Gail and I took advantage of the lull in the wind, Friday night, to do some moongrazing with our new William Optics binoviewers. I say ?moongrazing? because we were able to bump the power up to 210x which gave us a view relative to being just 1067.5 miles (1718km) above the lunar surface. When you are able to use both eyes on such a bright target, that close, you really feel you are in close orbit.
Much detail was apparent in the way of shadow peaks, craterlets, cliff walls, domes, and wrinkle ridges known as Dorsums. A feature that especially caught my eye was Dorsum Bucher. At low power (75x), it appeared as a small triangular formation with a couple of tiny projections off one side that made it look like a spacecraft. Higher power revealed the bumpy ridges that made up the boundaries.
In the attached graphic from the Virtual Moon software, you can locate Dorsum Bucher just up and right (Newtonian view) of the large bay Sinus Iridum, which is Latin for Bay of Rainbows. Luckily, my optics were better than those who gave the bay its name and no chromatic ?rainbows? were seen. 🙂
If you don?t have a copy of Virtual Moon on your computer, you can download it for free from: http://www.astrosurf.com/avl/UK_index.html

January 20, 2008

There are 2 chart sets here. Peter did them and feels the second is better than the first. I can’t see a difference. However, the one for Jan. 06 came right on top of the solar magnetic reversal, as indicated by Sunspot 981. It shows the ‘old’ magnetic field right before the sun went into its new cycle. January 20 is 2 weeks later and is reversed. Note how all the lines are ‘opposite’ each other, like opposing, standing waveforms. I have sent this to Stanford and maybe we should wait for a reply as to the analysis.

[LOFAR II data collected and reported by Mike Jefferson.
Chart of LOFAR II data refined by Peter McHugh.]

January 18, 2008

Right now, we have ~ 690,000. As of this time tomorrow night, we will have 700,000+, unless something goes suddenly haywire!! Pray! By next meeting, we should be in excess of 1,000,000 by 2 days’ worth!

January 6, 2008

This chart of January 06/08 UTC is very interesting because of the high voltage levels between the sunrise dip (centre) and the sunset dip (right). Normally the trace would run much closer to the 0-line, slightly above and below it. In this observational log it indicates, not individual solar discharges, but a temporary large increase in solar x-ray radiation – a surge. However, several of the high, intense and dogtooth peaks may be large, individual discharges inside the surge of x-ray radiation. The ionosphere remained quite charged up for several days following. -Mike J. (HAA – observing 24 hr.s/day everyday)

[Chart of LOFAR II data refined by Peter McHugh]

Almost 20 scopes were set up tonight at the telescope clinic, in the Spectator auditorium, in Hamilton. I was surprised to see so many 10 inch and larger scopes there.

The event was also being covered by a Spec reporter with video camera. I figured the GWS would have to make an appearance.

He caught up to me while i was still setting the GWS up, and asked me questions about why i got into astronomy, and whether i think we are going to find life on other planets. My science and astrophysics interests, and desire to meet new friends got me into the club and to buy a scope. I have been well rewarded.

I told him i thought we won’t find any signals from other civilizations because they would already be here if there were any. When he pressed for an answer to the hypothetical, i remarked that i hoped if some civilization did send a message, that they would send some information about their technology to us, not just a hello, goodbye.

Astrology topics aside, i think everything went well.

I personally was able to talk to at least 6 DOB owners and help them align their scopes.
For lack of a dime, i had to reach for my super-knife to align Kerry’s scope. I got a lot of comments
on my dew guard which i was delighted to explain. Naturally the counterweight i use also drew some admiring remarks.

I had a chance to explain the workings of an equatorial platform to some DOB owners, and i also got some advice on how to clean my secondary mirror, which i think has dewed up once too often and needs a rinse.

All the Meades have their spring mechanism done wrong on their secondary support, resulting in an incredibly finicky and difficult alignment operation. I showed them how i changed my secondary holder so that the spring is done properly, and how easy it is to align my scope, with finger pressure, even on small screws. I am booked for some scope surgery after the next meeting.

It took 34 minutes from arrival till my scope was transported across the parking lot, up the stairs, throught the doorways and around the many visitors, and set up. Then 36 minutes to pack the GWS back into the car. Not bad. Usually it’s a bit quicker when i can park the car right beside where i am setting up. But it affirms my claim that Astronomy is good exercise.

An interesting slideshow was playing on the screen during the meeting, and at one point Mike Spicer announced that he had a scope pointed at Mars in the parking lot. I somhow was so occupied i did not get a chance to see it, but i have the scope in the car now so i am watching for the next chance at clear skies.

I was grateful for help from Kerry and Ann who helped carry and watched the car for me.

Afterwards about 12 of us reconvened at Kelsey’s till about 11:30 PM. Coconut strawberry smoothies. Mmmmmmmm.

