OBSERVING REPORT FOR APRIL 13, 2016

Location:  Lower West side Saint John, NB

Date Time:  April 13, 2016 2100-2110hrs

Weather: Clear, breezy, 4C with windchill of 0C

Attendance:  Myself.

Equipment:  Canon Rebel Xsi with 75-300mm lens on tripod.

Objective:  To view and image Mercury which was suppose to be low in the West just after sundown.

Highlights:

• Mercury was spotted easily, just above the paper mill, looking west, in the dusk twilight just after 2100hrs.  It showed up as an 'un-twinkling star', above the smoke from the factory.
• After viewing and imaging Mercury, noticed a bright 'star' moving across the Northern sky.  Took a 5 second image of it as it faded in the NE.  Confirmed on Heavens-above.com that its indeed the International Space Station.  According to the website and partially confirmed by my observation, the orbiting space station was suppose to make a long pass over our location from 2100-2106hrs.  It was just going out of sight as the camera started taking the image.
• Orion is now sitting low in the SW just after sundown.  It's brightest stars were just barely visible.
• A first Quarter Moon was in Gemini.
• Jupiter was shinning very bright in the SSE, fairly high up.

Images:

ISO 400, Shutter speed 1 second, F/5, Focal Length 170mm.

ISO 400, Shutter speed 5 seconds, F/4.5, Focal Length 75mm.

COMET 252P LINEAR AND MERCURY

Location:  Morning - West Saint John, NB, Canada

Evening - Prince of Wales, NB, Canada

Date Time:  April 5, 2016 0500-0615hrs and 2045-2050hrs

Weather:  Morning - Mostly clear, though many fast moving see-through clouds in Comets' direction proved challenging, -8C windchill -16C, high winds bitter cold.

Evening - Clear, light breeze to no wind, -5C windchill -9C.

Attendance:  Morning - Ed O and Myself.

Evening - Myself.

Equipment:  Canon Rebel Xsi with 75-300mm lens on a tripod.  Eds' 15x70 Binoculars.

Objective:  To view and image Comet 252P Linear which was reported to be rising in the SSE morning sky before dawn.

Highlights:
Morning

• Comet Linear was reported to be in Ophiuchus, just above and to the left of the pairing of Saturn and Mars.
• Ed and I both noted how bright Mars appeared.  Much brighter than Saturn.
• We located the Comet easily with Ed binoculars, with both of us noting how big it appeared in field of view.  Ed thought he could see green in the comet where I just thought it looked like a very dark, sort of grayish hazy patch, next to a bright star.
• During observing time Comet was at about 45 degrees elevation.   We both noted how high it was becoming.  The Comet is moving higher in our morning sky each day.
• Neither of us could see Comet with naked-eye.  Needed binos to see it.
• Could not see it through camera lens, so had to guess where to aim camera.  Of many images taken, Comet only showed up in two images.  These images only appeared after downloading on computer and then processing.  Comet then popped out in one image, next to a passing satellite.
• This Comet has proven to be challenging to view and image for several reasons.  Our weather has been mostly cloudy, with heavy winds since it first came into view around March 31.  Also the Moon phase up until April 2 has been a major factor.  On April 1, it was clear, but the third quarter Moon was very bright and almost right on top of the Comet.  April 5 morning, though extremely cold and windy with some fast moving clouds, was the first decent chance to view it.

Evening:

• On Hwy 1 west of Saint John, noticed Mercury pop into view low in the Western twilight sky.  Stopped along the side of the road in Prince of Wales and imaged it.  Appeared as a lone, un-twinkling star.

Note:  Comet 252P Linear was accompanied by another Comet, Comet 2016 BA14.  According to Space.com, 252P Linear came within 14 Lunar distances of Earth or 5.6 Million Kms, making it the 5th closest Comet to Earth.

Comet BA14 came within 9 Lunar Distance or 3.4 Million Kms.  This would make it the second closest Comet to Earth after Comet D/1770 L1 Lexell which buzzed Earth in the year 1770 at a distance of 6 Lunar Distances or 2.2 Million Kms.

Images:

Finder Chart from www.skyandtelescope.com

Region Comet was in during observing and imaging on April 5, 2016.

Path of Comet 252P Linear at time it was imaged, April 5, 2016 @ 0515hrs AST.

Path of Comet 252P Linear during close approach to Earth on March 19, 2016.  Image shows how close came to Earth.

Satellite passes above Comet during imaging.

BAHAMAS OBSERVING MARCH 2016

Location:  Off the coast of Nassau, Bahamas, aboard the Norwegian Breakaway.  Set up on our Port side Balcony and on the upper deck facing the starboard side.

Date Time:  March 2 and 3, 2016 1930-2000hrs and 0403-0535hrs EST

Weather:  Mostly clear in the evening to mostly cloudy in the morning.  No wind in the evening to strong gusting winds in the morning, a warm 28C humid.

