1536m 2013/08/05

1536m 2013/08/05 05:10–05:50 E-facing window 9 ne

A wonderfully clear bright morning! I rose at 05:10 and immediately spotted Jupiter. Mars was more difficult against the brightening dawn sky. Then bright Mercury cleared the trees at 05:12. When I looked again at 05:50, the slender crescent Moon was well above the trees, and I could just make out Mercury above it. Jupiter was still visible, but Mars was lost in the sky's brightness. Starry Night makes a nice composite of all these events as of 05:50:

 
Temperature: 9°C

1535e 2013/05/29–30

1535e 2013/05/29–30 22:18 W facing window 8 ne

Bright meteor seen through living room window, about 0 magnitude, just below Regulus. Very foggy and humid outside.

1534e 2013/05/26–27

1534e 2013/05/26–27 20:50–21:10 EDT S of 1177 Wainman Line 9 ne 10x50b 

Triple conjunction of Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter.

It was a bit more transparent tonight. I spotted Mercury with the 10x50 at 20:59 and with ne at 21:04. The three formed a near-perfect equilateral triangle tonight.

1533e 2013/05/25–26

1533e 2013/05/25–26 20:50–21:15 EDT S of 1177 Wainman Line 8 ne 10x50b 

Triple conjunction of Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter.

Transparency not as good as last night. I spotted Venus at 20:32 with 10x50b, and Jupiter almost immediately after: much closer than last night. Mercury was much more elusive, especially since I hadn't checked its position with Starry Night. Finally I could see them all naked eye at 21:12. As last night, Jupiter had a definite disk in the 10x50s.

Temperature 12° C

1532e 2013/05/24–25

1532e 2013/05/24–25 20:50–21:10 EDT S of 1177 Wainman Line 9 ne 10x50b

Triple conjunction of Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter.  Observing from my car at the turn-in to the old house foundation S of my driveway. Here's how it unfolded:

20:50 sunset
20:54 Venus spotted naked eye
20:55 Mercury spotted in 10x50b
21:03 Jupiter spotted in 10x50b
21:04 Jupiter spotted naked eye
21:07 Mercury spotted naked eye

Beautiful rising Full Moon in the east.

Temperature = +4°C

2013/04/22

Louise and I remounted the CPC 1100 in the POD, after bringing it indoors just before we left for Santa Barbara on February 3.

Temperature = 12.1°C (12:25 EDT)

1531d 2013/04/14

1531d 2013/04/14 19:00–19:05 EDT Foxmead W deck 8 10x50b

Jupiter in daylight with 10x50b, using the waxing crescent Moon as a guide, 3 degrees away. Easily visible in binoculars but not with unaided eye. About 1 full hour before local sunset. I tried to spot Jupiter earlier in the day, but clouds interfered.

Spring is coming really late this year. This morning we woke to a snow-covered landscape. It's mostly gone now, and there feels to be a little warming in the air.

Temperature = 4.3°C