|
|
I will attempt to post at least text notes of each observing session; access to a scanner and a considerable improvement in my artistic ability will someday bring sketches as well. In the distant future I hope to do some sort of photographic or digital imaging with the telescope.
All observing notes are posted in the following format:
I. Observer location/time
II. Subject
III. Equipment Used (if a telescope, all eyepieces/filters
used will be listed, as well as magnification ranges. Projection/filtering
techniques used in solar observations will be particularly well-documented
for obvious reasons. Binoculars will be identified by the standard
M * D rating.)
IV. Observing Conditions (will include all relevant meteorlogical
data and seeing as rated from 1-10 on the Pickering scale)
V. Observations (what I observed, and as close an
identification as I can make; all source material used to identify objects/features/etc.
will be documented)
VI. Comments (anything I felt particularly noteworthy about
the session, no matter how trivial!)
Finally, for the neophyte, here's a list of possibly unfamiliar abbreviations/terms
with definitions as plain English as I could manage!
If anyone out there has any comments, please feel free to let me know, either by e-mailing me or in the guestbook. Now, on with the show!
OBSERVATIONS (listed by date/subject)
1999 April 30 (Venus)
1999 April 19 (The Moon)
1999 April 10 (Mars)
1999 April 30 (JD 2451300)
I. Observer Location/Time
As specified; observations took place between 0400 and 0415 UTC. Tonight due to illness I am observing from my
balcony (more on that later)
II. Subject: Venus
III. Equipment Used: Celestron C4.5 Newtonian w/7.5 mm Plossl eyepiece and 2X Barlow
(alternating between 120X and 240X). Parks #38A (dark blue) and #12
(deep yellow) filters used to reduce glare.
IV. Observing Conditions: Temp. 55 degrees Fahrenheit (13 degrees Celsisu); RH 68% (dew point 45 degrees F/7 degrees C);
barometric pressure 30.04 in. (763.02 mm Hg) and steady. Seeing about a 7 or 8.
V. Observations: Without the filter, Venus was about 70% illuminated and presented a
bland, off-white appearance. The #38A filter reduced glare
significantly; the #12 filter was somewhat less satisfying aesthetically
as it emitted more glare than I would have expected (having routinely
used the #12 to reduce glare and increase contrast on Jupiter at
opposition--two magnitudes' difference in brightness does have an
effect!!!)
VI. Comments: Suffering from a touch of stomach flu, I decided not to venture to my
usual observing spot in the parking lot of the complex; the stairs alone
are a challenge! Wanting to observe, I decided to set up on the balcony
and didn't regret it! Most of the bright lights from the parking lot
and the main courtyard are shielded by the building; my neighbor's
exterior light was off and his blinds shut. The session turned out to
be much better than I expected! I may linger for a while to see if I
can't get a peek at the Moon (although the balcony is not well-placed
for this).
1999 April 19 (JD 2451289)
I. Observer Location/Time: As noted below.
Observations took place between 0330 and 0430 UTC from previously-mentioned
apartment complex courtyard.
II. Subject: Moon (day 4, lunation 944; 22% illumination)
III. Equipment Used: Celestron C4.5 Newtonian with 7.5mm Plossl eyepiece (magnification
120X). 2X Barlow attempted but use rendered impractical by limited
seeing. Gross morphology at 36X w/25mm Kellner proved very aesthetically
pleasing.
IV. Observing Conditions: Temp. 64 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celsius); RH 78%; barometric
pressure 29.12 in. (739.65 mm Hg) and steady. Seeing roughly 8 on
a 1-10 scale.
V. Observations: (Nomenclature from Cherrington, Exploring the Moon Through Binoculars
and Small Telescopes, Chart I (pg. 82). All directions stated
are selenographic.)
Petavius displayed very clearly defined terracing on its inner walls. An escarpment running approx. WSW from the central peak formed an almost perfect radius of the crater.
The central peak and terracing on the W rim of Atlas was discernable, as was the E rim of adjacent Hercules.
