9 March 2008

Observing Location	White Plains Road at Cross Bronx Expressway (NW corner), Bronx, NY
Observational Period	0500-0545 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	Cloud Cover Scattered Clouds Temperature 31°F Wind Gentle Breeze gusting to Fresh Breeze Humidity Moderate Barometric Pressure 29.89" Hg Rising Feels Like Very cold Wind Chill 22°F There is still ponded water in the low spots, left over from yesterday’s heavy rain, and it is freezing. Strong winds are making it uncomfortable to be standing around. My hands are freezing in the light gloves I am using to keep from working up more blisters on my crutches. Transparency Good Seeing
Instruments	Naked-eye - Charlie
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Target Iridium 45 Flare Constellation Dra Category Satellite Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20080309.0514 EDT Comments The satellite appeared at 0515:## at Az. ~10deg; M and subsequently brightened as it shone for ~15s as it fell vertically. This is late from the schedule and makes it look like both Heavens Above and CalSky are reporting azimuths in degrees magnetic which does not agree with my last observation.   Heavens-Above CalSky Alt. 13° 13.1° Az. 8° N 8.4° N Mag. -5 -3.9

Target ISS Visible Pass Constellation Category Satellite Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20080309.0535 EDT Comments Not seen I was dividing my attention between ISS and Iridium 20 but spent more time looking for the Iridium since it was the brighter object and ISS was low and should have appeared right next to a street light then dimmed as it descended to the right     Starts Max. Alt. Ends H A e b a o v v e e n   s   Time 0535:54 EDT 0535:54 EDT 0537:13 EDT Alt. 15° 15° 10° Az. N N NNE Mag. 0.1 C a l S k y Time 0535:58 EDT EDT 0539:39 EDT Alt. 15.1° ° horizon° Az. 0.0° N ° 46.2° NE Mag. -1.8 1.4

Target Iridium 20 Flare Constellation Vir Category Satellite Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20080309.0536 EDT Comments Not Seen This flare was not listed on Heavens Above and I didn’t see it in the sky. There were dense fair weather cumulus clouds passing through that area at the time that occluded Spica as they passed by. I also underestimated the elevation. I was concentrating my attention around Spica when I should have been looking half way between Spica and Arcturus. If there weren’t clouds covering it up I should have picked up a Mag. -2 flare with peripheral vision since it was only ~18° away. It appears that I am having trouble estimating where the horizon is when I can’t see it. I have a clinometer built into my Brunton Eclipse compass but it is difficult to use. I wonder if there is a direct-reading unit power clinometer somewhere out there. I do have a cheap hand level similar to the CTS/Berg hand level . If I can find where I have put it it may be of some help if I have enough hands to use it. Alt. 47.3° Az. 216.5° Mag. -1.9

Target Jupiter Constellation Sgr Category Planet Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20080309.0540 EDT Comments Object Class Classical Planet Elongation 62.2° W Distance Light Time (from Earth) 5.61 AU 46m 41s Distance (from Sun) 5.22 AU Angular Size 35.1"x32.8" Magnitude -2.0 Central Meridian I/II 359°/203° Altitude 10.8° Moons Starry Night Starter graphic I suspected a planet but didn’t know which one. I didn’t see anything near it so it was hard to attempt a field ID from memory.

0546 EDT	Astronomical Twilight begins
0618 EDT	Astronomical Twilight ends Nautical Twilight begins
0650 EDT	Nautical Twilight ends Civil Twilight begins
0717 EDT	Civil Twilight ends Sunrise
0759 EST	Moonrise

---

Observing Location	PSC
Observational Period	1400-1500 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	Cloud Cover Clear Temperature 38°F Wind Light Breeze gusting to Moderate Breeze Humidity Low Barometric Pressure 30.08" Hg Rising Feels Like Cold Wind Chill 30°F Transparency Excellent Seeing II
Instruments	SAR: Coulter CT-100 Newtonian reflector - Charlie CelEDTron Omni 20mm (21x) CelEDTron Omni 2x Barlow Baader AstroSolar filter film
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Target Sunspots Constellation Aqr Category Solar Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20080309.1415 EDT Comments Distance Light Time 0.993 AU 8m 16s Angular Size 32’ 15.6" Altitude 43.1° Heliographic Latitude (B0) -7.23° Heliographic Longitude (L0) 135.65° Parallactic Angle (P) -23.55° Carrington rotation number (CR) 2067 No spots seen   Groups Spots R North 0 0 0 South 0 0 0 Total 0 0 0 R = (Groups * 10) + Spots)

I had come out to try to observe a satellite crossing the disk of the Sun but didn’t see it. After I got all packed up I checked my watch and found that I was an hour early for the event. Rather than set up on the oval where I might run into problems with the Sun setting into the buildings I decided to go down around White Plains Road where I have a better western horizon.

---

Observing Location	Virginia Ave, McGraw Ave/Wood Road, Bronx, NY
Observational Period	1500-1600 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	Cloud Cover Clear Temperature 41°F Wind Moderate Breeze gusting to Strong Breeze Humidity Low Barometric Pressure 30.11" Hg Rising Feels Like Very cold Wind Chill 31°F I should have gone back to PSC and found a place there where the sun would be visible as it set. It was much more windy here and very uncomfortable. I was afraid the gusts would tip the telescope over and they did tear the shroud off of it a couple of times. There was constant boiling on the limb and the scope was moving around in the wind as well. Transparency Excellent Seeing III
Instruments	SAR: Coulter CT-100 Newtonian reflector - Charlie CelEDTron Omni 20mm (21x) CelEDTron Omni 2x Barlow Baader AstroSolar filter film
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Target UARS crosses disk of Sun Constellation Sgr Category Satellite Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20080309.1549:17.7 EDT ±4.7s Comments Not Seen This satellite was supposed to be 2.7” in diameter so well within my scopes resolving power. The pass duration was 1.03s. It was supposed to move from PA216.9° to 8:57 on the clock face. I interpret that to be from the 12:00 to 3:00 position in my scope. Between the boiling and the scope being buffeted by the wind I am not surprised that I didn’t see anything.