Report from tonight 3/6/06

[Kain]

I bet your getting bored of these!

Tonight wasn't as good as last night, high cirrus was a problem giving everything that was bright enough to see a halo, however a few gaps allowed for some viewing.

First up was Jupiter, now I hate to say this, but this planet is getting old now through my scope, same thing viewed night after night..so I didn't do much with the big un' tonight..

So I went to Ursa Major to see if I could see M108/109..After spending half an hour looking for them both..I gave up. Perhaps I did see them..I just honestly don't know what I'm looking for as an image.So abit hit and miss there. I then decided to look for M81/82...guess what, I couldn't blumming find them I found a little group of about 3 stars up there, but thats about it..At this point I was getting abit fed up, and I had a torch shined in my eyes so I went in and had a cuppa

Came back out after half an hour and went straight to M13, This I found instantly now I know where it is, I took it down to a 6.5mm EP and could see loads of stars! Even more impressed with this than I was last night, I love the colour of the whole thing! Great stuff! Anyway went back down to a 20mm EP and went on another search..

I popped over to Lyra to look for M57, I think I was looking in the right place, directly in the middle of Beta/Gamma Lyr.. Couldn't see it though, maybe the 20mm EP is to weak for that for my scope..

From there I decided to look for something I ain't tried to see yet, so I went to Canes Venatici I found the constellation really easy, just looked up the Bottom of Ursa Major! Having found that I tried to see if I could see M94..could I hell, looked all around and couldn't see anything that looked like a smudge, though I did see a greenish star, thats was quite nice (knowing me that was probably M94 but I didn't know what to look for) I also have a pop at finding M51..Guess what no joy there

By this time I was getting a little frustrated (sad I know) I don't know if it's the fact I dunno what I'm meant to see down the EP, or the fact I am seeing what I'm looking for, and when I try with the Dobs I will see something that will stand out much better I dunno.. In Canes Venatici I did see a metoer! so not all was wasted there..

I didn't really know what to look at now, the clouds were being a total pain so I had a look at some stars. Mizar and Alcor and Mizars little double star, and also a couple of doubles in Lyra, not that exciting, but it was something..

I think I saw a Iridium Flare though!! Something streaked across the sky sometimes between half 10 and 11..Super bright it was, I thought it could be an meteor, but it was far to bright! So maybe it was a IF I don't know..It was cool either way!

Quite a disappointing night really, I think I may be expecting to much from my scope and I will do better with the Dobs in July..

M13 was the star of the show again tonight, I can't believe how all them stars are not visible with the unaided eyes...Theres 1000s of them! (though a 6.5mm EP anyway!)

At least we could get thunderstorms tomorrow , It's not all bad lol

Kain

[radioactive]

Kain just checked for iridium flares in your area for the last 48 hours their has been only three for around Bridnorth

Date Local

Time Intensity

( Mag) Alt.  Azimuth  Distance to

flare centre Intensity at

flare centre

(Mag.) Satellite

02 Jun 23:11:02 -2 34° 266° (W ) 30.8 km (E) -7 Iridium 61

03 Jun 00:37:31 -0 54° 215° (SW ) 38.4 km (E) -8 Iridium 83

03 Jun 22:21:46 -5 11° 344° (NNW) 14.5 km (W) -5 Iridium 91

maybe one of these  is what you saw 

keep up the reports  they make for an interesting read 

these are the predicticted iridium flares in your area for the next 7 nights Kain

Search Period Start: 02:44, Sunday, 04 June, 2006

Search Period End: 03:44, Sunday, 11 June, 2006

Observer's Location: Bridgnorth ( 52.5380°N, 2.4200°W)

Local Time: British Summer Time (GMT + 1:00)

Date Local

Time Intensity

( Mag) Alt. Azimuth Distance to

flare centre Intensity at

flare centre

(Mag.) Satellite

04 Jun 23:08:11 -3 30° 271° (W ) 25.8 km (W) -7 Iridium 7

05 Jun 02:10:43 -1 57° 165° (SSE) 23.8 km (W) -8 Iridium 80

05 Jun 03:38:55 -1 52° 293° (WNW) 26.1 km (W) -8 Iridium 72

05 Jun 22:33:28 -0 19° 290° (WNW) 98.3 km (E) -6 Iridium 91

05 Jun 23:02:11 -3 31° 272° (W ) 24.6 km (E) -7 Iridium 37

06 Jun 00:28:29 -2 50° 228° (SW ) 21.8 km (W) -8 Iridium 13

06 Jun 02:04:39 -8 56° 164° (SSE) 3.6 km (E) -8 Iridium 81

06 Jun 03:32:49 -8 52° 295° (WNW) 1.5 km (E) -8 Iridium 62

07 Jun 00:22:27 -4 51° 228° (SW ) 11.1 km (E) -8 Iridium 50

07 Jun 03:26:41 -1 52° 297° (WNW) 27.5 km (E) -8 Iridium 65

07 Jun 22:49:45 -2 12° 300° (WNW) 77.0 km (W) -5 Iridium 91

07 Jun 22:59:21 -5 27° 277° (W ) 16.3 km (W) -7 Iridium 6

08 Jun 22:53:23 -2 27° 279° (W ) 40.1 km (E) -7 Iridium 4

09 Jun 22:56:37 -2 24° 282° (WNW) 44.0 km (W) -7 Iridium 34

10 Jun 01:49:31 -0 58° 181° (S ) 30.9 km (W) -8 Iridium 41

10 Jun 03:17:25 -0 45° 299° (WNW) 42.9 km (W) -8 Iridium 64

10 Jun 22:50:35 -3 25° 283° (WNW) 30.7 km (E) -6 Iridium 5

11 Jun 00:07:24 -4 47° 239° (WSW) 13.0 km (W) -8 Iridium 52

11 Jun 01:43:28 -8 58° 180° (S ) 0.3 km (W) -8 Iridium 42

11 Jun 03:11:21 -3 44° 301° (WNW) 16.3 km (W) -8 Iridium 67

regards

[Kain]

It could well have been this one

03 Jun 22:21:46 -5 11° 344° (NNW) 14.5 km (W) -5 Iridium 91

I wen't keeping time, so it was only an estimated guess of the time in my origional post. Thats quite cool then that I could have seen a IF

Kain

[OXO]

Yeah sure looks like you seen a IF Kain cool eh! now try getting a photo that would be really good

James

[geppetto]

Another good report Kain.

Your doing great with that 114mm scope 8)

Cant wait till you get your 8" DOB, your going to be blown away

[Kain]

Yeah I'm really looking forward to getting the Dobs...not long now

Just seen some daylight stuff, more Mamma clouds lol..

Incidentally, could that green star been the cats eye?

Kain

[Astroman]

The green star was most likely an illusion, Kain. Stars don't shine in that band because the rest of their visible light drowns it out. It could easily have been a double star, though. Close doubles of different spectral classes, read "colors", can affect how you see the fainter one. Antares for instance is a bright red giant accompanied by a fainter yellow dwarf. When split, the dwarf appears decidedly green in contrast. While the Cat's Eye nebula does apprae green in the EP, but it's quite far from M94.

[FLO]

Good report Kain

I haven't seen an iridium flair yet so your already ahead of me there

[tom.yates]

Good report Kain.