Posts Made By: Dave Mitsky

July 18, 2003 06:57 AM Forum: Solar System Observing

Comet LINEAR O7

Posted By Dave Mitsky

I was able to observe C/2002 O7 (LINEAR) during stronomical twilight using the 17" f/15 classical Cassegrain at the ASH Naylor Observatory on Wednesday evening. The comet, which was listed as being magnitude 9.6, was extremely faint and required averted vision and jogging the telescope to be seen at all. It was located low in the southwest near the mid-section of Leo at 11h00m, +10d11'. Magnifications used were 162, 202, and 259x.

Prior to that I saw another horizon-hugging shallow-sky object that will soon be gone from view. Prismatic dispersion made old Jove even more colorful than normal. At 03:19 UT a bright Iridium flare (Iridium 57) took place in the southwest. Just afterward a rather bright meteor flashed through Ophiuchus.

Before taking my leave I watched the Moon and nearby Mars rise in the east. At ~08:00 UT I took a look at the conjunction of those two denizens of the solar system with my Celestron 20x80's.

Dave Mitsky



July 18, 2003 07:30 AM Forum: Solar System Observing

Thursday's Sun, 2003/7/17

Posted By Dave Mitsky

I joined my friend Tony Donnangelo for a bit of solar observing on Thursday morning. Using his Lumicon Solar Prominence H-alpha filter and Takahashi FS-102 apochromat we viewed only a few minor prominences. However, in white light through a Baader AstroSolar filter the sun's disk was sprinkled with sunspots. AR 10409 and 10410 were the standouts.

Dave Mitsky
Harrisburg, PA

July 18, 2003 12:48 PM Forum: Solar System Observing

Atlas 5 Fuel Dump?

Posted By Dave Mitsky

A group of fellow ASH members and I saw a "cloud" from the Naylor Observatory last night between approximately 1:50 and 2:30 UT. First seen low in the southwest it moved rapidly northeastward. Through binoculars and a 5" f/5 finder scope the object initially appeared to be roughly triangular with a somewhat condensed head. Later we viewed it with a 12.5" Newtonian and a 17" classical Cassegrain. Its speed was striking. I noticed a bifurcated tail through the large telescopes. The cloud became increasingly more difficult to see after it passed beneath Arcturus.

A satellite was launched that evening by an Atlas 5 (see http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/atlas5_launch_030717.html ). We assumed the cloud was the result of an orbital fuel dump by that vehicle. I saw such a fuel dump some time ago during an Ariane launch.

Was it in fact a fuel dump from that launch or another or a TMA release perhaps?

Dave Mitsky
Harrisburg, PA

July 25, 2003 06:41 PM Forum: Solar System Observing

Friday's Sun, 2003/7/25

Posted By Dave Mitsky

I joined my friend Tony Donnangelo for some Friday morning (~15:30 to 16:00 UT) H-alpha solar observing today. I arrived after most of the activity that Tony saw some two hours earlier had subsided but there was still a fairly large, horizontally-branching prominence on the trailing limb that slowly morphed into what looked like a loop, as well as a couple of small prominences. A Lumicon Solar Prominence filter allowed us to make these observations.

There were only 3 sunspots to be seen when we switched to a Baader AstroSolar white light filter. The one nearest the preceding limb, AR 10411, seemed to have a double umbra. AR 10414, the largest one, was closer to the sun's center and had a complex umbra. The third spot (AR 10420) was just making headway on the disk from the trailing limb.

We used Tony's Takahashi FS-102 apochromatic refractor and a 3-6mm Tele Vue Nagler zoom, a 5.2mm Pentax SMC XL, a 7mm Nagler type 6, and a 9mm Nagler type 6 during the observing session.

Dave Mitsky

July 25, 2003 07:40 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Mars and the Long Dob, 2003/7/25

Posted By Dave Mitsky

I observed Mars with my 6" f/10 Dobnewt this morning (~7:00 to 7:30 UT) from my residence about 10 kilometers east of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The seeing and transparency were fairly good.

I used a combination of eyepieces (30mm Celestron Ultima, 9mm PMO ortho, 8mm Tele Vue Radian, 7mm Nager type 6, and a 3-6mm Nagler zoom) and a 2x Celestron Ultima Barlow lens. I also employed a number of various filters including a Celestron Wratten #21, Wratten #23, and Wratten #80A, a Sirius MV-1, and an Antares wideband LP filter. The #21 and the Antares LP filter gave the best results overall. The retreating SPC and melt zone were conspicuous as were what looked to be some limb clouds. According to the Mars Previewer program the CM at 7:00 UT was 16 degrees.


