| Observing Location | CDLD |
|---|
| Observational Period | 09030-0945 EDT |
|---|
| Atmospheric Conditions |
| Cloud Cover | Scattered Clouds |
|---|
| Temperature | 52° F |
|---|
| Wind | Light Breeze
gusting to
Moderate Breeze |
|---|
| Humidity | Moderate |
|---|
| Barometric Pressure | 29.49" Hg
Steady |
|---|
| Feels Like | Cool |
|---|
There are fair weather cumulus low moving to the SE and stationare cirrus above them. The wind is gusting briskly. They are saying a chance of rain this afternoon but it doesn’t seem likely.
|
|---|
| Instruments | Brunton 8x21 compact binocular w/Welco gold shade 14 welder's filter - Charlie |
|---|
| Observing Party | Charlie Ridgway
|
|---|
| Target | Sunspots |
|---|
| Constellation | Tau |
|---|
| Category | Solar |
|---|
Time
yyyymmdd.hhmm | 20080519.0930 EDT |
|---|
| Comments |
Distance
Light Time | 1.01 AU
8m 25s |
|---|
| Angular Size | 31' 40.2" |
|---|
| Altitude | 42.4° |
|---|
Heliographic Latitude
(B0) | -22.2° |
|---|
Heliographic Longitude
(L0) | 249.07° |
|---|
Parallactic Angle
(P) | -19.85° |
|---|
Carrington rotation number
(CR) | 2070 |
|---|
Space Weather says groups 994 and 996 are still there but I still can’t see them. Active Regions Explorer says that 996 has increased in size by at least 50% and that 994 has either stayed the same size or increased or decreased in size by less than 25%.
| | Groups | Spots | R |
|---|
| North | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|---|
| South | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|---|
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|---|
| R = (Groups * 10) + Spots) |
|
|---|
|
NASA has just confirmed that they intend to launch on Saturday, 31May08 at 1702 EDT.
There are seven future shuttle launches that are required to complete assembly of ISS. There are two contingency flights to launch spare parts if necessary and one launch for repair of the Hubble Space Telescope. They feel good that they will be able to get all of the seven required flights off the ground before the shuttle fleet is required at the end of FY 2010.
1 in 20 probabliity that the Soyuz would be required for an emergency landing over six months but they don't have an assessment of it's reliability for a normal return. So they will risk having to use the Soyuz in a possible emergency while it would not be an acceptible craft for routine use.
At the end of the press conference I got a strong impression that NASA's primary concern is more with schedule than with safety.
| Observing Location | McGraw Ave @ White Plains Rd, Bronx, NY |
|---|
| Observational Period | 2310-2325 EDT |
|---|
| Atmospheric Conditions |
| Cloud Cover | Clear |
|---|
| Temperature | 53° F |
|---|
| Wind | Calm |
|---|
| Humidity | Low |
|---|
| Barometric Pressure | 29.70" Hg
Steady |
|---|
| Feels Like | Cool |
|---|
I had wanted to go out to observe the Moon tonight but it was still windy when I went home around 1900 EDT so I decided not to go back out after dinner. But it is calm and clear.
The Moon is washing everything out, I see very few stars and couldn’t even tell what constellation the Moon was in.
|
|---|
| Instruments | Naked-eye – Charlie
I planned to bring the binoculkars out with me to look at the Moon and looked right at it while getting ready but forgot to pick it up when I was stuffing my pockets |
|---|
| Observing Party | Charlie Ridgway
|
|---|
| Target | Moon |
|---|
| Constellation | Lib |
|---|
| Category | Lunar |
|---|
Time
yyyymmdd.hhmm | 20080519.2310 EDT |
|---|
| Comments |
| Lunation | |
|---|
| Phase | Full
58m |
|---|
| Age | 14d 14h 51m |
|---|
Distance
Light Time
(from earth) | 404,735 km
1.35s |
|---|
| Elongation | 175° W |
|---|
| % Illuminated | 100.0% |
|---|
| Morning Terminator Colongitude (λ E) | 90.0° |
|---|
| Evening Terminator Colongitude (λ W) | 270.0° |
|---|
| Libration in Latitude | 7° 11' |
|---|
| Libration in Longitude | 0° 48' |
|---|
| Magnitude | -12.5 |
|---|
| Angular Size | 29.52' |
|---|
| Altitude | 20° 12' |
|---|
|
Virtual Moon Atlas graphic |
|---|
I was looking at the Moon remarking how round it was thinking it would be not be full until tomorrow or the day following when, in fact, it was full less than an hour ago.
|
|---|
|
| Target | Iridium 3 Flare |
|---|
| Constellation | Crt |
|---|
| Category | Satellite |
|---|
Time
yyyymmdd.hhmm | 20080519.2321 EDT |
|---|
| Comments | The flare was earlier and farther west than predicted. Unless I caught it much after its brightest, it also wasn’t as bright as predicted, at least on Heavens Above. The magnitude extimate from CalSky is more realistic but possibly still generous. I saw it as a bright gold flare moving horizontally to the west at ~245°.
| | Heavens
Above | CalSky |
|---|
| Time | 2322:50 EDT | 2322:48 EDT |
|---|
| Alt. | 24° | 24.4° |
|---|
| Az. | 237°
WSW | 237.1°
WSW |
|---|
| Mag. | -6 | -4.1 |
|---|
| Surface | | MMA0 |
|---|
|
|---|
|
I am reasonably certain that this is just coincidence but in looking at the flare listings I noticed three flares that drift earlier in time, up and to the west on the next three days,
| Date | Time | Alt | Az. | Mag | Satellite |
|---|
| 19May08 | 2322:50 EDT | 24° | 237° | -6 | Iridium 3 |
| 20May08 | 2316:52 EDT | 25° | 239° | -6 | Iridium 76 |
| 21May08 | 2310:56 EDT | 27° | 240° | -1 | Iridium 46 |
