Wednesday, February 20, 2008

20 February 2008

The Shuttle landed safely this morning at KSC. That clears the way for the Navy to shoot down the failed spy satellite. SECDEF is in Hawaii to give the authorization. The event is scheduled to take place tonight at around 2225 EST.

I learned this morning that this is going to be a brute force attack. The warhead that normally rides atop an ABM has been replaced with a nonexplosive something that is intended to batter the satellite rather than to blow it up. They want to hit the hydrazine fuel tank to rupture it which is going to require a lot of luch since the satellite is not under control and must be spinning.


It is looking iffy for the eclipse tonight. It is supposed to be getting very loudy this afternoon and then begin to clear around 1900 EST with cloud cover being about 50% and decreasing by 2100 EST. By 0400 EST tomorrow it is supposed to be absolutely clear for about 12 hours, for what good it will do.



Observing LocationPSC
Observational Period1445-1500 EST
Atmospheric Conditions
Cloud CoverOvercast to Clear to Isolated
Temperature32
WindLight Breeze
gusting to
Moderate Breeze
HumidityLow
Barometric Pressure30.03" Hg
Falling
Feels LikeCold
Wind Chill 23°F

Transparency Excellent
SeeingI
Instruments Brunton 8x21 compact binocular w/Welco gold shade 14 welder's filter - Charlie
Observing PartyCharlie Ridgway

Target Sunspots
ConstellationAqr
CategorySolar
Time
yyyymmdd.hhmm		20080220.1445 EST
Comments
Distance
Light Time		0.989 AU
8m 13s
Angular Size32' 24.3"
Altitude27.7°
Heliographic Latitude
(B0)		 -7.02°
Heliographic Longitude
(L0)		 11.93°
Parallactic Angle
(P)		 -19.07°
Carrington rotation number
(CR)		2066

Nothing Seen

 Groups SpotsR
North0 0 0
South0 0 0
Total0 0 0
R = (Groups * 10) + Spots)

I think I must have jammed the crutches into my armpit while coming down the hill to the house because I am very sore in my pectoralis majoris.


Observing LocationMcgraw Ave @ White Plains Rd, Bronx, NY
Observational Period1730-1754 EST
Atmospheric Conditions
Cloud CoverOvercast
Temperature32°F
WindLight Breeze
HumidityModerate
Barometric Pressure30.10" Hg
Rising
Feels LikeCold
Wind Chill 25°F

TransparencyNil
Seeing
InstrumentsNaked-eye - Charlie
Observing PartyCharlie Ridgway

TargetIridium 76 Flare
ConstellationEri
CategorySatellite
Time
yyyymmdd.hhmm		20080220.1744 EST
CommentsNot Seen
The clouds were too heavy to see anything.
Alt.44°
Az.194°
Mag.-3

TargetUSA 193 Visible Pass
Constellation
CategorySatellite
Time
yyyymmdd.hhmm		20080220.1809 EST
CommentsNot Seen
Where I didn’t see the Mag -3 Iridium through the clouds I didn’t even bother staying around to try for this Mag 2.9 event.
 Mag.2.9
StartsTime1809 EST
Alt.10°
Az.WSW
Max. Alt.Time1811 EST
Alt.33°
Az.NW
Ends.Time1813 EST
Atl.10°
Az.NNE


Observing LocationMO
Observational Period1915-0015 EST
Atmospheric Conditions
Cloud CoverOvercast
becoming
Clear
becoming
Isolated Clouds
Temperature32°F - 29°F
Wind7MPH - 14 Mph gusting to 21 MPH
HumidityModerate
Barometric Pressure30.10" Hg - 30.20" Hg
Rising
Feels LikeCold

It was cold but mostly comfortable. At the end of the night I was starting to feel chilled.

