GRS TRANSIT TONIGHT SATURDAY 10.30PM

[paulastro]

Not a bad night forecast for tonight, at least for us northern folks

GRS Transit tonight at 10.30pm, Jupiter azimuth 211 degrees, altitude 9 degrees at this time, higher further south of course.

A Europa transit starts 11.25pm, shadow follows some time later but Jupiter will be very low by the time the shadow comes onto the disk.

 

Moonrise at 9.40pm this evening,  13.7 degrees altitude by 11.30pm, 17 degrees by midnight, transits around 3am at 28 degrees altitude.

 

For Lunar buffs:  Mare Crisium, Langrenus and Petavius are well placed on the Lunar terminator at 11.30pm, altitude 13.7 degrees.

 

Good luck if you are planning to observe.

 

Edited August 17, 2019 by paulastro

[John]

Not a good forecast down here but you never know !

Thanks for the heads up anyway

[JamesF]

According to the Met Office it's looking fairly promising here.  Plenty of time for them to change their minds yet though.

James

[andrew63]

Just cut the lawn and It's cleared up here after rain. I'm only just across the channel from you guys so it could be fine. 

 

andrew

[John]

Actually it's still looking pretty good here as well - my earlier post might have been too pessimistic

[JamesF]

Well, it's all gone chest uppermost here

Not three hours ago they were telling me it would be clear skies for the remainder of the afternoon and then into the night until 3am.  Right now I have 100% cloud cover and it looks so ominous that I've closed up the observatory roof.  The forecast window of clear sky after dark has closed down enormously, too.  Looks like I'll be lucky if I get a couple of hours according to the current forecast.

James

[John]

It's clouded over here now - that sort of barred high level stuff that does not bring rain but does mean that you can't do astronomy

[Stu]

Doesn't look good here so I won't be going out. Good luck for those 'Up North' 👍

[John]

Looks like its a "kit tinkering" evening here now

[JamesF]

It's certainly getting that way.  No clear skies forecast before midnight now :(

James

[paul mc c]

Clear here,but a bit windy,seeing isnt great but just had a look and the GRS is just on view,hopefully the air will steady in the next hour.

[JamesF]

*Sigh*

The forecast is now cloudy pretty much all night.  I think it's time to give up and open a bottle.

James

[Dragon_Astro]

The clear forecast has disappeared, with a sudden downpour signing it all off.

I wanted to catch the GRS :(

[paulastro]

Out from 8,40pm to 10.00pm when Jupiter finally went out of view behind the trees in the SW so couldn't see it at transit time.  The seeing was very poor at times (and frequent clouds blotting it out completely ), but a few views when the GRS was just visible as it came onto the disk.  Couldn't help but think back how big and red it used to be in the 70's, I think it ought to be called the 'not so great red spot' now.  Struggled to see it at times.  Mind you, not complaining, still nice to see it, and some reasonable detail elsewhere on the planet at times.  I'm glad I was observing all those years ago though when the GRS was a really obvious, wonderful and impressive object.

Later on had some reasonable views of Saturn and the Moon. 

All observations with SW 120ED, binoviewer with 24mm Orthos.  Pic of the Moon taken at prime focus, Olympus E-M5 Mk11, 1/800 sec at 400 asa, Ercole Mount.