Posts Made By: Dave Mitsky

Although the transparency was far from ideal and the temperature was a frigid 12 degrees Fahrenheit, I nevertheless enjoyed observing at the ASH Naylor Observatory on Sunday night. The highlight was most definitely the close grouping of Io, Europa, and Callisto.

After viewing M78, M42 (six components of the Trapezium were seen), M43, NGC 1981, Saturn, NGC 2392, and Beta Monocerotis with the 17" f/15 classical Cassegrain at magnifications ranging from 162 to 259x I took a warm-up break. When I returned to the French Dome I was joined by three fellow ASH members. We searched for two of Saturn's more difficult satellites using magnifications of 381 and 404x.

Around 3:30 UT I slewed the 17" to Jupiter. The GRS was just past the CM and looked rather pale. Io, Europa, and Calliso formed a small triangle to the east of the planet while Ganymede orbited far to the west. With time the triangle flattened to a dogleg pattern.

One member stayed on with me. We had a look at M65, M66, Beta Monocerotis (a first for him), M78, and M42.

I took another break, a much longer one, and eventually returned to the dome to have another peek at Jupiter, going as high as 381x. I noticed what looked to be a white oval adjoining the NEB and to the west of the CM around 9:10 UT. By that time the Galilean triangle was just a slightly crooked line.

Dave Mitsky

As luck would have it another sun pillar occurred today about 5:15 p.m. EST (22:15 UT) and this time I was able to capture it on silicon. I used a Sony DSC-707 digital camera belonging to Maura Smith to image the ephemeral event from a location in northern Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Dave Mitsky

I had the opportunity to observe Comet LINEAR T7 from the ASH Naylor Observatory near Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, on Monday evening from 0:25 to ~1:10 UT (2004/2/17). The skies were initially fairly clear and transparent but high clouds eventually entered the scene. The tail that I had first seen two Sundays ago was markedly longer and at times I thought I saw a bifurcation. A stellar pseudonucleus seemed to be present.

The 17" f/15 classical Cassegrain was used at magnifications of 118, 144, 162, 202, 231, and 259x with 202x providing the best view of C/2002 T7 (LINEAR).

Dave Mitsky

The second of two shadow transits is underway right now. Earlier tonight Europa and its shadow crossed the face of Jupiter. Now it's Io's turn. So take up thy telescope and behold!

Dave Mitsky

On Sunday night I witnessed an interesting tango of three Galilean satellites from the ASH Naylor Obervatory (see http://www.astrohbg.org ). When I first turned the 17" f/15 classical Cassegrain towards Jupiter just before 4:30 UT (2004/2/23) Io, Europa, and Callisto (at increasing distances from the planet) formed an acute triangle. In an hour and a half's time they had moved to create a straight line. At 9:10 UT the three moons were positioned in the guise of an isosceles triangle with Europa being nearest to Jupiter and Io being farthest from the planet.

Dave Mitsky

I observed the near occultation of the Moon and Mars on Wednesday evening (2004/2/26 UT) with a 5" f/5 achromatic finder scope and an Edmund Scientific Astroscan and 17mm Ploessl from the Naylor Observatory. I also photographed the event, which was featured on Wednesday's Stardate episode (http://www.stardate.org/radio/program.php?f=today - which will be archived after Wednesday), through the 5" using eyepiece projection and a 32mm Brandon from 2:55 to 3:05 UT.

Dave Mitsky

Observing a Galilean satellite go into or emerge from eclipse by Jupiter is one of my favorite aspects of observing Jupiter. The past two mornings I was fortunate enough to witness two of these events.

At 8:06 UT on 2004/2/25 I watched Europa disappear using the 17" f/15 classical Cassegrain (162 and 259x) at the ASH Naylor Observatory (see http://www.astrohbg.org ).

This morning (2004/2/26) at 8:11 UT I viewed the eclipse of Io with the same instrument at 259x (25mm Celestron orthoscopic).

Dave Mitsky

I joined my friend Tony Donnangelo at his residence on Tuesday night to observe the Clausius Sunrise Ray (see http://www.lunar-occultations.com/rlo/rays/rays.htm for information on lunar light rays) through his 102mm f/8 Takahashi FS-102 apochromat. As it turned out the prediction time of 01:03 UT (8:03 p.m. EST) proved to be incorrect. Clausius was still on the dark side of the terminator hours after that time and so we never saw even the onset of the ray. But my trip was not far from wasted since Tony and I both discovered new lunar light rays!

About 03:15 UT Tony noticed a short ray in the crater Mersenius P near Gasendi (Rukl chart 51). At 3:40 UT I came across a double ray near Schiller. One ray cut through Noggerah J at approximately 50.75 degrees north, 48 degrees west (Rukl chart 70). Another lay just to the south and east of the first and to the west of Noggerah H. With time these rays lengthened and were quite a sight to behold.

As we were watching the progress of these rays the Moon occulted one field star and later another. I believe these stars were Omega Cancri (5.9 magnitude) and 4 Cancri (6.3 magnitude).

We had a brief look at Jupiter and then turned the Tak back to the Moon before calling it quits at 05:00 UT. During the course of our observing session we used magnifications of 117 (7mm Nagler type 6), 158 (5.2mm Pentax SMC XL), and 234x (3.5mm Orion Lanthanum Superwide).

Dave Mitsky

Twenty deep-sky objects for March: M44, M67, NGC 2775 (Cancer); M48, NGC 2610, NGC 2642, NGC 2811 (Hydra); NGC 2903, NGC 2964 (Leo); NGC 2859 (Leo Minor); NGC 2683 (Lynx); NGC 2567, NGC 2571 (Puppis); M81, M82, NGC 2681, NGC 2841, NGC 2950, NGC 2976, NGC 2985 (Ursa Major)

Dave Mitsky

I observed AR 10570 on Tuesday at 20:15 UT. As seen through my Celestron C4.5 Newtonian at 36 and 72x this large sunspot (~10 Earth diameters) had a prominent, tadpole-shaped umbra. It was easily visible without magnification through my Mylar full aperture filter and polymer solar eclipse shades. I had a look at the sunspot at prime focus as well.

Dave Mitsky