that reminded me of a coathanger that had the arms bent down at a 45° angle. I wasn't able to determine for sure where I was but I think I was in Cam somewhere near Kemble's Cascade. It was at the end of a chain of four brighter stars.

Target Pearsapr, Beehive Cluster, M44 Constellation Cnc Category DSO: OCl Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20061216.2130 EST Comments I thought I was probably seeing Cnc naked-eye just above the trees and was able to see a few stars of M44. If I hadn't known it was there I probably would have missed it.

Target< /th> ι Cnc Constellation Cnc Category Double Star Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20061216.2135 EST Comments This double was either so wide I did not recognize it, or so close I can only see it as a single star.

Target Orion Nebula, M42, NGC1976 Constellation Ori Category DSO: ENeb Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20061216 EST Comments I landed here several times during the night as different passers-by passed by and stopped for a look. It is easy to find quickly. You can see something there naked eye and it fills the FoV in the binocular so it is easy for people to understand. Derek Snow stopped on his way to the west Side and said that he saw the nebula naked-eye tonight from in front of his apartment on the Upper East Side. I have been reading some of my old notes and don't remember seeing M42 mentioned as a naked-eye object since the winter of '04/'05. I don't know whether to attribute that to a change in our skies or weather, or to a change in my eyesight.

Target η Ori Constellation Ori Category Double Star Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20061216 EST Comments I had decided that tonight was going to be a double star night since transparency was good enough to permit seeing them but generally not good enough to see stardust in open clusters. This is a wide double across from the top of the sword.

Target ι Ori Constellation Ori Category Double Star Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20061216 EST Comments George was asking about double stars in the sword and I mentioned the Trapezium and also pointed out ι Ori as being a close double at the bottom of the sword.

Target Andromeda Galaxy, M31, NGC224 Constellation And Category Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20061216 EST Comments Kin arrived and wanted to drive so I found my binocular pointed at M31. I didn't think to see if I could see anything where M32 should be.

Target M103, NGC581 Constellation Cas Category DSO: OCl Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20061216 EST Comments I hopped up into Cas to see if I could identify the neighborhood where M103 should be and was surprised when I saw the three brightest stars in the object. I thought it would be too small for me to see it in the binocular, especially since it has a high Messier number which generally equates to smaller and fainter objects. I looked the object up in some of my Planetarium programs today and don't think the brightest star, the bill of the cap or the handle of the ladle as I described it yesterday, is actually a part of the cluster. C2A graphic Stelarium Graphic WinStars Graphic

Target C10, NGC663 Constellation Cas Category DSO: OCl Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20061216 EST Comments While I was at M103. I decided to take a look around and see if I could find any of the nearby clusters. I did not find NGC659 but was surprised to see C10. The arc of stars 44 Cas, HIP7393, HIP8020, and HIP8106 were easily seen. Just above HIP8020 I picked up TYC4032-02652-1 (8.66m) and TYC4032-02077-1 (8.28m) and a but higher TYC4032-01211-1 (8.29m). While looking there TYC4032-01551-1 (8.92m) popped into view and then a bunch of stardust close around HIP8260 (8.48). C10 was only seen briefly in a moment of better seeing, but there was enough there that I am sure of what I was seeing.