Equipment:  Canon Rebel Xsi with 18-55 and 75-300 mm lenses, 20x80 binoculars and a tripod.

Attendance:  Myself.

Objective:  To locate, view and image Constellation Crux and Alpha Centauri which was due to be just above the southern horizon at 4am EST from Nassau, BH according to the star chart at heavens-above.com

Highlights:

• Images turned out poor in the morning due to high gusting winds and moving ship.
• Due to clouds across most of the sky, the Southern Cross nor Alpha Centauri could not be located. Took many images of southern sky, off starboard side of ship, to see if camera could capture stars through the clouds.  Some stars could be seen, but not enough to confirm a constellation.
• Observed a Waning Crescent Moon, halfway up in the eastern sky in the morning.
• Jupiter was halfway up in the western sky in the morning.
• No shooting stars were seen, one satellite was seen in the evening.

Images:

Big Dipper above a passing ship, off the Port side March 2, 2016 0728hrs EST.

Moon upper left, over the bow of ship.  Nassau, BH in distance on the horizon.  Some stars through clouds off starboard side from the top deck of the Norwegian Breakaway.  March 3, 2016 0416hrs EST.

Jupiter next to a bright star in Leo.  March 3, 2016 0506hrs EST.

Jupiter, almost directly aft March 3, 2016 0532hrs EST.

March 3, 2016 0458hrs EST.

Starboard side looking for stars March 3, 2016 0528hrs EST.

Starboard side looking for stars March 3, 2016 0528hrs EST.

Starboard side looking for stars March 3, 2016 0529hrs EST.

Starboard side looking for stars March 3, 2016 0530hrs EST.

MOON JUPITER CONJUNCTION

Location:  Front yard, Little Lepreau, NB, Canada.

Date Time:  February 23, 2016 2330-2345hrs

Weather:  Lots of hazy, see through clouds leading to a forecasted snow/rain for next day.  No wind -12C.

Attendance:  Myself

Equipment:  Canon Rebel Xsi with 75-300mm and 18-55mm lenses, tripod.

Objective:  To view and image Moon/Jupiter conjunction, which I viewed earlier in the evening.

Highlights:

• Moon was 98% illuminated on this night, one day past full.
• With arm out-stretched, Jupiter was less than one finger width away from the Moon.  This would make it approximately 2 degrees separation between the two celestial bodies.
• Images taken with both lenses.  Clouds made images extremely bright so that only a low ISO and a very quick shutter speed could be used.
• Orion was lowering in the western sky.
• No Satellites or shooting stars were seen.

Images:

Image shows hazy see-through clouds.

ISO 400, 2.5 seconds, F/4.5 and focal length of 25mm.

ISO 100, 1/160 second, F/5.6 and focal length of 300mm.

SNOW MOON 2016

Location:  Front deck in Little Lepreau, NB, Canada

Date Time:  February 22, 2016 2015-2145hrs

Weather:  Clear, no wind to very slight breeze, -9C windchill -17C.

Equipment:  Canadian Telescopes 80 ED/APO on Vixen Mount with 12mm eyepiece and a yellow light filter.  Canon Rebel Xsi with attachment for telescope eyepiece.

Attendance:  Myself.

Objective:  To image and view the Full Snow Moon that was to be rising at observing time.

Highlights:

• Quickly imaged these objects before observing:  Full Moon, Jupiter and four of its Moons, Jupiter alone, Sirius, Betelgeuse, Orion's Head area, Orion's Belt including double star Mintaka, M45 and Mizar and Alcor in Ursa Major.
• Note:  While imaging attempted to use Barlow to increase magnification of images, but could not get image to come to focus in view screen.  Further investigation need to rectify situation.
• Attached yellow light filter to 12mm eyepiece than inserted eyepiece into diagonal.  Viewed the Moon.  Much detail could be seen and the yellow light seemed to make the very bright Moon easier to look at.
• Viewed Jupiter with same eyepiece and filter.  Storm bands were easily seen and Jupiter's moons were spread two on one side close and two farther away on the other side.  Very nice sight indeed.
• No Shooting Stars or Satellites were seen.

Images:

Jupiter and four of its Moons.

Jupiter.

OBSERVING REPORT FOR FEBRUARY 10, 2016

Location:  Side yard off driveway, Little Lepreau, NB, Canada.

Date Time:  Feb 10/16 1800-2030hrs

Weather:  Mostly clear to mostly cloudy calling for snow flurries of possibly 10cm by morning.  No wind, -9C, no windchill and no wind.

Equipment:  Canadian Telescopes 80 ED/APO f/6.25 with 32mm eyepiece, camera adapter mounted on a Vixen Alt/Az mount and a Canon Rebel Xsi camera with 18-55mm and 75-300mm lenses.

