Moon: Day 8 - “Plato Sunrise.”
Published on 29 May 2012 at 1:54 am.
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The waxing Moon is settling into the west low in and out of clouds as I write this. Luckily, I used the Quantum-4 telescope on it near 12:30am CDT, when it was 8 days & 5 1/2 hrs old. This Moon was also a full 6 degrees south of planet Mars. The sunrise terminator had come to 12 degrees west longitude, practically right on the western rim of crater Eratosthenes. The Apeninnes Mountains were glorious with strong relief and shaded northwest slopes - the bony spine of the “Fossil Bird” now almost entirely in view. Eratosthenes is a dark “inkwell” - the eye socket of the “Fossil Bird,” but sunrise is impending if not starting to occur in crater Plato. It has a “granular” looking dark floor now but not inky dark, as if light reflected from its surrounding rim softly illuminates it. I wish it was a clear morning so I could compare its appearance now, just an hour later. Great Clavius crater on the southern highlands is a dark lobe protruding from the terminator, and Tycho crater is also dark inside north of it. Maginus however just has a shaded east wall inside. Though Copernicus is for your viewing late tonight, it was the interior of Plato that tweaked my curiosity. Has anyone else seen reflected sunlight softly illuminate the interior of a moon crater, before actual sunrise spills into it? Weird!
New Parade.
Published on 27 May 2012 at 11:53 pm.
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Well, nothing to see in the sky at my location yesterday and the first half of today, as there was strong NE wind, misty drizzly rain, and cold temperatures. Highs only in the mid-40’s F yesterday. Certainly no fun for Memorial Day campers! It was only this evening then, when I got to observe the Sun in pt. cloudy conditions. There is a new parade of sunspots in the southeast quadrant of the Sun, while two reside in the northwest quadrant. Nothing real large about these spots, but they are “speckly” and plenty complicated. Would these deliver auroras to the northern USA later this week? With 5 areas of sunspots visible at 44x today, it can be only a matter of time!
Sun Before Clouds.
Published on 25 May 2012 at 10:52 pm.
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It was a decision today of either to walk uptown first or observe and sketch the Sun, before clouds arrived. I chose the latter and was glad I did, to score another day in my record. Three more solar observation days to go until #8,700 consecutive. I saw a total of 2 areas of spots. I did NOT see area #1484 anymore, but that of #1486 was just coming up to 3/4ths of the way across the sun’s disc. Another area, which must be #1489, has just rounded the northeast limb, and it consists of three small components. No Moon to watch as this day ends, as the sky is overcast. So, let’s see how this new sunspot area develops as it crosses the Sun’s face.
Moon: Day 4 - “Apart from Venus.”
Published on 24 May 2012 at 11:50 pm.
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I feel for those who put a garden out early but can’t reach them, as it is supposed to reach freezing (32 F) tomorrow morning. Tonight, it has finally cleared to reveal a crescent Moon 10-11 degrees below left of Pollux. The sunrise terminator on it has come to 39 degrees east longitude, barely beyond crater Gutenberg and halfway across Hercules much to the north. Mare Crisium is tilted much away from us now, and great old Janssen crater is most conspicuous in the southern cusp. It’s “sidekick” craters still retain shaded floors. Also, the Rheita Valley still holds a little darkness at its bottom. Yesterday evening, I barely saw this Moon 16 degrees to the left of planet Venus, and now, the two are farther apart. The evening star will be gone when the Moon next waxes in the evening in late June. So, enjoy both as crescents now.
Full of Clouds.
Published on 22 May 2012 at 11:53 pm.
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I was unable to observe the Sun today because of high and mid-level cloud cover. After dusk, there was only some sprinkles at my location, but I wish I would have been able to observe the thin crescent Moon skim by the third magnitude star Zeta Tauri. The wind turned to the northwest in the late afternoon, after a high temperature of 84 F. I still think it is going to be a generally dry summer. All these clouds and so little rain. Hope I did not make a mistake in putting out a garden this year.