12 August 2011

Observing Location	TotL
Observational Period	1745-0015 EDT
Atmospheric Conditions	Cloud Cover Scattered becoming Clear Temperature 78° F Wind Calm Wind Chill Effect Heat Index -- Humidity 43 Barometric Pressure 30.01" Hg 3 KNYC METAR 122351Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM FEW070 26/12 A3003 RMK AO2 SLP161 T02560122 10289 20256 53004 TSNO Feels Like very pleasant Transparency Fair Seeing II
Instruments	6" f/4.9 DIY Dobsonian Newtonian reflector - Charlie Orion Deluxe Quick Finder 1st Base collapsible Dobsonian mount Orion 2 inch to 1.25" Precision Centering Adapter ~18mm Kellner eyepiece with helical focuser, 34x 12mm eyepiece, 48x 1.25" Celestron Accessory Kit 32mm Plossl, 2.31° FoV, 19x 15mm Plossl, 1.28° FoV, 41x 9mm Plossl, 0.77° FoV, 68x 6mm Plossl, 0.5° FoV, 101x 4mm Plossl, 0.34° FoV, 152x 2x Barlow Filter set Red, Wratten 25 Orange, Wratten 21 Yellow, Wratten 12 Dark Green, Wratten 58A Green, Wratten 58 Blue, Wratten 80A Moon, 18% neutral density Empire Magnetic POLYCAST Protractor Planetarium for Palm on Tungsten|T3 iPad w/astronomy apps Takahashi 22x60 binocular - Peter
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway Peter Tagatac

Target ISS Visible Pass Constellation Category Satellite Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20110812.2030 EDT     Starts Max. Alt. Ends H A e b a o v v e e n   s   Time 2030:34 EDT 2031:14 EDT 2031:53 EDT Alt. 10° 10° 10° Az. SE SE ESE Mag -1.3 C a l S k y Time 2027:06 EDT 2031:15 EDT 2032:58 EDT Alt. horizon 10.6° 7.7° Az. 183.4° S 129.0° SE/td> 99.3° E Mag -0.6 -2.1 -1.8 Sky Safari v 2.1.2 graphic Comments I picked it up skimming the treetops in Manhattan east. It appeared to be traveling level and was probably observed near culmination. It was easily seen in early twilight.

Target Saturn Constellation Vir Category Planet Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20110812.2030 EDT Object Class Classical Planet Elongation 54° 17' E Distance Light Time (from Earth) 10.2 AU 1 h 25m Distance (from Sun) 9.65 AU Angular Size 16.2"x14.4" Ring Angular Size 36.8"x5.59" Ring Inclination -8° 44' Magnitude 0.9 Altitude 19° 59' My sketch, done in the dark Sky Safari v 2.1.2 graphic Comments Saturn was difficult tonight. I saw Arcturus shortly after sunset but it was a while until I saw any lights down where I thought Saturn should be. When I found something and got the scope on it it was obviously Spica. Checking Planetarium I saw that Spica and Saturn were near the same altitude grid line so I just slewed the scope west until I came upon a golden light which was round with a diagonal line through it. I started out at 19x then moved to 41x and finally 68x. 41x proved to be the most useful magnification. 68x yields a larger planet but reduced definition. The planet at 19x is very sharp but most casual observers would probably mistake it for a star. Shortly after it was first observed naked-eye it was covered by clouds and never reappeared. I was able to keep it in the eyepiece for a long while but the image grew increasingly fainter and softer as it lost altitude.

