To clarify, I know next Friday SLAS has a Harmon's Party but I think if the forecast holds next Friday I'll head up to Wolf Creek. On Sat, Aug 7, 2010 at 12:16 PM, Jay Eads <jayleads@gmail.com> wrote:
Great report Fletch!
Tuesday on next week look really good. I think on Tuesday night I'll head up to Wolf Creek to come home Wednesday (and then I'll probably either go to the Pit or my new observing area beyond the Pit in Rush Valley that is elevated based on conditions i.e. humidity).
I know SLAS has a Harmon's Party but I also think with the way the forecast is today, I'll probably head back to Wolf Creek if the forecast holds out for drier and more stable air. Again thanks Fletch for the report.
On Sat, Aug 7, 2010 at 11:15 AM, Joe Bauman <josephmbauman@yahoo.com>wrote:
Really nice report, Fletch. Now if we would-be astrophotographers could get a night like that without a breeze ....
--- On Sat, 8/7/10, Fletcher Gross <gross@math.utah.edu> wrote:
From: Fletcher Gross <gross@math.utah.edu> Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Wolf Creek Friday night To: "'Utah Astronomy'" <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Date: Saturday, August 7, 2010, 10:51 AM
Despite the poor weather forecasts, I decided to have faith in the Clear Sky Clock and go to Wolf Creek. I also wanted to see what it was like since I had never been there before. Am I glad I went!
I arrived at 6:30, set up my equipment and waited for Venus to appear. One of my hopes (the only one not fulfilled) was to see all the planets (including Pluto) in one night. This required aligning quickly on Venus and then finding Mercury. I found Venus at 9:00 which gave me plenty of time to go to Mercury. Unfortunately, there was a band of low clouds in the west which made that impossible. By the time the clouds had dissipated, Mercury had set. I did manage to find all the other planets (including Pluto) by the time I was through.
Initially, there were clouds in the west which moved to the North and prospects seemed dubious. After the first few planets, I stuck to objects in the South only to discover that by about 10:15, all (and I do mean all) the clouds had disappeared. The sky was clear and dark and compared with the best nights at Bryce. I was like a kid in a candy store. There was some wind which could have made photography impossible but it didn't affect visual work. The winds would alternate between gusts and quiet; I would just wait for the quiet times. For example, I had a very clear view of Jupiter without its Southern Equatorial Band while the other one was clearly defined.
I saw so many good things that I won't try to list them all. The view of the Swan Nebula (M 17) was as good as any I have ever had. For the first time, I was able to make out the North America Nebula (of course for the nebulae, I used filters). Also for the first time I can remember, I could see the Double Cluster with my naked eye. Almost all my viewing was with my 10" SCT but I also brought some 10x50 binoculars and the view of the Andromeda Galaxy, M 31, through the binoculars was simply spectacular.
Every cluster, whether open or globular, was at its finest. As is my personal preference, I looked at several carbon stars. The best was S Cephei with V Aquilae close behind. Normally T Lyrae would be with them but for the last few months, it has had less color than usual. Other carbon stars that showed well were TX Piscium and VX Andromedae.
I saw flashes undoubtedly due to lightning in the distance but they were so far away that I couldn't hear any thunder and at no time was there any threat of rain. When I finally got too tired to go on, some clouds began to creep in but by the time, I was in bed, the clouds had disappeared again. As far as I can tell, the seeing was good the entire night. When I woke up at 5:00, Orion was just coming over the horizon and I was tempted but was too tired to look at it.
All in all, a terrific night. I'm sorry more people didn't come (there was one other observer), especially as tonight looks dreadful.
Fletch
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-- Jay Eads
-- Jay Eads