Worth the risk, this time!

Simulated view of Saturn and some of its moons as they appeared at 10:15 PM EDT, June 16, 2012. Image generated using "Gas Giants" for iPad.

The afternoon and evening of June 16 offered up skies that were mostly-cloudy to overcast. I thought there was little chance we would be able to provide Public Night visitors with views of Saturn at Stephens Memorial Observatory. I arrived at the appointed hour and the sky looked poor but, in the distance, there appeared to be clearing. Just as twilight grew dim enough for Saturn and neighboring Spica to appear, the clouds thinned. A little late, the celestial pair began to twinkle through the milky sky and, with the help of a sharp-eyed attendee, was able to aim the telescope and immediately get decent views. Starting at low power then, at last, boosting the magnification to 208X, those who ventured out under doubtful skies were rewarded with fine views of the ringed world. Sightings of moons were difficult though one or two could be spotted near Saturn. We spotted Rhea and Enceladus, as best I can determine, in the high-powered, narrow-angle view. Despite the sky conditions, Saturn shown through and many of the same features seen on the previous night could again be seen! There were glimpses of atmospheric banding, Saturn's shadow was seen on its rings, the "F" ring was visible against the planetary disk, and --this surprised me-- we were getting glimpses of the Cassini Division within the ring system. While the Saturday night sky was not as clear as Friday's, the seeing was steadier which made up for some of the deficiencies. Temperature was about 80 degrees F. Only eight visitors passed through our doors but everyone got very nice views of Saturn, 858 million miles distant, and left happy they took the chance on the sky. Sky conditions did not allow views of fainter objects. Saturn began to fade from view at about 10:30 as clouds thickened, no other visitors arrived, so we closed up.

Alumni stargazing

Saturn and Largest Moons - June 15, 2012 ~ 10 PM EDT. Simulation via "Gas Giants" iPad app.

It is Alumni Weekend at Hiram College this weekend and Friday night featured observing for attendees at Stephens Memorial Observatory. The first visitors arrived at our door during bright twilight and it was a good many minutes before Spica and nearby Saturn began to glimmer in the southern sky. There was a thin veil of cloud high above the region but, as night fell, the veil lifted and revealed decent views of the ringed world. About 27 alumni and family members took a look at Saturn and several of its moons over the course of the warm, 70+ degree evening. Though the seeing was not nearly so good as May's public session, it was still adequate to display the "F" Ring, Saturn's shadow falling across its rings, and hints of color cloud belts. We viewed at three different magnifications but visitors most enjoyed the detail that emerged in our new Brandon eyepieces, particularly 16mm optic that delivered 208X magnification. Common comments were: "Oh, wow!" and "Oh, that's a picture!" which are not unlike what we hear in public sessions. The crowd thinned out rapidly as folks drifted off to social functions but three stayed behind. The sky was dark and at its peak around 10:30 so I swung the big W&S refractor around to find M57 -- the Ring Nebula in Lyra. In short order I picked it up, an object I describe as a gray donut. One alum, in biology, said it reminded her of the shape of a red corpuscle of blood -- actually an apt comparison! We also took a look at Antares blazing away in constellation Scorpius, and open star cluster M4, nearby. Both were impressive and quietly beautiful. In fact, the view of M4 seemed better than some of my previous sightings with bright stars scattered across a bed of diamond dust and with a roughly oblong shape in the FOV. We noticed seeing was rapidly deteriorating and as I escorting our last guests out the door, we looked up -- a thicker veil of clouds was moving into the area. By 11:45 the sky was opaque again.

Transit of Venus

Monochrome Image of Sun, Sunspots, and Venus, June 5, 2012, 7:11 PM. Camera Info: Canon EOS 50D, 400mm lens, ISO 400, f/8, 1/1000 sec., white light film solar filter.

More than 105 people ranging in age from kindergartner to senior citizen took a look at the transit of Venus through telescopes I set up at the former site of the Hiram Elementary School near the Hiram College campus. The once-in-a-lifetime experience was nearly a washout as drizzle and overcast loomed over the area. I set up the telescope mounts in a light drizzle but kept the telescopes in the car - I was discouraged, nearly in despair, and believed we would see nothing. Just a few minutes after the astronomical event began at 6:04 PM, however, the clouds began to thin, then part, and clear views were enjoyed through the rest of the event! Sunset behind a row of trees ended the occasion at about 8:20.

Because I was the person setting up and focusing the telescopes, I got first view and, while I did not see Venus at its first moment of transit, I did observe it between first and second contact. I also observed the thin aureole of Venus's atmosphere as it bridged the solar limb!

I was gratified by the excited and appreciative audience and thanked all who attended the informal event. I had no idea the general public would be so thrilled at the sight of Venus and our Sun together!

People who looked through the three telescopes I set up were treated to different views of the same scene: through a Baader Herschel Wedge (green tint), through a Thousand Oaks orange filter, and through a Lunt solar telescope. In every telescope viewers could see the solid black disk of Venus floating starkly against the Sun. A good assortment of sunspots could also be seen, including web-like detail inside some of the larger marks. In the solar telescope, tuned to what is termed “hydrogen alpha” light, attendees could see solar prominences -- massive fountains of plasma towering thousands of miles above the Sun. Once people discovered that view, it became a favorite sight.

The photos were shot in moments between tending to the telescopes and informing viewers of what they were seeing. They were shot using a Canon 400mm lens with Baader solar film filter, and my Canon EOS 50D, at ISO 400, f/8, 1/1000 sec. What appears as grain is actually patterns in the photosphere - the visible surface of the Sun.