TransparencyPoor to Excellent
SeeingI
Instruments Golden Gate 7x35 binocular - Charlie
SAR: Coulter CT-100 Newtonian reflector - Charlie
  • Celestron Omni 20mm (21x)
  • Celestron Omni 2x Barlow
Observing PartyCharlie Ridgway
Officer Watson
3 other officers
Kristin (Watson's friend)
Christine (NYC science Teaching Fellow)
Hildy
astronomer with a 16" SCT in Queens
5 others

TargetIridium 31 Flare
ConstellationGem
CategorySatellite
Time
yyyymmdd.hhmm		20080220.1744 EST
CommentsNot Seen
The clouds were too heavy to see anything.
Alt.59°
Az.133°
Mag.-3.9

TargetMoon
ConstellationLeo
CategoryLunar: Eclipse
Time
yyyymmdd.hhmm		20080220.1900 EST
Comments
Lunation1053
Saros Series133
Exlipse #26 of 71
PhaseWaxing Gibbous
Full -3h31m
Age12d20h15m
Distance
Light Time
(from earth)		381,443.27d
Elongation178.2° E
% Illuminated100%
Morning Terminator Colongitude (λ E)83.5°
Evening Terminator Colongitude (λ W)263.5°
Libration in Latitude+0°34'
Libration in Longitude5°38'
Magnitude-12.7
Angular Size21.33'
Altitude17°19'

Virtual Moon Atlas graphic

It was overcast at the beginning of the eclipse which made it difficult to see the craters at times. It cleared off around the time of totality and remained clear through the end of the partial phase.

I brought three recording devices with me to record my crater timings. One of them never started recording and the other two ran out of recording space after 1.25 hours and 3 hours respectively so I only got timings for events occurring on the front side of totality.

UTEST
LT		Obs
Time		Event
20
22:42		20
17:42
20
17:37		 Sunset
Begin Civil Twilight
20
23:09		20
18:09
20
18:04		 Moonrise
20
23:31		20
18:31
20
18:26		 End Civil Twilight
Begin Nautical Twilight
20
23:41		10
18:41
20
18:36		 End Nautical Twilight
Begin Astronomical Twilight
21
00:12		20
19:12
20
19:07		 End Astronomical Twilight
21
00:36:54		20
19:36:54
20
19:32:30		 P1
21
##:##:##		20
##:##:##
20
##:##:##		 P2
21
01:23		20
21:23
20
21:18		20
20:20:09		Penumbra may be visible
21
01:43:17		20
20:41:17
20
20:38:53		20
20:41:06		U1
Partial eclipse begins
21
0148		20
20:48
20
20:43		20
20:46:03		i Grimaldi
21
01:49		20
20:49
20
20:44		20
20:46:36		i Aristarchus
21
01:54		20
20:54
20
20:49		 i Kepler
21
02:00		20
21:00
20
20:55		 i Billy
21
02:00		20
21:00
20
20:55		 i Pytheas
21
02:02		20
21:02
20
2057		20
20:56:34		i Copernicus
21
02:03		20
21:03
20
20:58		 i Timocharis
21
02:05		20
21:05
20
21:00		20
21:03:00		i Plato
21
02:14		20
21:14
20
21:09		 i Campanus
21
02:14		20
21:14
20
21:09		 i Aristoteles
21
02:15		20
21:15
20
21:10		 i Eudoxus
21
02:16		20
21:16
20
21:11		20
21:12:38		i Manilius
21
02:20		20
21:20
20
21:15		20
21:13:55		i Menelaus
21
02:24		20
21:24
20
21:19		 i Dionysus
21
02:24		20
21:24
20
21:29		 i Plinius
21
02:27		20
21:27
20
21:22		20
21:24:20		i Tycho
21
02:34		20
21:34
20
21:29		20
21:32:26		i Proclus
21
02:28		20
21:28
20
21:33		 i Tarantius
21
02:42		20
21:42
20
21:37		 i Goclenius
21
02:48		20
21:48
20
21:43		20
21:44:23		i Langrenous
21
03:01:09		20
22:01:09
20
21:56:45		20
21:57:50		U2
Totality begins
21
0326:09		20
22:26:09
20
22:21:45		 Maximum Eclipse
21
03:31		20
22:31
20
22:26		Full Moon
opposition in ecliptic longitude
21
03:48		20
22:48
20
22:43		 Moon at opposition
in R.A.
21
03:50:55		20
22:50:55
20
22:46:31		20
22:45:12		U3
Totality ends
21
04:06		20
23:06
20
23:01		 e Grimaldi
21
04:07		20
23:07
20
23:02		 e Billy
21
04:07		20
23:07
20
23:02		 e Tycho
21
04:09		20
23:09
20
23:04		 e Camoanius
21
04:19		20
23:19
20
23:14		 e Kepler
21
04:22		20
23:22
20
23:17		 e Aristarchus
21
04:27		20
23:27
20
23:22		 e Copernicus
21
04:30		20
23:30
20
23:25		 e Pytheas
21
04:36		20
23:36
20
23:31		 e Timocharis
21
04:42		20
23:42
20
23:37		 e Manilius
21
04:42		20
23:42
20
23:37		 e Dionysus
21
04:44		20
23:44
20
23:39		 e Plato
21
04:46		20
23:46
20
23:41		 e Melaus
21
04:47		20
23:47
20
23:42		 e Goclenius
21
04:49		20
23:49
20
23:44		 e Plinius
21
04:51		20
23:51
20
23:46		 e Eudoxus
21
04:52		20
23:52
20
23:47		 e Aristoteles
21
04:53		20
23:53
20
23:48		 e Langrenous
21
04:55		20
23:55
20
23:50		 e Tarantius
21
04:59		20
23:59
20
23:54		 e Proclus
21
05:00		20
24:00
20
23:55		 Moon Transits
21
05:08:46		21
00:08:46
21
00:04:22		21
00:07:58		 U4
Partial eclipse ends
21
05:59		21
0029
21
0024		 Penumbra no longer visible
21
05:??:??		21
00:??:??
21
00:??:??		 P3
21
06:15:38		21
01:15:38
21
01:11:14		 P4
21
10:14		21
05:14
21
05:09		 Begin Astronomical Twilight
21
10:45		21
05:45
21
05:40		 End Astronomical Twilight
Begin Nautical Twilight
21
11:16		21
06:16
21
07:11		 End Nautical Twilight
Begin Civil Twilight
21
11:44		21
06:44
21
06:39		 End Civil Twilight
Sunrise
21
12:18		21
07:18
21
07:13		 Moonset
i = Immersion in shadow
e = Emersion fron shadow

