| Observing Location | VP |
|---|
| Observational Period | 1030-1045 EST |
|---|
| Atmospheric Conditions |
| Cloud Cover | Clear |
|---|
| Temperature | 13°F |
|---|
| Wind | 15 MPH
and gusting |
|---|
| Humidity | Low |
|---|
| Feels Like | -3°F Wind Chill |
|---|
There was nothing to be seen and it was very cold so I didn’t actually sit there for 15 minutes observing and writing up my notes.
| Transparency | Excellent |
|---|
| Seeing | II |
|---|
|
|---|
| Instruments | Brunton 8x21 compact binocular w/Welco gold shade 14 welder's filter
- Charlie
|
|---|
| Observing Party | Charlie Ridgway
|
|---|
| Target | Sunspots |
|---|
| Constellation | Aqr |
|---|
| Category | Solar |
|---|
Time
yyyymmdd.hhmm | 20070306.1030 EST |
|---|
| Comments |
Distance
Light Time | 0.992 AU
8m15s |
|---|
| Angular Size | 32'15" |
|---|
| Altitude | 38.50° |
|---|
Heliographic Latitude
(B0) | -7.25° |
|---|
Heliographic Longitude
(L0) | 327.42° |
|---|
Position Angle
(P) | -22.76° |
|---|
Carrington rotation number
(CR) | 2054 |
|---|
There were no spots visible today.
| | Groups | Spots | R |
|---|
| North | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|---|
| South | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|---|
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|---|
| R = (Groups * 10) + Spots) |
|
|---|
|
There are going to be two bright Iridium flares right next to each other tonight just before 1900 EDT. I am hoping it will be clear enough that I can see them and not so windy and cold that I can't stand out there to do it. I am hoping to make a movie of them on my digital camera.
| Observing Location | Times Square, Broadway & Seventh Ave @ 46 St, New York, NY |
|---|
| Observational Period | 1846-1900 EST |
|---|
| Atmospheric Conditions |
| Cloud Cover | Clear |
|---|
| Temperature | 16°F |
|---|
| Wind | 15 MPH>br>and gusting |
|---|
| Humidity | Moderate |
|---|
| Feels Like | very cold and blustery
+1°F Wind Chill |
|---|
I arrived earlier than I needed to and went into a store to browse and keep warm until close to the time of the event. The wind seemed to be coming through multiple layers of clothing and was out of the N where I needed to be looking.
|
|---|
| Instruments | Naked-eye observing - Charlie |
|---|
| Observing Party | Charlie Ridgway
|
|---|
| Target | Iridium 36 & 97 Flares |
|---|
| Constellation | Dra |
|---|
| Category | Satellite |
|---|
Time
yyyymmdd.hhmm | 20070306.1859 EST |
|---|
| Comments | These were two very bright Iridium flares that were to take place right next to each other at the same time.
I had thought I would observe from Bryant Park but when I arrived there I couldn’t see any stars and wasn’t sure where Polaris should be, and the buildings in the direction I felt I needed to be looking were obscuring that part of the sky so I moved on in search of a better location.
I thought being on Broadway which points to Manhattan NW might be better so headed over to Times Square to look for a place that might be open. The sky was fairly open up at 46 St and I decided to stay there even though it is like standing in the noonday sun with nearly every inch of every building covered in neon signs and video screens.
I saw one of the satellites but not the other. They were to have been close enough that I am assuming I saw 36 which was the brighter of the two but it may have actually been 97. The satellite flared high and close to the edge of a building.
When I sent back in Heavens Above to copy the specifics on the two events they only list 36:
| Satellite | Time | Alt | Az. | Mag. |
|---|
| Iridium 36 | 18:59:42 | 44° | 11° | -8 |
But CalSky, which was my original data source, is still showing both birds:
| Satellite | Time | Alt | Az. | Mag. |
|---|
| Iridium 36 | 18:59:42 | 44.2° | 11.0° | -6.9 |
| Iridium 97 | 18:59:46 | 43.9° | 11.6° | -5.1 |
Cal sky has a night saying that because this is a spare satellite its “status is unknown” and its brightness estimate might be unreliable.
Whichever satellite I saw, it was extremely bright, rivaling the bright lights of Times Square.
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