31 May 2011

Observing Location	BP
Observational Period	0930-0945 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	Cloud Cover Clear Temperature 78° F Wind Light Breeze Wind Chill Effect Heat Index 78° F Humidity 52% Barometric Pressure 30.19" Hg 1 KNYC METAR 311351Z AUTO 04007KT 360V070 10SM CLR 26/15 A3022 RMK AO2 SLP223 T02560150 TSNO Feels Like Warm Transparency Good Seeing I
Instruments	Celestron C70 Mini Mak Spotting Scope w/Kendrick solar filter Celestron Outland 8x42 binocular
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Target Sunspots Constellation Tau Category Solar Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20110531.0940 EDT Distance Light Time 1.01 AU 8m 26s Angular Size 31' 33" Altitude 45° 23' Heliographic Latitude (B0) -0.77° Heliographic Longitude (L0) 69.33° Parallactic Angle (P) -15.73° Carrington rotation number (CR) 2110 Comments I tried making my observation with the Mini Mak again this morning and again I couldn't find the Sun. I thought it might have been an altitude issue but took the scope off the tripod and swept the sky with it and didn't even see a flash of light. I am wondering if a Maksutov this small just isn't suited to solar observing. We have used a C8 when I was solar observing with AAA but maybe the secondary mirror is proportionately larger in the smaller format. I don't know. When I got home I put the scope on the tripod on my table and measured the maximum altitude it is capable of and found that it is 60° and the sun this morning was only up at 45° so that wasn't the issue. I figured out how to use the tripod legs to adjust my azimuth. I had my protractor along to set the altitude but I didn't have my Palm so didn't know what the Sun's altitude was. I had to hold the filter over the front of my binocular to make my observation. The filter isn't large enough to cover both objectives so I lost a little in brightness and resolution but was able to see two simple sunspots. They appeared to be in the southern Hemisphere but when I brought up Helios, which compensates for phase rotation, I saw that one was actually a northern hemisphere spot. Helios graphic   Groups Spots R North 1 1 11 South 1 1 11 Total 2 2 22 R = (Groups * 10) + Spots) Group 1226 Heliographic Latitude -37° Heliographic Longitude 103° Carrington rotation number (CR) 2110 Mcintosh System Axx Group 1228 Heliographic Latitude 12° Heliographic Longitude 121° Carrington rotation number (CR) 2110 Mcintosh System Axx

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Observing Location	P84
Observational Period	2015-2315 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	Cloud Cover Clear but Hazy Temperature 73° F falling to 70° F Wind Calm gusting to Light Breeze Wind Chill Effect Heat Index ° F Humidity 79% Barometric Pressure 30.17" Hg 0 KNYC METAR 010051Z AUTO VRB04KT 7SM CLR 23/19 A3019 RMK AO2 SLP214 T02280194 TSNO Feels Like It was very pleasant when I arrived at sunset but by 2300 when the humidity was up and the temperature dropping it was a little chilly Transparency Fair-Poor Seeing
Instruments	Naked-eye - Charlie
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Target Iridium 66 Flare Constellation UMa Category Satellite Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20110531.2003 EDT 322.4° NW   Heavens Above CalSky Time EDT 2003 EDT Alt. ° 6.4° Az. ° Mag. -1.4 Surface   MMA2 Comments I didn't get there in time to attempt this but then I wasn't trying all that hard since it has scheduled to happen before sunset in the west.

2019 EDT

Sunset
Beginning of civil Twilight

2051 EDT

End of Civil Twilight
Beginning of Nautical Twilight

2054 EDT

Arcturus and Saturn sighted naked-eye

Target Lacrosse 3 Flare Constellation UMa Category Satellite Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20110531.2112 EDT 292.7° NW   Heavens Above CalSky Time EDT 2112 EDT Alt. ° 65.1 EDT Az. ° Mag. 0.6 Surface   SAR antenna Comments Not Seen I thought I might have see it but what I saw was just Big Dipper handle stars shining through a thin patch of haze.

2132 EDT

End of nautical twilight
Beginning of astronomical twilight

2220 EDT

End of astronomical twilight

Target Iridium 52 Flare Constellation Leo Category Satellite Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20110531.2231 EDT 263.9° W   Heavens Above CalSky Time EDT 2231 EDT Alt. ° 19.1° Az. ° Mag. -4.3 Surface   MMA0 Comments It appeared higher than advertised, more like 22° by my hand span.

Target Iridium 53 Flare Constellation Hya Category Satellite Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20110531.2241 EDT 265.2° W   Heavens Above CalSky Time EDT 2241 EDT Alt. ° 15.5° Az. ° Mag. 0.1 Surface   MMA0 Comments Not Seen This was a faint flare and likely hidden by the haze/clouds low on the horizon.

Target Iridium 62 Flare Constellation Cas Category Satellite Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20110531.2311 EDT 6.3°24.7° NE   Heavens Above CalSky Time EDT 2311 EDT Alt. ° Az. ° Mag. -4.3 Surface   MMA1 Comments Not Seen Although a bright flare it required looking upriver where the security lighting playing on the visiting Fleet Week carrier Iwo Jima was causing a lot of light pollution. The flare should have been low over Ft Lee, NJ, which posed its own light-pollution problems.

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Observing Hours for the Year 2011

	Day			Night			Total
	Hours	Days	Avg	Hours	Days	Avg	Hours	Days	Avg
Jan	0.00	0	0.00	2.00	1	2.00	2.00	1	2.00
Feb	0.00	0	0.00	2.00	1	2.00	2.00	1	2.00
Mar	0.00	0	0.00	7.00	3	2.33	7.00	3	2.33
Apr	0.00	0	0.00	8.25	2	4.13	8.25	2	4.13
May	1.25	3	0.42	16.00	5	3.20	17.25	7	2.46
TOTAL	1.25	3	0.42	35.25	12	2.94	36.50	14	2.61