July 28, 2003 10:58 PM Forum: Solar System Observing

Mars on the Weekend

Posted By Dave Mitsky

Tony Donnangelo and I observed Mars (and much else as well) from dark sites on Friday and Saturday nights using his 14.5" Starmaster Dob and my 101mm Tele Vue Genesis sdf refractor. Surface features such as the retreating SPC, Hellas, Syrtis Major, Sinus Sabaeus, and Sinus Meridiani were easily seen with the Starmaster. Images were stunning at over 300x. Hellas was bright and oval in shape. Limb clouds or frosts were also seen on the following limb.

The use of an apodizing (or apodising as the case may be) mask on Tony's Newtonian produced excellent results despite the controversy that apodizers seem to engender. Filters used included Wratten #21, 23, 47, and 80A, as well as the Sirius MV-1 and Lumicon Deepsky. On Saturday night thin clouds served as an excellent natural filter at times.

Dave Mitsky

August 5, 2003 07:49 AM Forum: Solar System Observing

Mars at 700x, 2003/7/30 UT

Posted By Dave Mitsky

This is a bit late in coming but I was unable to post it last week due to preparing for and traveling to this year's Stellafane convention.

Last Wednesday morning Tony Donnangelo and I observed Mars at magnifications up to 700x with his 14.5" Starmaster Sky Tracker Dob using his homemade apodizing mask and various filters including a stacked broadband LPR filter. Both the seeing and transparency were excellent (perhaps the best we've experienced during this rather dismal year for observing) at the Longfellow Road dark site in Pennsylvania's Tuscarora State Forrest. The Pipe (Sinus Sabaeus and Sinus Meridiani) was quite a sight as were Hellas, Syrtis Major, and the retreating SPC. My Tele Vue Genesis sdf refractor was also employed to view the Red Planet but at considerably lower magnifications.

Dave Mitsky

August 5, 2003 09:41 AM Forum: Solar System Observing

Solar Flare Seen at Stellafane, 2003/8/2

Posted By Dave Mitsky

The weather was generally pretty dismal at Stellafane this year, especially on Friday when torrential downpours occurred, but on Saturday afternoon the skies cleared enough to allow solar observing to take place. While atop Breezy Hill looking at the telescopes entered in the competition, I had a chance to view the sun in white light through two telescopes employing Herschel wedges. One was a refractor, as one might expect, the other a Newtonian employing non-aluminized mirrors. A number of small sunspots were visible.

When I walked back down to the campgrounds I saw the daystar through John Vogt's 105mm Astro-Physics Traveler and a 70mm Tele Vue Ranger. Both refractors were equipped with Coronado H-alpha filters. The Ranger had a 40mm filter and performed quite well but John's Traveler had two stacked 90mm filters and provided simply amazing views. An enormously long filament snaked across one limb, with a surprisingly wide filament "beneath" it, and several prominences were present. However, the real highlight was a bright solar flare on the sun's disk near the 12 o'clock limb.

Dave Mitsky

August 11, 2003 06:22 AM Forum: Solar System Observing

Late Sunday Night Mars, 2003/8/11 UT

Posted By Dave Mitsky

After a well-attended public observing session at the Naylor Observatory - see http://www.astrohbg.org - came to an end a few of us stayed to observe Mars with our 17" f/15 classical Cassegrain. The weather had been mostly poor earlier in the evening and hadn't improved much in the meantime but Mars was nicely visible nevertheless through occasional thin clouds. The seeing was rather good for the most part, perhaps in partial compensation by the weather gods for the poor transparency. We were able to view Mars until a bit after 05:20 UT when the presence of lightning in the distance suggested that closing the dome might be a wise decision.

At 04:25 UT the CM was 199 degrees. The SPC was noticeably smaller than the last time I had seen it (2003/7/31 UT). Mare Sirenum, Mare Cimmerium, Hesperia, and a trace of Mare Tyrrhenum I believe collectively resembled a wishbone spanning the planet, running horizontally across the field of view. A bright Hellas was apparently making it presence known on the following (eastern) limb.

Magnifications of 218, 249, 259, 324, and 404x were used along with a number of color filters including Wratten #21, #25, #30, and #80A.

Dave Mitsky


August 13, 2003 08:38 AM Forum: Solar System Observing

Daytime Mars Possibility

Posted By Dave Mitsky

For early risers with clear skies there's a chance to see Mars without optical aid during the daylight today. Mars will be to the upper left (east) of the waning gibbous moon, which will serve as an easy marker for later daytime attempts at viewing the Red Planet.

Dave Mitsky