Observing tonight?

[Jeff Newland]

Just outside the front door and watching this.  Callisto is hidden now.  Io on one side and Ganymede and Europa are very close to each other on the other side.  Io will disappear at 10:44.

Here is a link that shows the positions:  http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/javascript/jupiter

[Jeff Newland]

Ganymede and Europa farther apart and getting closer to Jupiter.  Io also getting closer Jupiter.

[Jeff Newland]

Io (and Callisto a long time ago) behind Jupiter, Europa transiting, only Ganymede out and about now.

[Jeff Newland]

Moons gone, awaiting a shadow.   

[Jeff Newland]

Europa's shadow is now crossing.   Tonight... Cool... 

Dean, thanks for the heads up at the last meeting.  Rebecca, thanks for the timeline.  It's been fun!   

All for me for tonight.  Check out the shadow progression and probably head to bed soon.  Bedtime now for this Bonzo.   

[Randy H]

I had just realized this event late last night before bed and it was too late to haul out the dob, but I have my 6" Dynascope always set up. So I pulled that out back behind the house for a view. Jupiter, naked, without moons was surreal. Very cool.

[Dean Johnson]

I stayed up until 2:30 a.m. and saw the last three moons disappear (Io, Europa and Ganymede). I also saw Europa's shadow cross most of Jupiter and witnessed Io coming out of Jupiter's shadow. Way cool.

The last thing I saw was Europa reappearing while its shadow was still on Jupiter.

I couldn't wait for the Ganymede transit, I had to go to work in the woods today. But yesterday I was able to identify and dig my very first Ginseng plant AND see the Jupiter show. A great day! I had four astronomy interested locals with me up on my deck at home for that. AGNFA!

Today not so good. Bees got me about 5 or 6 times and chased me through the woods for 100 yards before they gave up.  Oh well.

[rabomgaars]

I'm exhausted!  Set up the scope at the end of a long grass pier that juts into Green Bay.  It was very lonely and I kept watching my back. But I was out from 10:30 until about 1:15 - going back inside the house to look at Sky & Tel website (thanks, Jeff) to confirm what I was seeing.  Ended up putting in the 32mm with the 2xBarlow and finally got a good enough view to see Jupiter's rings and the moons disappearing.  Crashed fully dressed on the couch and the dog woke me up at 3:15 so I went out again - moon (the big one) was fabulous.  Crashed second time and everyone got up at 5:30 to pack up the cars to leave Door County so I got not much sleep.  How lucky that the weather in northern Wis was fantastic - lights of nearest town did not matter much as moon was so bright.  Set up the scope other times while I was there and gave Kate and Chris and my mom a quick tour of the sky. Also attended the monthly meeting of the Door County Astronomical Society at their observatory near Sturgeon Bay.  A full week.  B

Jeff., I put in the 40mm lense - it must be mine!  b

[Dean Johnson]

Good for you, Stabie! You had a very interesting week. I went to the Door County NCRAL in 2005, my first, and was very impressed with the area. How lucky you are to see the Jupiter show from there. You also had AGNFA!

[darkskyjim]

I stayed up until 2:30 a.m. and saw the last three moons disappear (Io, Europa and Ganymede). I also saw Europa's shadow cross most of Jupiter and witnessed Io coming out of Jupiter's shadow. Way cool.

The last thing I saw was Europa reappearing while its shadow was still on Jupiter.

I couldn't wait for the Ganymede transit, I had to go to work in the woods today. But yesterday I was able to identify and dig my very first Ginseng plant AND see the Jupiter show. A great day! I had four astronomy interested locals with me up on my deck at home for that. AGNFA!

Today not so good. Bees got me about 5 or 6 times and chased me through the woods for 100 yards before they gave up.  Oh well.

Cool!  I hear its pretty tough finding Ginseng down there but my neighbor Leonard is always looking.
I got a chuckle about the bees :-)  Sounds like I missed another good observing session ;-(
Jim

[Dean Johnson]

Hello astronomy fans! I had a nice but short night tonight.

I went out at 7 p.m. to get my weekly  observation on the sunset for the Planetary/Solar System Observers award. The skies were completely clear, but hazy at the horizons.
I could look at the Sun directly at the horizon with no optical stress at all.

I got a very nice observation of Jupiter. All four Galilean moons showed, and Callisto was as far away from Jupiter as I have ever seen it. Very cool.

The Moon came up at 8:10 p.m. I thought I'd have more dark sky time, but no big deal. I went through my Lunar II list and found that I could do the Craters Messier, Messier A and the rays that extend through Mare Fecunditatis. It was suprisingly easy to see and I was able to draw it in detail once I cracked up the magnification to 200X.

Then clouds moved across the Moon and I packed it in. More tomorrow night. See you all Tuesday!

[rabomgaars]

Dean, I have been looking at Palus Somni.  What is the white line that goes through Mare Serenitatis from SW (around Menelaus) to NE?
Tried to look it up in Rukl and didn't find much.  Boy, are Messier and Messier A small!  B

[Dean Johnson]

Hi Starbie. The best explanation that I can get on that is the white line you see in Paulus Somni is that it is a ray from the impact of the crater Proclus. (Page 93 of THE MODERN MOON by Charles Wood).

I haven't looked at it myself lately, but will try see it tonight if conditions and Moon phase permit. Proclus has to be sketched at Lunar sunrise and Lunar sunset anyway for the Lunar II program.

I hope this helps. I got both the Rukl atlas and the Charles Wood book at the same time, but hardly use the Modern Moon book anymore. It now keeps an honored place in my library. Its handy for questions like this though.

[Dean Johnson]

Is there any interest in going to Eagle Bluff on Friday night?

[Jerome Taubel]

Dean - Jillissa and I were planning on Eagle Bluff this Friday night.