2 August 2007

In searching the NASA web site for updates on the upcoming Shuttle launch I found a collection of vidoes that depict what will take place on the upcoming mission.

Flight Day 2	Tile Scans
Flight Day 3	Shuttle Approach and Rendesvous Pitch Maneuver Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver Docking
Flight Days 3 & 4	S5 Truss Installation
Flight Day 7	External Stowage Platform 3 Installation
Flight Day 10	Undocking ISS Fly-around and Departure Late Mission Inspection

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Observing Location	Park Ave @ 86 St, TotL & TPO
Observational Period	2100-0100 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	Cloud Cover Clear Temperature 82°F Wind Light Breeze Humidity Moderate Feels Like Clammy CSC was saying tonight was going to be a good night but the high temperature and humidity forecast by NOAA didn’t agree and transparency took a hit. There was also constant boiling over the Moon. We are on the back side of a high pressure system (a Bermuda High) so we are sucking moisture in off the ocean. Transparency Fair Seeing II
Instruments	SAR: Coulter CT-100 Newtonian reflector - Charlie ~24mm Kellner w/helical focuser (18x) Celestron Omni 20mm (21x) Celestron Omni 2x Barlow Harry (The Kite) – 6” DIY Newtonian reflector - Peter
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway Peter Tagatac

Target ISS Visible Pass Constellation Lup, Sco, Oph, Sgr, Aql, Aqr, Peg, Com, CVn, Uma, Dra, Cam, Per, Tri Category Satellite Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20070802.2102 EDT Comments I thought I was going to miss this pass as I was still on the subway when it was due to start but quickly walked up to Park Ave and 86 St where I would have a fairly wide FoV to the ManhattanS. I watched for a bit and was about to give up when I decided to turn Manhattan E and very shortly say the ISS passing by the end of the street out over Queens high above the buildings. It was a bright pass at Mag -1.3. Alt Az Mag Comment Begins 10° 208° SSW 2.1   Max Alt 26° 136° SE -0.9   Ends 10° 69° ENE 1.1

Target C/2006 VZ13 (LINEAR) Constellation Vir Category Comet Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20070802.2115 EDT Comments Based on CSC’s optimistic forecast I had checked on the position of the comet in Cartes du Ciel and roughed out a star hop to get me in the neighborhood. I had my S&T Pocket Star Atlas to guide me along the way, and I had SAR for the increased light grasp that would be necessary to see the fading (now Mag 10.2 according to CDC and no longer being updated on the recent comet sightings web page) object. I looked up on arriving at TotL and knew it was hopeless. I could see Bootes but not much more. I wasn’t able to see Vindemiatreix or even Spica. I quickly gave up on that and put the scope on Jupiter where it spent most of the night. Cartes du Ciel graphic

Target Jupiter Constellation Oph Category Planet Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20070802.2135 EDT Comments Object Class Classical Planet Elongation ° Distance Light Time (from Earth) AU ms Distance (from Sun) Au Angular Size 41.7" Magnitude -2.4 Central Meridian I/II 127.97°/204.70° Altitude 27° Moons Starry Night Starter graphic When I first saw Jupiter it was at 18x and I could see two moons to the east and one and a star to the west. When I bumped the magnification up to 36x the inner moon on the west turned into two moons. During the night they increased their separation markedly. I had a note that Io was supposed to begin a transit at 0059 EDT tonight/tomorrow morning but I lost it in the ghost of Jupiter in SAR around 2300 EDT. 2135 EDT Cartes du Ciel graphic 2315 EDT Cartes du Ciel graphic

Target Iridium 15 Flare Constellation Cyg Category Satellite Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20070802.2129 EDT Comments I had looked this one up to see just where it would be and thought it would be moving up along the wings of Cygnus but I first say it out beyond Deneb and it proceeded to fly below the upright of the Northern Cross to around Alberio where it faded from sight. It was at its maximum brightness, Mag -5, as it moved near Sadr and appeared very bright.

Target Metop A Flare Constellation UMa Category Satellite Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20070802.2205 EDT Comments Not Seen I haven’t found out what this satellite is yet but it was listed on CalSky under Itidium Flares. The name sounds like a weather satellite. It was supposed to have flared to Mag -1.0 in the neighborhood of the nose of the Great Bear. Seeing wasn’t good there and I was not able to find the upper stars of the bowl of the Big Dipper but a Mag -1.0 star should have punched through.

Target ISS Visible Pass Constellation Vir, Com, CVn, UMa, Dra, Cam, Cas, Per, And, Tri Category Satellite Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 200708.2234 EDT Comments This pass was not as impressive as the last being only Mag -0.4 and appearing ruddy. I picked it up around CVn and tracked it through to Cam where it appeared to be going directly away from me and faded out. Alt Az Mag Comment Begins 10° 256° W 2.7   Max Alt 30° ° NNW     Ends 10° 328° N +0.6

Target Moon Constellation Psc Category Lunar Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20070803.0025 EDT Comments Lunation 1046 Phase Waning Gibbous Age 19.68d Distance Light Time (from earth) 366,811 km s Elongation ° % Illuminated 79.3% Morning Terminator Colongitude (λ E) 145.5° Evening Terminator Colongitude (λ W) 325.5° Libration in Latitude -4°17’ Libration in Longitude -1°05’ Magnitude -12.55 Angular Size 32.58' Altitude 25° Virtual Moon Atlas graphic We headed over to TotLwest to view the rising Moon but ultimately moved all the way down to TPO where we would not have to contend with threes. On passing through TotLwest I noted that the Moon was a good bit farther north tonight than it had been when it rose last night from the same location. We spent most of out time looking at the terminator in the neighborhood of the Altai Scarp since this is where the contrast was the greatest. I remarked on a ray emanating from Tycho that appears to pass over the Altai Scarp. As it passed over the scarp it appeared to get displaced to the north. There seemed to be more contrast between the ray and the background material in my scope than in Peter’s. I found a rille running from Theophilus down to Beaumont that turns out to be Rima Beaumont I. I identified it in my scope at 36x but it appeared stronger in Peter’s scope. LAC plate 78 detail LAC plate 96 detail We saw one of the lakes around Mare Orientale but the libration is no longer favorable for that portion of the Moon. The libration arrow is barely visible down at 7:00 in the graphic above.

I have another new birthday star that I had wanted to find but the conditions weren’t good enough for me to want to spend time trying to star hop. And this star is not numbered on my S&T Pocket Star Atlas so I would have been just be guessing at which one it was. The star is 15 Sagita. I was able to see the fletchings and center star of the arrow so might have been able to have made the hop had I had a better reference.

Cartes du Ciel graphic

Peter and I discussed potential plans for a couple of observing events.

12-12Aug07 Perseids Meteors

I haven't yet decided where to go to to observe the Perseids. I had thought about maybe starting out at TotL to catch the early grazers them moving over to CSP to avoid the curfew issues in Central Park. But then I think about the meteors I might miss while moving and think it might be better to just spend the whole might at CSP.

AAA is planning a trip up to the Catskills for the event.

28Aug07 Lunar Eclipse

Peter and I were both thinking that BPO might be the best place to try to observe this early morning moonset event. We don't know how security is in the park and if we would have curfew problems there. It is close enough to the ferry terminal that it is probably well patrolled and would be safe, but that could increase our chances of being kicked out as well.

We might be able to set up somewhere along the lower West Side Highway where the Hudson river Park is but would have to stay out of the park since the state park police don't like tripods. That might involve observing throughh a chain link fence too.