by
Bill Arnett
David North
Mark Wagner
Jane Houston
Jay Reynolds Freeman
Morris Jones
I do note that the moon is quite close to Aldebaran, and if I recall tonight/tomorrow is supposed to be an occultation. Anyone know of if we are supposed to be able to see it here?
I'm half tempted to break out a scope, but those wobbly stars and bright moon don't look like such a good combination.
Just registered my first one at 7:14 on the nose (mag 4.97 75 Tauri about 10 seconds or so off Starry Night's prediction, and that's just using my watch...)
>>Anyone know of if we are supposed to be able to see it here?<<
You bet. Much later, but several other stars will be occulted.
>>I'm half tempted to break out a scope, but those wobbly stars and bright moon don't look like such a good combination.<<
Don't need great seeing to watch occultations.
Why after the moon sets I think I'll go after some of those Hickson quintets, septets and sextets that Steve Gottleib talks about in his excellent, well written article in this months's S&T- well maybe I can try a few of them anyway, while I do a rusty practice of Virgo objects in preparation for my Molokia Messier Marathon in March. I first saw HCG 92 - Stephan's Quintet from this very deck.
The moon is awesome tonight. Anyone up with a clearish sky shouldn't miss is. It's the stuff that dreams are made of! Gotta get back out there!
You can see it with binos!
I counted 26 craters inside Clavius earlier. The seeing has deteriorated somewhat since then but Clavius is still fabulous. And Copernicus! The only downside is my thermometer reading 35F :-(
Jane, you've driven the stake in far enough for one night.... ;-)
Got it at 10:32 by my watch (a bit before). I was hoping for some "lag" as it was close to a graze, but nothing...
Sinus Iridum is tres cool, and the secondaries, domes and rilles around Copernicus are amazing tonight.
Also, don't miss Rima Hesiodus and the Rimae Ramsden complex in Palus Epidemarium (sorta shady but you can get it) at the end of R. Hesiodus. Not to mention that the rilles in Hesiodus themselves are showing... in the 4.5-inch!
11:35:45 by my watch, dead bang. No lingering at all. It just went off like a light.
No problem seeing the red tint on that sucker!
> Indeed! Check Sinus Iridum. Right now it is two great arcs reaching
> out into the night. Soon the Sun will rise on their joining to form
> a "lunar prominence"! I just hope it happens before the Moon sets
> for us.
Sinus Iridum is one of my favorite sketching targets. Tonight with the terminator running right through the middle of the bay, the sun illuminating the mountainous arms surrounding the mountains. With the surface features like an undulating wave, visible even in binos. I'm looking at it right now. Aldebaran is closing in, too - same field of view with the moon right now! Well the shortwave radio is nowhere to be found so I'll just record my times to Bob Marley Radio.
> I counted 26 craters inside Clavius earlier. The seeing has
> deteriorated somewhat since then but Clavius is still fabulous. And
> Copernicus!
Yowza! Great count!
> The only downside is my thermometer reading 35F :-(
Here, it's a balmy 47F.
Aldebaran occultation has begun! It's 11:24:50 exactly! Gorgeous!! More on the other side. Now I'm gonna enjoy the moon for a while!
11:34:50 I meant! Just call me a lunatic!
-- Jay Freeman, Deep Sky Weasel
PS: This was the first time I had had the Brandon 98 out since I repainted it. I hope some of you will be at the SJAA meeting this Saturday, 30 January, to give me a hard time about the new color scheme.
Oh, you were watching! I can't imagine why...
>>and the Moon looked more or less like a pile of rocks...<<
That's your head getting in the way.
>>I hope some of you will be at the SJAA meeting
this Saturday, 30 January, to give me a hard time about the
new color scheme.<<
Wouldn't miss it for anything.
> Oh, you were watching! I can't imagine why...
I had it backwards; I thought the star was going to occult the Moon -- that would have made it nice and dark.
> > and the Moon looked more or less like a pile of rocks...
> That's your head getting in the way.
No, no, I could see right through the holes.
We're in big trouble if a star comes between us and the Moon :-)
Now for the reappearance. Should be at about 12:37 at the same lunar latitude as Petavius.
But Jay.... had you taken out something more than a measely 98mm scope, you might have noticed that mag 14 UGC galaxy being occulted too ;-)
You got to have a special UHC* to see that.
Ok, now who else besides me has a red night- light on (in the bathroom) to preserve your night vision?? It's nice to know that some of you are sharing the sky with me!
Yes, I've never quite seen anything like that.
So that's what they mean by a sinus infection.
:-) Why is something so simple so cool?
>> Ok, now who else besides me has a red night- light on (in the bathroom) to
>> preserve your night vision??
Who needs night vision for watching the Moon?
> It's nice to know that some of you are sharing the
> sky with me!
A strange way to share an evening but what the heck, it works doesn't it!