Target Moon Constellation Sgr Category Lunar Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20110813.2100-2400 EDT Lunation 1096 Phase Waxing Gibbous Age 12d 6h 19m Distance Light Time (from earth) 390,962 km 1.30s Elongation 159° 17' E % Illuminated 96.8% Morning Terminator Colongitude (λ E) 76.9° Evening Terminator Colongitude (λ W) 256.9° Libration in Latitude -4° 14' Libration in Longitude 4° 49' Magnitude -12.1 Angular Size 30' 55" Altitude 21° 13' Virtual Moon Atlas graphic Sky Safari v 2.1.2 graphics Sky Safari v. 2.1.2 graphic Comments I spent more time showing the Moon than I did observing it. The area around Mare Spumans and Mare Undarum looked nice. Undarum appeared as a very pronounced 3. Moon Atlas graphic I was picking up some fine detail in the area of Capuanus to the NW or Tycho. Moon Atlas graphic There were three very distance dark patches around Murchison beneath Mare Imbrium and Mare Serenitatis indicating Mare Vaporum and Mare Aestuum in the lakes district. Moon Atlas graphic Early in the evening there were clouds and haze around the Moon but it was always visible. In a low power view I could see a ring around the Moon and then black sky beyond. Getting towards time to leave the clouds had moved on and the sky was beautifully black making for good contrast between it and the Moon.

Target Iridium 57 Flare Constellation Cyg Category Satellite Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20110812.2132 EDT   Heavens Above CalSky Time 2132:37 EDT 2132:37 EDT Alt. 52° 52.3° Az. 81° E 81.2° E Mag. -2 -2.0 Surface   MMA1 Sky Safari v 2.1.2 graphics Comments Moving N-->S low in Cygnus.

At some point during the evening Peter and I were looking into Cassiopeia when a meteor streaked by beneath the constellation. My impression of it was that it was long, probably 8-10° from end to end, and pointed on both ends like a sewing needle. It was white or possibly slightly yellowish and moved basically horizontally across the sky. My initial reaction was that it was something other than a Perseid because of its direction of travel but on looking at Planetarium it appears that it most likely was a Perseid. Later in the evening Peter saw another one in the same area of the sky but failed to give advance warning so everyone else was looking elsewhere.

Planetarium for Palm graphic

Target ISS Visible Pass Constellation Category Satellite Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20110812.2205 EDT     Starts Max. Alt. Ends H A e b a o v v e e n   s   Time 2203:46 EDT 2205:06 EDT 2205:06 EDT Alt. 10° 23° 23° Az. WSW WSW WSW Mag -1.6 C a l S k y Time 2201:45 EDT EDT 2205:26 EDT Alt. horizon ° 28.4° Az. 235.9° SW ° /td> 242.3° WSW Mag 0.0 -2.6 Sky Safari v. 2.1.2 graphic Comments This time the ISS appeared rising nearly vertically out of the trees on the west side of the Lawn. It got fairly high before it disappeared in Earth's penumbra and the clouds.

Target Iridium 5 Flare Constellation And Category Satellite Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20110812.2248 EDT   Heavens Above CalSky Time 2248:14 EDT 2248:14 EDT Alt. 15° 15.5° Az. 48° NE 47.8° NE Mag. -6 -4.7 Surface   MMA1 Sky Safari v. 2.1.2 Comments This one appeared very low moving N-->S. It didn't even look like a mag -4.6 let along a -6.

Target M31, Andromeda Galaxy, NGC224 Constellation And Category DSO: Gal Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 2011 EDT Magnitude 4.5 Surface Brightness /sq' Size 178'x63' Shape Eliptical Difficulty   Distance 2,200,000 ly Location Where is M13 graphic top down view Where is M13 graphic edge on view Sky Safari v. 2.1.2 graphic References Deep Sky Observer’s Guide: 53 Stars and Planets: 30, 40, 51, 129, 132, 137, 171, 172, 182, 244, 270, Binocular Highlights: 88 The Observer’s Sky Atlas: Comments I haven't gotten upside down star hopping down yet. I know that it shouldn't make any difference since I have software that will rotate the maps to agree with the way things appear in my telescope, but I am used to seeing things moving down and right when I make that hop and it was very disconcerting seeing them going up and left even though I knew I was going in the right direction. I found Mirach, β And, without problem and from there got to μ And by just pushing the scope in the direction I thought appropriate. From there I was lost. I probably passed right over the galaxy since it was faint. finally gave up and had Peter drive. It might have been a little easier to see when I bumped magnification up from 19x to 41x.