6 December 2007

Observing Location	VP
Observational Period	1300-1315 EST
Atmospheric Conditions	Cloud Cover Clear Temperature 32°F Wind Light Breeze Humidity Moderate Feels Like Cold Wind Chill 25°F The air is clear but I can see some wavering on the Sun’s limb. Transparency Good Seeing II
Instruments	Brunton 8x21 compact binocular w/Welco gold shade 14 welder's filter - Charlie
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Target Sunspots Constellation Oph Category Solar Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20071206.1300 EST Comments Distance Light Time 0.985 AU 8m 12s Angular Size 32' 31.0" Altitude 25.2° Heliographic Latitude (B0) +0.20° Heliographic Longitude (L0) 293.79° Position Angle (P) 13.97° Carrington rotation number (CR) 2064 Space Weather says Group 977 is still there, near the meridian, but I can’t see it. There is also a new group right on the eastern limb that looks to be big enough that I should see it in a couple of days. By tomorrow there should be two groups on the earth-facing side of the Sun. Something I haven’t seen since _____.

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NASA had a problem with sensors in the fuel tanks and has had to scrub today's launch of the Shuttle. I think these are the sensors that detect that the tank is running out of fuel and shut the engines off before the tanks run completely dry which would result in the engines exploding. They have had a lot of problems with these sensors

I did a quick check on CalSly and the only time the Shuttle will appear in the sky anytime near the ISS is tomorrow night and they will be over a half hour apart and not all that high in the sky.

7Dec07, 1609 EST

Launch

7Dec07, 1618 EST

MECO

7Dec07

Visible Passes 1746 EST

		STS-122	ISS
Begins	Time	1821 EST
	Alt.	horizon	horizon
	Az.	W	W
	Mag.	5.4	2.0
Max. Alt. Ends	Time	1749	1825
	Alt.	17.9	15.5
	Az.	NNW	NW
	Mag.	0.1	-1.6

9Dec07, 1304 EST

Docking with ISS

20Dec07, 1103 EST

Undocking from ISS

20Dec07, 1246 EST

Separation from ISS

21Dec07, 1730 EST

Deorbit burn

21Dec07, 1832 EST

Landing at KSC

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Observing Location	PSC
Observational Period	2045-2115 EST
Atmospheric Conditions	Cloud Cover Clear Temperature 31°F Wind Light Breeze Humidity Moderate Feels Like Cold Wind Chill 25°F It is clearer out than it was supposed to have been. A front must have stalled somewhere. There is enough wind that I can feel it on my face but I don’t think there is a wind chill factor involved like NOAA is saying there is. I didn’t wear gloves and was not trhoubled with my eyes tearing (or my nose running) like they do most of the time when there is any wind to get behind my glasses. The sky looked very clear. Transparency Excellent Seeing I
Instruments	Golden Gate 7x35 binocular - Charlie
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Target 17P/Holmes Constellation Per Category Comet Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20071206.2045 EST Comments I couldn’t find the comet just looking up into Per. After I looked at Planetarium and knew where to look for it I thought I might have seen a white glow there but it was nothing that I could describe.

Target Mars Constellation Gem Category Planet Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20071206.2105 EST Comments Object Class Classical Planet Elongation 155.2° W Distance Light Time (from Earth) 1.04 AU 5m 20s Distance (from Sun) 1.55 AU Angular Size 15.5" Magnitude -1.4 Central Meridian 48° Altitude 33.1° Mars is getting big (but nowhere as big as the Moon yet) and bright. It has a definite disk even at 7x.