25 Nobember 2007

Observing Location	MO
Observational Period	1915-2145 EST
Atmospheric Conditions	Cloud Cover between Scattered Clouds and Overcast Temperature 46°F Wind Calm Humidity Moderate Feels Like Cool and a little moist NOAA had been predicting mostly cloudy for tonight but when I checked in the early evening they said observed conditions at Central Park were clear. I looked out my bedroom window and could see Capella so got dressed and went out. Initially there were some scattered clouds low on the horizon, mostly below the Moon and behind the apartment buildings. I looked up into Perseus and could barely see δ Per naked-eye. I couldn’t find the comet with the binocular. I tried with the scope and while I was searching the sky disappeared. The clouds went to Broken then to Overcast. I was about to pack it in when a clear patch of sky appeared around the Moon. I observed there for a while and then back in Perseus for a bit and the clouds filled in the hole and became Borken to Overcast again. While on the way home I noticed that the Moon was in a clear patch of sky again. Transparency Fair to Poor Seeing II
Instruments	Golden Gate 7x35 binocular - Charlie SAR: Coulter CT-100 Newtonian reflector - Charlie Celestron Omni 20mm (21x, 2.3 TFoV) Celestron Omni 2x Barlow
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Target 17P/Holmes Constellation Per Category Comet Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20071125.1925 EST 2007 Nov 26.02 Comments I could hardly see δ Per naked-eye. I could see stripes of cloud through the area in the binocular, but not the comet. With the telescope I thought I saw the comet but it was farther to the east than indicated by either Planetarium or Cartes du Ciel. While trying to fix its location and size everything disappeared when thin clouds blocked out the sky.

Target Moon Constellation Tau Category Lunar Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20071125.2000 EST Comments Lunation 1050 Phase Waning Gibbous Full + 1d12h30m Age 16d1h56m Distance Light Time (from earth) 358,519 km 1.2s Elongation 159.2° W % Illuminated 97.0% Morning Terminator Colongitude (λ E) 105.6° Evening Terminator Colongitude (λ W) 285.6° Libration in Latitude -5° 33’ Libration in Longitude -5° 09’ Magnitude -12.4 Angular Size 33.33' Altitude 25.9° Virtual Moon Atlas graphic Terminator In Daylight Feature In Shadow <<< Endymion   <<< Mercurius   <<< Lacus Temporis >>>   Gauss >>> <<< Berosus   <<< Hahn   <<< Hansen   <<< Condrocet   <<< Barkla     Kapteyn >>>   La Perouse >>> <<< Legenort   <<< Adams   <<< Pontecoulant   <<< Boussingault   <<< Helmholtz   <<< Neumeyer   <<< Demowax   Just off the terminator opposite Elmmart is what looks like a peak that is casting a shadow into the terminator.

I could get TYC 3319-01402-1 and ι Per (2.1° distance) in the 21.6x FoV, but not Hip 15770 and ι Per (2.3° distance). My calculated TFoV, based on a drift test is 2.3°. I need to do some more tests in the Alpha Perseus Association to get a better handle on my TFoV.

Star	Mag.	Distance from α Per
ο Per	4.36	2.1°
HIP 16470	5.47	2.2°
HIP 16430	6.77	2.3°

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The Crazed Moon Crazed rhrough much child-bearing The moon is staggering in the sky; Moon-struck by the despairing Glances of her wandering eye We grope, and grope in vain, For children born of her pain. Children dazed or dead! When she in all her virginal pride First trod on the mountain’s head What stir ran through the countryside Where every foot obeyed her glance! What manhood led the dance! Fly-catchers of the moon, Our hands are blenched, our fingers seem But slender needles of bone; Blenched by that malicious dream They are spread wide that each May rend what comes in reach. W B Yeats