Attendance:  Myself.

Objective:  To view and image Moon and two comets:  C/2013 US10 Catalina in Camelopardalis and C/2013 X1 Panstarrs in Pegasus.

Report:

• Viewed and imaged a thin crescent moon part way up in the western sky from 1800-1850hrs.  Clouds moved in through most of the western and southern sky, covering the moon after 1850hrs.  Moon was thin and Earthshine showed up in the eyepiece and in images.
• Attempted to view and image Catalina, but could not find it above Polaris in Camelopardalis in the eyepiece.  My first attempt was in the wrong direction(under Polaris), but after checking heavens-above.com the correct location was scanned.  By this time, this part of the sky was starting to cloud over.  Images of the region it was thought to be in were taken.  Preliminary viewing did not spot the faint magnitude 7 comet in the view screen.  After reviewing processed image taken, a very faint Catalina was captured in image!
• Comet Panstarrs, in Pegasus was too close to the Moon, too low in the sky and there was too much hazy cloud to even attempt to locate the magnitude 9 comet.  No attempt was made.
• Viewed and imaged Ursa Major, standing on its tail in the NE, Cassiopeia in the NW, Polaris due North and Orion in the SE, in between clouds.  Captured a Satellite going through Ursa Major in an image.  Attempted to image double star system Mizar and Alcor but clouds moved in as camera was being set in that direction.
• Clouds completely took over the entire sky by 2030hrs.
• No shooting stars were seen and one satellite.

Note:  The following morning, February 11, by 0930hrs, at least 25cm of light snow had fallen.

Images:

Moon Camera attached to telescope at prime focus, 1/6 second, ISO 200, f/6.5

Earthshine at 1846hrs.  Camera attached to telescope at prime focus, 3.2 second exposure, f/6.5, ISO 100.

Orion obove the clouds at 1935hrs, 25 second exposure, ISO 1600, f/4.5 

Polaris over a Hemlock tree at 1933hrs 25 second exposure, ISO 1600, f/4.5

Catalina in Camelapardalis at 2012hrs, 25 second exposure, ISO 1600, focal length 120mm, f/4.5

Satellite flies through Ursa Major at 1930hrs, f/4.5, focal length 1930hrs, 25 second exposure.

CATALINA NOW EVENING TARGET

Location:  Front Porch, Little Lepreau, NB, Canada

Date Time:  January 14, 2016, 2245hrs-2330hrs

Weather: Mostly clear, breezy at times, -17C with reported windchill of -23C.

Attendance:  Myself.

Equipment:  Canadian Telescopes 80 ED/APO on Vixen Alt/Az mount with 19mm eyepiece.  Canon Rebel Xsi with adapter.

Objective:  To view and image comet Catalina which was reported to be next to Alkaid in Ursa Major.

Highlights:

• As observing time began, a crescent Moon was sinking low in the west.
• Comet Catalina was instantly found next to Alkaid in Ursa Major and imaged.  The Big Dipper was hanging halfway up in the sky, standing on its handle.  Comet appeared in the eyepiece as a very large wispy, dark cloud with a star like center.  A faint fan like shape on one side.
• Jupiter was located, viewed and imaged.  It was low in the East and rising during observing time.   In the eyepiece, the four big moons were all on one side during observing with one very close to the Gas Giant.  No storm cloud detail could be seen on Jupiter's disk.  Maybe because of its low position in the sky.  This doesn't help observing due to all Earths' atmosphere light has to travel though to reach your eye.
• A quick search for M101 was done to no avail.  It has been reported that Catalina will be passing close to M101 soon.  The comet is traveling very quickly across the sky at 2 degrees per day!
• Sirius was high in the south at 2315hrs.  It is the brightest and closest star we can see from NB with the naked eye.  In the eyepiece, it shines brilliantly white almost bluish.  It does have a companion star, but requires a much larger telescope to split.
• M42 and M43 were very impressive in the eyepiece.  Very large, taking up most of the field of view with reds and blues showing up nicely with lots of structure and forms to marvel at!  Amazing sight to see!
• A search for diffuse nebula M78 was done, over Alnitak in Orion the Hunter.  In the eyepiece, it appeared as an almost squarish, very bright white object.  It was easy to find in between Betelgeuse and Alnitak, closer to Alnitak.  According to William Henry Smyth in his 1881 'A Cycle of Celestial Objects', "Two stars in a "wispy" nebula, just above Orion's left hip; where a ray from B carried between the center and the last stars of the belt , and extended 2 degrees farther picks it up."
• No shooting stars or satellites were seen.

Images:

ISO 1600, 1x8sec, processed on arcsoftmediaimpressions.

ISO 400, 1x1/8sec, processed on arcsoftmediaimpressions.