21 December 2006

Today is Winter Solstice so we are supposed to see the Sun aligned with the McGraw-Hill Sun Triangle. But we can't see the Sun today. When last I checked there wasn't even a bright spot in the sky where the Sun is hiding. They are saying conditions will get a little better this evening so maybe I will be able to find Venus and the first crescent Moon, but I am not holding my breath.

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Observing Location	BPO: Battery Park Observatory, The Battery, New York, NY I have observed here enough that it deserves a moniker.
Observational Period	1545-1830 EST
Atmospheric Conditions	Cloud Cover Scattered Clouds Temperature mid-50s F Wind Light Breeze Humidity Low Feels Like Cool Transparency Good Seeing I
Instruments	canon 15x50 IS binocular - Charlie
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

1631 EST - Sunset/Civil Twilight Begins

Target Venus Constellation Sgr Category Planet Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20061221.1629 EST Comments Phase Waning Gibbous Elongation 13.58°E % Illuminated 97.4% Magnitude -3.9 Altitude 8.16° Venus appeared above the dock piling just where I left it yesterday. It was about five minutes after I found it in the binocular before I found it naked-eye.

Poor thin crescent Poor thin Crescent Shivering and twisted high In the bitter dark. Issa Target First Crescent Moon Constellation Category Lunar Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20061221.1650 EST Comments Lunation 1039 Phase First Crescent Age 1d7h49m Elongation 17.04°E % Illuminated 2.2% Magnitude -5.7 Altitude 3.90° Planetarium says the first crescent Moon is 4.64° from Venus and my binocular says the FoV is 7° so the two objects should have appeared fairly close but it wasn't until I scanned left a bit that I ran into the Moon.. I thought I saw a crescent of lighter cloud where I anticipated the Moon appearing at 1615 EST and several times after that but am not sure if it was really the Moon, or the clouds reflecting light, or my mind seeing what I wanted to see. When I did see it it was unmistakable. The limb was illuminated between 1:30 and 6:00.

1702 EST - Civil Twilight Ends/Nautical Twilight Begins

Target STS-116 Visible Pass Constellation Her-Lyr-Dra-Cam Category Satellite Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20061221.1711 EST Comments The Shuttle became visible to me about 30° up and appeared to fly out of NJ and directly across lower Manhattan into Brooklyn. It was a bright white once it got overhead.

Target ISS Visible Pass Constellation Her-Lyr-Dra-Cam Category Satellite Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20061221.1711 EST Comments The ISS followed the same general path as the Shuttle and went within a binocular FoV of Vega.

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1737 EST - Nautical Twilight Ends/Astronomical Twilight Begins

1810 EST - Astronomical Twilight Ends