27 December 2006

Observing Location	VP
Observational Period	1145-1200 EST
Atmospheric Conditions	Cloud Cover Broken Clouds Temperature 40°F Wind Moderate Breeze gusting to Strong Breese Humidity Low Feels Like 30°F Wind Chill All of a sudden it has noticed it is winter and temperatures have dropped to seasonal levels. It wouldn't feel bad out were it not for the wind. Most of the sky is clear but there is a huge dark cloud beneath the Sun and another huge white one to the NE. NOAA is reporting snow showers over nountain areas of NJ and over parts of LI. Between the clouds the sky is a nice blue and the air stable. Transparency Good Seeing I
Instruments	Brunton 8x21 compact binocular w/gold shade #14 welder's glass - Charlie
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Target Sunspots Constellation Sgr Category Solar Time 20061227.1145 EST Comments Heliographic Latitude (B0) -2.46° Heliographic Longitude (L0) 155.93° Position Angle (P) +4.34° Carrington rotation number (CR) 2051 No spots were seen.   Groups Spots R North 0 0 0 South 0 0 0 Total 0 0 0 R = (Groups * 10) + Spots)

---

NOAA is saying that mostly cloudy skies will become mostly clear tonight and CSC says mostly clear by 1800 EST, but as of 1600 EST it is overcast with showers. I had been planning to go to TotL tonight but the weather is too uncertain to commit to that.

---

Observing Location	McGraw Ave near Metropolitan Ave, Bronx, NY
Observational Period	1800-1830 EST
Atmospheric Conditions	Cloud Cover Scattered Temperature 30s F Wind Moderate Breeze gusting to Strong Breeze Humidity Low Feels Like Very Cold When I came home from dinner there were some low clouds about and I could not find the Moon. It was windy with strong gusts of wind and I decided I was right in deciding against going down to TotL to observe. I took the tripod and cameras downstairs anyway in case the Moon had become visible. Transparency Good Seeing
Instruments	Minolta X700 SLR camera with 500mm catadioptric lens - Charlie Nikon CoolPix 990 digital camera - Charlie
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Target Moon Constellation Psc Category Lunar Time 2006 EST Comments Lunation 1039 Phase First Quarter Perigee (0900 EST) Age 7d8h58m Elongation 94.46° % Illuminated 53%9 Magnitude -10.4 Altitude 54.48° I was surprised at the rotation of the Moon. I had expected that the terminator would be vertical when it southed but it was inclined a bit to the west. I thought maybe it was because of Daylight Saving Time, but we are on standard time. Playing with Planetarium I found that the terminator was nearly vertical at around 1648 EST. I made some pictures with both cameras with the camera mounted on my tripod. Using the digital camera in manual mode and applying the Sunny 16 rule, since the sun is in bright sunlight, my pictures were all overexposed. I got what appears to be reasonable exposure, as evaluated in the camera LCD, with the camera set in PHD (push here dummy) mode.

---

Observing Location	MetOval
Observational Period	1845-1930 EST
Atmospheric Conditions	Cloud Cover Scattered Clouds Temperature 40°F Wind Calm gusting to Light Breeze Humidity Low Feels Like 33°F Wind Chill It is amazing how quickly all those clouds can disappear and the wind die down. I was toasty in my down jacket under my parka. Transparency Good Seeing II
Instruments	Canon 15x50 IS binocular (hand held)- Charlie Minolta X700 SLR camera w/500mm catadioptric lens - Charlie
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

I realized when I got upstairs that I hadn't bracketed my exposures on the film camera so decided to take it and my binocular up to the oval for a short observing and photography session.

The half moon shows a face of plaintive sweetness Ready and poised to wax or wane; A fire of pale desire in incompleteness Tending to pleasure or to pain:- Lo, While we gaze she rolleth on the fleetness To perfect loss or perfect gain. Half bitterness we know, we know half sweetness; This world is on wax, on wane. When shall completeness round time's incompleteness Fulfilling joy, fulfilling pain? Lo, while we ask, life rolleth on in fleetness To finished loss or finished gain. The half moon shows a face of plaintive sweetness Christina Rosetti Target Moon Constellation Psc Category Lunar Time 20061227.1845 EST Comments Lunation 1039 Phase First Quarter Perigee (0900 EST) Age 7d9h43m Elongation 94.86°E % Illuminated 54.2% Magnitude -10.5 Altitude 53.73° The most striking features in the binocular are the mountains on the western edge of Mare Imbrium and the three large craters NW of Mare Nubium. The eastern limb near Hevelius is just visible by earthshine in the binocular. The terminator is slicing through Mare Imbrium on the western rim of Archimedes and just east of Poolemaeus, Alphonsus and Arzachel. The Alps and the Apennine Mountains both have deep shadow on their inner flanks which makes them look very tall, while the Caucasus Mountains between them are hardly visible. There are two splotches of white to the SW of Mare Nectaris with some ray structure emanating from the area. The ray emanating from Menelaus and proceeding through Mare Serenitatis and Lacus Sommiorum into tbe northern highlands is also visible. There is a streak of dark color extending south near the SW edge of Mare Crisium. Mare Undarum and Mare Spumans? Firmicus and Apollonius? Archimedes and just east of Poolemaeus, Alphonsus and Arzachelare well defined Something to the south of them is creating a bay of light in the terminator. Sinus Asperitatis is more prominent and distinct from Mare Nectaris and Mare Tranquillitatis than I remember seeing it before. I can make out Aristotoles and Eudoxus: hercules and Atlas are indistinct: I don't remember noticing Cepheus and Franklin.