Steve

January 2/3, 2008. A cold snap pushed the clouds away and I was eager to get a good look at Mars. In a month Mars will start to shrink (visually) so there is no time to lose to get those good views.
However I did gamble a bit – I only set up my telescope at 23:00. The Sky & Tel Mars Observer indicated Syrtis Major, a sizeable surface feature, would become visible at that time as that side of Mars rotated into view.
Around 23:30 I got my first good view of Mars yet. I have a Celestron NexStar 6″ SLT telescope. (I know, an Alt-Az telescope. I will review this telescope at another time. Suffice to say it is a very capable telescope, very easy to set up (ie: fun to use.)
I was using pretty high power, about x150. I used a Meade Series 4000 9.7mm eyepiece with a #23A light red Wratten colour filter.

My initial reaction was that the seeing was bad and Mars looked small. By comparison, I have been spoiled by a “fat” Mars in opposition in 2003 and 2005. Now in 2008 you have to be very patient and extra aware of what to look for. During brief moments when the atmosphere calmed down I could definitely discern the North Polar Cap and a dark region on the planet’s western limb. I could glimpse briefly the familiar “Upside down V” or chevron kind of shape of Syrtis Major. I tried a 2x Barlow but the seeing was too poor for that kind of power. After a while I noticed the seeing did not seem to crisp up as it had a few minutes before. I looked up from the eyepiece to realize that I was viewing Mars from between the branches of a “mature” tree. Shoot!

I quickly prompted the NexStar to slew to Saturn. Obediantly it turned to the ringed planet. Unlike Mars, Saturn did not disappoint at all. Still coolly and crisply beautiful. The Cassini Division is still evident but harder to see because the rings have closed up so much (only 7 degrees from our line of sight). But you still get that nice 3-D effect, partly because of Saturn’s rings and partly because Saturn bulges out at its equator due to its rapid rotation.

I played “Mike Spicer’s How Many Moons of Saturn Can You See Game” for a while. I am wayyyy out of practise. First I saw Titan at a bit of a distance from the planet, of course. After a while I spotted another moon closer to the planet at about 4 o’clock (Rhea)and after another while I glimpsed another tiny diamond, also around 4 o’clock and closer again to the planet’s rings (Tethys, magnitude 10.5). For some reason I did not spot Dione, which is the same magnitude as Tethys. I need more practise I guess.

Then around 1:00 on what was supposed to be a clear night, the clouds rolled back in.

But I had got my glimpse of Syrtis Major. I hope I get a few more chances to observe Mars at high power. After this opposition it will be a long time before we get another chance to view surface features of Mars with “backyard” telescopes.

This is a new LOFAR report sent to me by Mike Jefferson:

January 1, 2008

You need to look at GOES and SOHO(UVI & MDI)!!!! There is a huge object of interest @ 8:30 on the solar disc which is developing into a major sunspot group! Would be a great backyard project, except for the clouds! LOFAR II is getting this object as we speak, barring that nothing goes haywire! Right now, we’re getting C-0 radiation and it is not even facing us! Is there no way that some of these graphs can’t be put up on the site? I know it is possible, because the people at the UPS stores can do it for me as you have seen?!? – without printing up 300 pages of data.
To date, after 22 days, we have over 380,000 observations! The cost of this telescope is getting less and less/observation by the minute. Technologically, this is a very sophisticated instrument which is going to lead to some great stuff for HAA. We have a ‘new’ (Merry Christmas!!) fileserver coming online to replace SAL (the Aptiva) which is headed for lesser duties of image and chart processing. That will mean 3 computers having to do with running LOFAR II in some way!
There is NO other telescope/lens doing any astronomy, in this area right now, and there has not been much done at all in the last 3 weeks, except for the LOFAR II project!!!!! This is incredible – we look through the clouds and snow!
-HAA, observing 24hr.s/day everyday,
-Mike

I met up with Jackie and Jim who were already set up at the alternate site on Tyneside. They had been productive despite the frigid temps, already having bagged Mars, some fuzzies and comet Tuttle – though a little uncertain about the latter due to its faint appearance in binos.

Since it was so cold and getting there late, I didn’t bother with the small scope I had brought along. I just pulled out my 7×50 binos and began the search for Tuttle for myself. We were experiencing a few thin clouds passing through the area which made identification of some constellations a little challenging. Eventually I found Aries and Triangulum, and worked my way to where Tuttle was supposed to be for today. Sure enough, there it was. Faint but apparent in the binos. This was in the area where Jackie and Jim had been looking so it confirmed their findings. No discernable tail but a nice fairly compact but diffuse halo. I couldn’t make out a distinct core with the binos as Glenn had with his scope. Nearby was a faint M33.

Afterwards I decided to see how our old/new friend Holmes was doing since I hadn’t looked at it for about a month. It had moved out past Perseus B. I was amazed how large it had gotten since I last saw it. It was obviously a lot fainter, but had grown (a rough guess) to about 1.5 degrees across. It was located so that it formed a triangle with Perseus B and open cluster M34 which appeared brighter than Holmes, but not nearly as large.