Eclipse Luminosity
LDescription
0Very Dark
Moon almost invisible
1Dark
Brownish color; details distingusihable only with difficulty
2Deep Red or Rust
center very dark and edge light
3Brick Red
bright or yellow rim
4Very Bright
copper-red or orange with bluish, bright rim


A Song of the Moon

The moonlight breaks upon the city's domes,
And falls along cemented steel and stone,
Upon the grayness of a million homes,
Lugubrious in unchanging monotone.

Upon the clothes behind the tenement,
That hang like ghosts suspended from the lines,
Linking each flat, but to each indifferent,
Incongruous and strange the moonlight shines.

There is no magic from your presence here,
So moon and moon, tuck up your trailing robe, Whose silber seems antiwue and too severe,
Against the glow of one electric globe.

Go spill your beauty on the laughing faces
Of happy flowers that bloom a thousand hues,
Waiting on tiptoe in the winding spaces
To drink your wine mixed with sweet draughts of dews.

Claude McRay



TargetSaturn
ConstellationLeo
CategoryPlanet
Time
yyyymmdd.hhmm		20080220.2128 EST
Comments
Object
Class		Classical Planet
Elongation176° W
Distance
Light Time
(from Earth)		8.30 AU
1h 09m
Distance
(from Sun)		9.28 AU
Angular Size19.9" x 17.8"
Ring
Angular
Size		45.2" x 6.5"
Ring
Inclination		 8.3°
Magnitude0.2
Altitude41.4°

Starry Night Starter graphic
Saturn looked tiny in the low power eyepiece, but people were happy to see the rings.

My leg didn't appreciate me standing on it that long even with the splint in place.

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