Picard and two smaller craterlets to the N in Mare Crisium were well-defined; the interior of Picard resembled a smooth bowl. A serpentine escarpment (name?) to the W of Picard is something I'd like to study a little more in depth, time permitting.
Macrobius displayed some terracing on its W rim but no central feature as yet. A small craterlet, not identified in Cherrington, was visible on Macrobius' SW rim.
Tauruntius displayed a well-defined central peak and a small craterlet (or other structure) was visible on its NW rim.
Mare Fecunditatis displayed low ridges created by lava flows and variegated color on its floor, as well as approximately a dozen small craterlets. Langrenus was very spectacular, showing terracing along nearly its entire perimeter. Langrenus B, F, and K were also well-defined, showing smooth, bowl-like interiors.
The north polar region presented Cusannus, Petermann, and Nansen in good form! Wall structure was clearly seen in Cusannus and Petermann.
The Gutenberg/Magellan/Golclenius area showed excellent relief, with structures on the floor of Golclenius displayed quite nicely. The E. face of the Pyrennes was presented well with strong contrast.
The area containing Metius, Fabricus, Janssen, and Watt was still heavily shadowed, although a very deep ridge formation formed by the walls of Fabricus and an older crater was evident in Janssen.
Santbech was almost perfectly bisected by shadow, although its central peak was extremely bright! Neander was almost completely filled with shadow with the exception of its W rim and a very bright and prominent central peak.
Vlacco and Rosenberger craters were visible but filled with shadow. A solitary bright point could be observed near the south pole of the moon (any hints as to what feature this might represent?)
The lunar night side was well lit by Earthshine, and Grimaldi and Vallis Schroteri, as well as the outlines of Oceanus Procellarum and Mare Imbrium could be discerned.
VI. Comments: One of the best sessions I've had in a while! Unfortunately, I had to cut short after about an hour when some folks decided to move furniture through my observing area. I am going to make a more regular habit of observing the moon. Comments from more experienced observers are most welcome!
An interesting side note: the last few observing sessions have brought
me a new observing partner in the form of a large, white long-haired cat
who likes to lay down directly under the telescope! Almost inevitably
when I set up, she's there. Don't know who owns her (she's too well-kept
to be a stray) but the company is appreciated!
1999 April 10 (JD 2451279)
I. Observer location/time: As stated below.
Time was between 0800 and 0830 UTC on 4/10/99.
II. Subject: Mars (CM = 20.41 DE = 16.8 per Mars Previewer)
III. Equipment Used: Celestron C4.5 Newtonian reflector w/25mm Kellner, 7.5mm Plossl, and 2X Ultima SV series Barlow providing range of magnifications from 36-240X. Parks #12 (deep yellow) and #21 (orange) filters also used.
IV. Observing Conditions: Temp. 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius); RH 66%; barometric pressure 30.12 (765.05 mm Hg) and falling. Viewing location was in the courtyard of a large apartment complex; fairly brightly lit with LPS fixtures; heat dissipation from a nearby swimming pool had a decidedly negative effect on seeing. Beginning seeing rating was approximately a 6 falling rapidly over a half-hour period, though occasional periods of remarkable clarity did occur.
V. Observations: Two large dark patches identified by using Leandro Rios' Mars
Previewer I program as follows:
Northern patch - complex consisting of Mare Boreum, Mare Acidalium,
and Niliacus Lacus. All three of these features were discernible
during brief moments of good seeing.
Southern patch - complex consisting two distinct segments: Sinus Sabaeus/Sinus Meridiani and the area comprising Mare Erythraeum, Margaritifer Sinus, Aurorae Sinus, and Bosphorus. Brief moments of good seeing also revealed a lightening in this patch which corresponds to Hellespontus.
The two patches were separated by the Chryse region; the North Polar Cap and Argyre were visible under good conditions with the #21 filter.
VI. Comments: Not a bad observing session, though I have had better. Being lazy, I decided to set up the telescope relatively close to my apartment, as opposed to venturing into a darker area in the parking lot I normally use. This was a spur-of-the- moment session with little foreplanning. More planning on my part would make this more effective. Return to Observatory
