Fellow ASH member Tony Donnangelo and I did some white light and H-alpha solar observing on a very hot late Saturday morning between 15:10 and 15:40 UT using his Takahashi FS-102, Baader AstroSolar filter, and Lumicon Solar Prominence filter. We employed magnifications ranging from 82x (10mm Tele Vue Radian) to 158x (5.2mm Pentax SMC XL). The most striking feature was a rather large and unusual segmented solar prominence. With time the lower portion of
the vertical column formed a loop prominence. After further time passed a spike branched off the top of the arch diagonally. Neither Tony nor I had ever before seen the likes of that. We also viewed two surges, one of which seemed to collapse back upon itself in a rather short period.
Despite local thunderstorms, Tony and I ventured to Camp Site 52 that night. We drove through a towering thunderhead as we neared the site and it began to rain. A number of spectacular lightning bolts arced across the sky. However, just a few minutes later we were on dry road. When we arrived at Little Knob we were treated to clearing skies. Sometimes weather forecasters do get it right! The transparency never got as good as it promised to for a time early in the night but we were still able to do a bit of worthwhile observing with Tony's 10" Meade SCT and my 101mm Tele Vue Genesis sdf refractor until the moon became a hindrance. Tony tracked down Campbell's Hydrogen Star (PK 64+5.1) in Cygnus. I tried out Tony's new 3.5mm Orion Lanthanum Superwide (154x) on a few appropriate targets. Since I was unable to see M33 with the Genesis, which is normally not a problem from a dark site, conditions were just not all that good. The proof of that fact was that neither of us could locate Comet Hoenig.
Last night I helped with the regular Sunday summer public session at the ASH Naylor Observatory (http://www.astrohbg.org). Hot and hazy describes the conditions rather succinctly. It was 89 degrees Fahrenheit inside the French Dome. We were forced to stay with the
brighter showcase objects. A half-illuminated Venus displayed the effects of prismatic dispersion quite effectively. I trained the 17" classical Cassegrain on M57, M11, V Aquilae, and a few other goodies at 118 or 202x. We were able to show visitors a fairly bright Iridium flare (Iridium 84). After everyone else left another ASH member and I stayed to give Comet Hoenig the old college try. Even
with an ephemeris and the Orion Sky Wizard DSC I was unable to find the fuzzball in those miserable skies.
Dave Mitsky
the vertical column formed a loop prominence. After further time passed a spike branched off the top of the arch diagonally. Neither Tony nor I had ever before seen the likes of that. We also viewed two surges, one of which seemed to collapse back upon itself in a rather short period.
Despite local thunderstorms, Tony and I ventured to Camp Site 52 that night. We drove through a towering thunderhead as we neared the site and it began to rain. A number of spectacular lightning bolts arced across the sky. However, just a few minutes later we were on dry road. When we arrived at Little Knob we were treated to clearing skies. Sometimes weather forecasters do get it right! The transparency never got as good as it promised to for a time early in the night but we were still able to do a bit of worthwhile observing with Tony's 10" Meade SCT and my 101mm Tele Vue Genesis sdf refractor until the moon became a hindrance. Tony tracked down Campbell's Hydrogen Star (PK 64+5.1) in Cygnus. I tried out Tony's new 3.5mm Orion Lanthanum Superwide (154x) on a few appropriate targets. Since I was unable to see M33 with the Genesis, which is normally not a problem from a dark site, conditions were just not all that good. The proof of that fact was that neither of us could locate Comet Hoenig.
Last night I helped with the regular Sunday summer public session at the ASH Naylor Observatory (http://www.astrohbg.org). Hot and hazy describes the conditions rather succinctly. It was 89 degrees Fahrenheit inside the French Dome. We were forced to stay with the
brighter showcase objects. A half-illuminated Venus displayed the effects of prismatic dispersion quite effectively. I trained the 17" classical Cassegrain on M57, M11, V Aquilae, and a few other goodies at 118 or 202x. We were able to show visitors a fairly bright Iridium flare (Iridium 84). After everyone else left another ASH member and I stayed to give Comet Hoenig the old college try. Even
with an ephemeris and the Orion Sky Wizard DSC I was unable to find the fuzzball in those miserable skies.
Dave Mitsky
Chance favors the prepared mind.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
