2016 Astro Events
Jan 1 Fri morn 2am - Occultation of 11.7 star by Rosalia, from Santa Cruz. High rank, several chords planned. Results: I got "Nasoned"! Valiantly tried to pull some signal out of the recording, but looks hopeless. The sad story.
Feb 21 Sun eve 7:03pm - Occultation of 12.4 star by Paolicchi, from Bay Area. Poor rank, 12% odds for Cabrillo. Results: I went for it, but cirrus and a full moon and a late return from a very long run, and I wasn't able to get the target star located. Brief story and a couple'a pix here.
Mar 18 Fri eve 9:33pm - Occultation of 11.8 (combined) by Bella, from Cabrillo. Decent rank. Results: Success! Got a several second occultation. Planning and Reductions page
Apr 1/2 Fri - Comet 252P LINEAR at Carrizo Plain. Results: Another great trip, with Kirk. Wildflowers, Trail running, and comet photography. Photo page
Apr 8-10 Fri-Sun - Astro 27/Geo 27 Pinnacles Field class at Pinnacles National Park. Results: Rain/Clouds on both nights, but still had a good time. No astro clubbers
May 9 Monday - Transit of Mercury. Results: mostly fogged out, but some pix of the adventure are here
Jun 3/4 - Astrophoto trip to Laguna Mtn with Kirk, JP, Chris K for Comet PANSTARRS/Helix Nebula conjunction. Results: Some clouds, some equipment trouble, but did get some shots, and the story is here.
June 24-26 - The first offering of Astro 25, at Indian Creek Reservoir. Results: Clear dark skies, great astronomy sessions, hike to a waterfall. Went well.
Jun 28 Tue eve - 10:40pm Occultation of 12.1 star by Riga, from Pt Reyes. So. limit across Hayward, and 1sig line across Big Basin Results: a miss,the story
Aug 15 Mon morn - 3:09am Occultation of 10.9 star by 10.5 Nina, from SF Bay to SC Mtns. Results: Got a solid occultation from Radnovich Ranch up off Highland Way. Derek as well. The story and reductions
Sept 6 - Tue eve at 9:28:14pm Occultation of 11.1 by Rogeria; 10% odds at Cab Obs w/ Astro 8A first night at the Observatory. Results: Planning and Results page , and I had a successful miss, followed by the frying of some electronics (apparently) in the 10".
Oct 1 Sat eve - Occultation of 10.3 star by Laplace, from Russian River , 18% odds from Olema.. path map , Preston page , PlanningPage Results: set up at Chicken Ranch Beach on Tomales Bay; but dew fogged the corrector of the LXD75 scope. Got no observations. Will link a page with some pix later.
Oct 18 Tue eve - Graze of Aldebaren, from LA, Apple Valley, 12n 86+ moon 20 altitude. Results: Big success for Apple Valley team, not so much for Dunham's San Gabriel Reservoir team. Pix and Data page
Nov .xx - Photo session for the Super Moon with Astro 9 students, at Upper Meadow of UCSC Results: Got lots of pictures, pix page
Dec 28 Wed 5:52:31pm - Occultation of 11.9 by Aeterias, 11.6 combined magnitude, will try from announced Montara Hostel site where odds are 70%. Planning and pictures page
Dec 31 - Sat eve: Neptune and Mars just 6' apart at the end of twilight, for a photo op at Cabrillo Observatory. Also, the cresent moon is just 3 degrees from Comet 45P. Results: Get-together with Jay, Benno, Kirk. Got nice images - Pix Page