21 April 2007

Observing Location	SIBL
Observational Period	1100-1115 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	Cloud Cover Overcast thin cirrus and haze Temperature 66°F Wind Calm Humidity Low Feels Like Warm The sky is nearly completely covered with thin cirrus clouds and haze. Transparency Fair Seeing I
Instruments	Brunton 8x21 compact binocular w/Welco gold shade 14 welder's filter - Charlie
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Target Sunspots Constellation Ari Category Solar Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20070421.1100 EDT Comments Distance Light Time 1.004904 AU 8ms Angular Size 31'52.9" Altitude 52.2° Heliographic Latitude (B0) -5.09° Heliographic Longitude (L0) 80.92° Position Angle (P) -25.52° Carrington rotation number (CR) 2055 Nothing seen.   Groups Spots R North 0 0 0 South 0 0 0 Total 0 0 0 R = (Groups * 10) + Spots)

---

Observing Location	TotL
Observational Period	1900-0100 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	Cloud Cover Variable Temperature Cool Wind Calm Humidity Low Feels Like Cool It wasn’t anywhere near as clear as CSC had said it would be. Transparency Fair Seeing II
Instruments	SAR: Coulter CT-100 Newtonian reflector - Charlie Teleport 10" Donsonisn reflector - Peter
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway Peter Tagatac

The only note I made all night was that I saw Venus naked-eye at1923 EDT. Tonight was a high public interaction night so we looked at the Moon and Saturn a lot. Most of my observing was confined to the Moon.

Target Moon Constellation 1915 Category Lunar Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 2007 EDT Comments Lunation Phase Waxing Crescent Age Distance Light Time (from earth) ,000 km s Elongation ° % Illuminated 26.14% Magnitude -11.36 Angular Size 32' Altitude 61°40 Tonight the broad crescent is between β Tau and the foot of Castor. There is delicate earthshine but not enough for me to see much in it. After prolonged observation in Peter’s scope, with the illuminated portion of the disc out of the FoV I eventually located Aristarchus, Grimaldi and Mare Humorum. I was able to see Dorsum Oppel on the terminator side of Mare Crisium, but not Dorsa Tetyaev over on the limb side. I did not remark Proclus or my favorite lunar feature, Palus Somni. Out towards the center of the terminator Peter pointed out a mountain with broken crater (I think) that looked like the big claw of a Fiddler Crab, or a key chain hook. In Virtual Moon Atlas it looks more like Gutenberg in Mare Fecunditatis. Virtual Moon Atlas graphic Virtual Moon Atlas graphic LAC graphic Nearby the above feature I noted two straight dirk shadows in various locations which I have not identified.

Target Venus Constellation Tau Category Planet Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20070421.1923 EDT Comments Object Class Classical Planet Phase Waning Gibbous Elongation ° % Illuminated 71.76% Distance Light Time (from Earth) AU ms Distance (from Sun) Au Angular Size 15" Magnitude -4.07 Altitude 28°14” Venus is still in Taurus closer to Aldeberan than it is to β Tauri. In my scope I can’t detect any phase on it, where it shouls be flat I have a comet tail due to poor collimation.

Target Saturn Constellation Leo Category Planet Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20070421.2130 EDT 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 +.34 Altitude 62°5’ In Peter’s scope I saw all of the moons save Mimas. I thought I saw something close to the planet and had to have Peter confirm that I was seeing Tethys. It is interesting that I was seeing it so close to the planet when I was having trouble picking out Dione, but Peter said Dione was right on the edge of a spider vane which was probably giving me trouble. Starry Night Starter graphic

Target Jupiter Constellation Oph Category Planet Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20070422.0030 EDT Comments Object Class Classical Planet Elongation ° Distance Light Time (from Earth) AU ms Distance (from Sun) Au Angular Size 43" Magnitude -2.4 Central Meridian I/II °/° Altitude 8°46’ Moons Late in the evening we saw something bright rising through the trees. On the way out of the park it was over the buildings on the east side but I forgot to check and see if it was high enough to get binoculars on from in front of the Met to confirm its identity as Jupiter. Starry Night Starter graphic I included the above graphic for the foreground information it contains rather than the sky information. The tree to the left of Jupiter has apples on it as does the one out by Scorpius. This is the first time I have noticed that and I don’t know if it is a seasonal thing or if that tree always has apples on it. I don’t remember ever having seen snow on the trees or that the deciduous trees loose their leaves in the fall and winter so don’t know how aware the program is of the calendar when it depicts the foreground.