27 March 2007

Observing Location	TotL
Observational Period	2115-0015 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	Cloud Cover Clear to Scattered Clouds but transparent cirrus Temperature 47°F Wind Calm gusting to Gentle Breeze Humidity Moderate Feels Like A moist cool. It was clear when I arrived but mostly low clouds kept moving through the area. Even when they reached the Moon they were not thick enough to be noticeable. We broke down a bit early because it was getting cloudier than Peter wanted to observe through although we probably could have stayed until curfew without problems. When I got home the Moon was behind thick cloud. When I packed up I set my books on the ground next to my telescope in the lunch box. When it was time to head home I picked up the tripod case and commented that the straps felt moist. I picked up the books and the cover of the paperback Moon Observer’s Guide had absorbed enough moisture that it was curled away from the pages of the book. The are was very stable tonight. There was no wavering of the image in either scope and peter spent a good bit of time with a 2x Barlow. Transparency Good Seeing I
Instruments	SAR: Coulter CT-100 Newtonian reflector - Charlie Celestron Omni 20mm Celestron Omni 2x Barlow ~20mm Kellner w/helical focuser Takahashi 102 refractor - Peter
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway Peter Tagatac

Target Moon Constellation Cnc Category Lunar Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20070327.2100 EDT Comments Lunation 1042 Phase Waxing Gibbous Age 8.95 Distance Light Time (from earth) 387,835 km s Elongation ° % Illuminated 73% Magnitude -12.38 Angular Size 30.81' Altitude 71°49’ I spent most of my time looking in Mare Imbrium. The Alpine Valley was difficult to see. Peter had trouble understanding that until he looked through my scope. It was just a faint line that I really had to spend a lot of time to find. In his scope it was much more distinct. Likewise the Straight Wall, Rupes Recta. Peter talked me to it and when I got there it just looked like a change in the color of the mare. When I saw it in his scope under high poser it looked as though someone had drizzled epoxy over the surface of the mare, I could see relief in it. Detail from LAC plate 95 I could see Lambert and Timocharis and a bright white spot half way between them with a shadow stretching to the west that is an unnamed mountain. Detail from LAC plate 40 It looked like Laplace Promontory was just starting to catch light. Montes Recti, Montes Teneriffe, Pico and Piton were all easily visible and could be connected into an drowned inner ring in Mare Imbrium. There was some nice delicate shadow inside the west wall of Plato Over in Mare Serenitatis I could see a white splotch of light where Posidonous is but couldn’t assign any shape to it or pick out the crater. I could see Erastosthenes and the mountain SW of it but didn’t notice Stadius. Down in the south I could see Rutherford, Clavius B and probably Clavius D on the floor of Clavius. Down to the SW of Clavius and tangent to its outer wall I saw what looked like a round plateau. It must have been the area in this image where the craters are much smaller and less densely packed than most other places in the south. Detail from LAC plate 126 Peter noted that the libration is decreasing. We looked at Mare Australe in the SW corner and Mare Marginus, Mare Undarum and Mare Spumans around much larger Mare Crisium.

Target Saturn Constellation Leo Category Planet Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20070327.2200 EST Comments Object Class Classical Planet Elongation ° Distance Light Time (from Earth) AU hm Distance (from Sun) Au Angular Size "x" Ring Angular Size "x" Ring Inclination ° Magnitude 0.19 Altitude 65°32’ I could see the C ring in front of the planet, the Cassini Division out to the sides of the rings, a band on the planet and a slight dimming of brightness near the south pole. The planet’s shadow on the rings looks wider than I remember it. There were two moons off the planet’s rings, Tethys and Rhea, and I might have seen one other. Stary Night Starter graphic