26 March 2010

It lookd like things had started to stabilize down on the Chile faults. There was a day last week when there were no temblors greater than magnitude 4.5, the minimum reporting level for USGS. The last magnitude 6.0 or greater quake was 10 days ago.

Now there has been another 6.2 quake and it was within 70 miles of the La Campanas Observatory and 85 miles of the European Southern Observatory at La Silla.

annotated Google Earth graphic

So far neither observatory has a press release on their web page saying how they fared. A 6.0 temblor has the potential to cause damage over a 100 mile radius from the focus.

This last quake (the dot in the red circle) is in an area that has not previously been shaken.

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Observing Location	TotL
Observational Period	2100-2130 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	Cloud Cover Broken Clouds Temperature 40° F Wind Light Breeze gusting to Fresh Breeze Wind Chill Effect ° F Humidity Moderate Barometric Pressure 30.05" Hg Rising 2 KNYC METAR 270051Z AUTO 02012G18KT 10SM CLR 04/M09 A3007 RMK AO2 SLP176 T00391094 Feels Like Chilly The weather instrument at the Central Park automated weather station must be pointing at a gap in the clouds because it definitely isn’t clear as it is reporting. Transparency Fair Seeing
Instruments	West Marine Raiatea 7x50 binocular - Charlie
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

References Target M45, the Pliades, the Seven Sisters Constellation Tau Category DSO: OCl Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 2010 EDT Location Where is M31 graphic Catres du Ciel graphic Deep Sku Observer’s Guide: 10, 16, 17, 95, 98, 107, 112, 113, 114-5, 116, 119, 132, 175 The Observer’s Sky Atlas: E3 Magnitude 1.5 Surface Brightness 11/sq’ Size 100’ Visibility 6 Distance 400 ly Comments I could not see it at all naked-eye and only found it in the binoculars by sweeping the sky where I thought it should be.

References Target M44, Praesape, the Beehive Cluster, NGC 2632 Constellation Cnc Category DSO: OCl Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 2010 EDT Location Where is M31 graphic Catres du Ciel graphic Deep Sku Observer’s Guide: 111, 113, 117-8, 140, 175 The Observer’s Sky Atlas: E9 Magnitude 3.5 Surface Brightness 13/sq’ Size 80’ Visibility [6] Distance 580 ly Comments Faint

References Target M35, NGC 2168 Constellation Gem Category DSO: OCl Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 2010 EDT Location Where is M31 graphic Catres du Ciel graphic Deep Sku Observer’s Guide: 122, 177 The Observer’s Sky Atlas: E7 Magnitude 5 Surface Brightness 10/sq’ Size 30’ Visibility 5 Distance 3,000 ly Comments I may not have seen it. I found a scattering of stars above the foot of Castor but now that I see the cluster in Cartes du Ciel I think I may have been looking too close to the foot. This is an object that has always given me trouble.

Target Moon Constellation Leo Category Lunar Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 2010 EDT Comments Lunation 1079 Phase Waxing Gibbous Age 11d 6h 49m Distance Light Time (from earth) 358,012 km 1.19s Elongation 139.18° E % Illuminated 87.5% Morning Terminator Colongitude (λ E) 50.4° Evening Terminator Colongitude (λ W) 230.4° Libration in Latitude 4° 25' Libration in Longitude -1° 34' Magnitude -11.8 Angular Size 33.38' Altitude 58° 52' Virtual Moon Atlas graphic In Shadow Feature In Sunlight Terminator <’<< Pythagoras >>>   Aristarchus >>>   Mersenius >>> The Moon is close to Regulus tonight. It also forms a slight arc between Saturn and Mars.

Target Mars Constellation Cnc Category Planet Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 2010 EDT Comments Object Class Classical Planet Elongation ° Distance Light Time (from Earth) AU m s Distance (from Sun) AU Angular Size " Magnitude Central Meridian ° Altitude °

Target Saturn Constellation Leo Category Planet Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 2010 EDT Comments Object Class Classical Planet Elongation ° Distance Light Time (from Earth) AU h m Distance (from Sun) AU Angular Size "x" Ring Angular Size "x" Ring Inclination ° Magnitude Altitude ° Starry Night Starter graphic