by Tom Campbell
| Observer | Tom Campbell |
|---|---|
| Location | Iola, Kansas (Long: 95 30' W Lat: 37 55' N) |
| Equipment | 8" Discovery DHQ dob |
| Eyepieces | 1.25" Plössls - 25mm (49x), 15mm (81x), 10mm (122x), 6.5mm (188x), 4mm (305x) |
| Time | 10:00pm - 12:15am CST |
| Transparency | Very Clear (9/10) |
| Seeing | Stable (8/10) |
| Weather | Temperature in the mid-50s. There was little to no breeze. |
Tonight, as I was browsing the newsgroups, I noticed that there were several people reporting a fantastic auroral display. Some of the reports were as far south as Florida! I wasn't planning on observing tonight, mainly due to the bright gibbous Moon, but decided to take a peek anyway. I had never witnessed a display of the Aurora Borealis before, and I didn't want to squander an opportunity.
The skies were clear, and sure enough, in the northwest was a deep red glow! Even with several street lights across the alley from me to the north, the display was obvious. I also believed I saw some patches of blue and green, but it was low enough that the street lights interfered with the viewing and it could have just been wishful thinking.
I ran back inside the house to call out the rest of my family. They all came out and were suitably impressed. By this time, the northwest glow had started fading, but the northern and northeastern skies were becoming redder. I didn't see any streamers or pillars, but rather the aurora took on the form of a patchwork quilt, with some portions appearing pink, and others a deep crimson.
I decided to make an evening of it. I went back inside, grabbed my 8" dob, and quickly set up. The aurora appeared to be fading out somewhat by this time. Saturn was well placed in the sky, so I decided to take a look at it.
| Saturn | Taurus | Planet | 10:30pm CDT |
|---|---|---|---|
| RA: 0449.6 | Dec: +2033 | Mag: 0.4 | |
| At 188x, the view is georgeous. Some banding was detectable on the planet,
with the most obvious being a dark band about 20 degrees above the equator.
At the planet's current tilt, the outer edges of the rings are slightly
below Saturn at the south polar region. The Cassini Division was obvious and
pitch black. The inner C ring was detectable as being slightly darker than
the B ring. The outer A ring was the darkest of the three rings.
I was easily able to detect all 5 of the brightest moons of Saturn as well. I was rather surprised to be able to detect Enceladus. It was faint, but it was definitely visible with direct vision. I later confirmed its position with my November issue of Sky & Telescope. On the far side of the rings, just a faint detection of Saturn's shadow could be seen. I couldn't look at a specific spot and see a dark line, but this whole polar region had a great 3-dimensional appearance. The only disappointing part about Saturn tonight was its lack of color. In the past, I've seen it in creamy yellow splendor, but tonight everything was in various shades of grey. Perhaps the Moon was washing out the coloration tonight. | |||
I wandered around the sky aimlessly, taking in a few of my deep sky favorites, such as M42 in Orion, M36-38 in Auriga, and M35 in Gemini. It was interesting to note how much of an impact the Moon's nearby glare had on the open clusters.
The aurora was still visible, but was fairly faint. I had to block out the northern street lights in order to see it clearly. Jupiter was nearly at a comfortable viewing height, so I thought I'd see how it looked tonight. The King of the Planets still shone regally, despite the bright Moon only being a couple of degrees away.
| Jupiter | Gemini | Planet | 12:00am CST |
|---|---|---|---|
| RA: 0707.9 | Dec: +2224 | Mag: -2.5 | |
| Jupiter was still low enough in the sky that the view wouldn't support a very high magnification. 122x was about the maximum I could go and still have a pleasing image. The Northern Equatorial Band was a rusty orange color. Near the right side of this band was a deep orange patch. Immediately north of it, the other thin band of rust-colored NEB clouds could be seen. The Southern Equatorial Band, on the other hand, was a medium grey color. | |||
MORE ON AURORA:
The definite attraction of the evening tonight was the Aurora Borealis. Throughout the evening it would fade and brighten. Between looks through the eyepiece, I would keep an eye on it. After viewing Jupiter, it was getting late, so I thought I'd pack it in for the night. The aurora had faded and was just barely detectable with direct vision. I checked messages on my computer and saw that others were still reporting it as being visible a little farther north.
I emailed an observing friend who works until midnight and informed him that when he got home he might want to look outside and see whether it had brightened again. A few minutes later, he emailed me back and told me to hurry up and get back outside. I complied, and I was not to be disappointed.
The aurora now reached up clear into Cassiopeia, and three or four pillars were visible. The brightest one developed a bright white streamer which pierced the heart of Queen Cassiopeia. Surely the constellations must be having a fierce battle.
The crimson patches of light became as pools of blood in the mighty struggle. Ursa Major, the Great Bear, was limping along the ground, his head held high even as he was drenched in blood. Its cub, Ursa Minor had not escaped completely unharmed either, as it began to droop to the ground. In the mean time, the piercing arrow had been removed from Cassiopeia's chest, but a river of blood flowed down to the northern horizon.
By about 1:30am CST, the light show was fading again, and the constellations were healing themselves. Whatever argument had broken out amongst them must have been settled, at least for now.