Jim had the Orion Nebula in his scope so I tried to look at it with the binoculars. The nebula was quite prominent as usual and I could make out a few of the brighter stars near the center, including 1 of the trapesium stars. The Trapesium was very clear in Jim’s scope, even at moderately low power. Very nice on a cold night.

Before succumbing to the cold, I turned toward Mars. A small disk was resolvable in the binos, but Jim’s scope made it quite clear. Unfortunately due to cold problems with his scope, he didn’t elect to try higher magnifications so we couldn’t make out any surface details or see a polar cap. But it was very bright. We may have to try this again with a ND filter and a higher mag eyepiece. If we get really lucky, with the forecasted warmer temps, maybe we’ll get a clear night when we can last a little longer.

Jackie had just left and Jim and I were considering doing the same, when Martin from the conservation area stopped by for a quick and pleasant visit. We revisited a couple of our earlier objects for his benefit. Then before we left, I scanned the area around Mars and made out some old friends M35, M37, and a little further M44 and M45.

Generally the seeing was quite good despite a few thin clouds interrupting sections of the sky from time to time. It would have been nice to be able to stay out a little longer but I guess in our old age, we just weren’t as hardy as we used to be. Maybe it’s time to get some battery heated underwear! But it was really nice to get out for some observing after a long absence. And I had a chance to try out my new laptop with Carte Du Ciel for checking objects which proved to be quite useful instead of flipping through paper charts. The only problem was that after an hour, the screen started to get washed out from the cold. Hmm, maybe time for another toy, er, I mean tool. My birthday is coming up soon – is that justification enough?

Cheers!

Within range of small telescopes, and perhaps big binoculars, Comet 8P/Tuttle is presently cruising between Beta Ari and Eta Pisci. Though reports have it at mag 6, from our urban location this object, about 10′ in diameter, is fairly diffuse, though it does have a distinguishable stellar core.

Not a particularly easy find, especially on a cold and windy night, we had just about given up the hunt when Gail spotted it a little further North than our chart indicated. This comet is not expected to get much brighter than it currently is so grab it while you can.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Imaged with the Sky-Watcher 80mm and Canon DSLR on the camera tripod around 9pm, December 23 (last night) before the clouds thickened.

KerryLH

Happy Winter Solstice to all HAA members and interested astronomers everywhere.

Today marks the longest night of the year. It was clear a good portion of last night and the CSC indicates we may get some clearing breaks tonight (but it won’t last the whole night, sigh). I did some visual observing last night, enjoying some of the brighter constellations, a few visible clusters and of course, Mars.

Hopefully we’ll get some clear skies over the next week or two so we can enjoy the long nights. They may be cold, but at least they are (usually) dry and steady. Just 6 months to the shortest night of the year so enjoy while you can.

Remember we’re hoping to see members and public out on Fri Dec 28 on the grounds of the PCDC for Mars observing near opposition.

After much contemplation and procrastination I have finally joined the ‘Dob People’. Although some say, “Kerry it’s not just a dob it’s a LIGHTBRIDGE” :). I was thinking of waiting till next year for this purchase but with the rebate offer and lower prices I figured now was my chance to make the leap and purchase my first ‘Faint Fuzzy Interceptor (FFI)’. After a few set backs with a couple of missing attachment bolts and a red dot finder that didn’t want to collimate (actually it’s still not collimating properly but I know of a possible fix), I was finally able to get it all together.

The 12″ LB collimation process was a little daunting for me and I kept thinking that I should have payed attention when Steve was collimating his 16″(aka the GWS). After a little under an hour of reading the manual, figuring out the laser collimator, installing Bob’s Knobs and fiddling with lots of screws, I managed to collimate it well enough… I think. I took some advice about labelling the struts so that I didn’t have to keep collimating everytime I had to reassemble the scope. Later in the evening I took a peek outside and noticed the viel of cirrus covering the entire sky. I could barely see the stars… but there was the moon. Yippee it was a go for a first light on the moon. I was surprisingly able to manage partially dissasembling the scope in the dining room, carrying it down to the driveway, and reassembling it all with not much time and effort. Once the scope was cooled down I was greated with an absolutely spectacular (but hazy) view of our nearest neighboor. No photograph to date has provided me with such detail. I popped in the 10mm plossl and WOW!!! The terminator especially was a sight to see. Afterwards I scooted over to the only other object that I could see through the clouds, Mars. That was another sight to behold. With just the provided Meade 4000 26mm 2″ eyepiece I was able to see a hint of some dark features on the surface. Was I dreaming? With all my years in astronomy I have never seen any real details on the surface (pretty sad but true). When I magnified the view with my 10mm plossl I was able to confirm it. A little later the cirrus thinned out a bit more and I was able to scan around. I was very impressed with how sharp the star field looked even through the provided 2″ eyepiece. The stars and clusters were lacking some luster through the clouds but they were still very nice to look at. I can’t wait to take this scope out again, hopefully under better conditions.

KerryLH