2018 Astro Events

 

Jan 24 Wed eve 9pm - Graze of 4.3 in Los Gatos and San Mateo coast. Results: We'd planned a big confab for this, the brightest graze of the year for Bay Area IOTA'rs. We'd planned along Los Gatos Creek in San Jose, but enthusiasm faded with the weather, and in the end it was rained out

Jan 31 Wed morn 4-6am - Total Lunar Eclipse. Results: Went to UCSC Upper Meadow with Kirk for photography. My photo page

Mar 16-18 Fri-Sun - Astro 25 Field Astronomy course, to Laguna Mtn. Results: Cold, wild weather, but we did get clear skies Saturday night, and a rain-free hike to Laguna Gorge waterfall. Photopage.

Mar 26 Mon morn 6am - Occultation of 11.2 by Thisbe, drop 0.8, from Santa Cruz and the planning and results page Results: Got a ~4 sec occultation recorded in clear skies from home

Mar 27 Tue eve 8:38pm - Occultation of by Rockefellia 12.9 combined, 18% odds from home. Planning and results page Results: Got a ~3 sec occultation recorded in clear skies, from home, during Spring Break.

Apr 17 Tue eve 9:30pm - Occultation of 9.1 by the asteroid Whitford, low rank, try from Santa Cruz. Results: had a "no observation" from home, as clouds frustrated acquiring the star.

Apr 26 9:16pm - Occultation by Priscilla of 11.8, from Monterey Bay area. 12.8% odds but worth a try since I'll be at home anyway. Results: Got a video recording. A miss.

May 3 Thur 10pm -Occultation of 11.3 by Virginia, from Bay Area, high rank, good event. Planning Page Results: Scope got banged during packing, and it refused to power up after arriving at Alum Rock Park. It can't be operated manually, so that was the end of that effort.

Jun 7 Thur eve 11:46pm - Occultation of 12.5 star by Sinope, low rank, Jupiter outer moon. Planning and results page : Results: equipment trouble, no observation

Jul 7 Sat 10:20pm - Occultation of 14.9 by KBO Quaoar, from US. Altitude 33, central CA inside southern limit, as is most of the U.S. Results: A miss, Planning and Results

Jul 10 Tue eve 10:33pm - Occultation of v=11.8 star by Pulcova and its 19km satellite (?). High rank from Santa Cruz near centerline. Planning and results page Results: A 17 sec successful recording

Jul 13 Fri eve 11:48pm - Occultation of 9.3 by Christa, high rank, across Carrizo Plain, a bit south of Trail of 100 Giants, but Chimney Pk campsite inside path and probably good. Target not too hard to find, in the "teaspoon" of Sagittarius Results: Cloud covered just moments before the event, then cleared. No data

Jul 13-15 - Astro 25 "Field Astro in the Calif Mtns" - at Chimney Peak Results: Asteroid event clouded out, but got good skies mostly, and fascinating explorations of Native American ancient pictographs on a remote mountain.

Aug 7-11 - Astrophotography and bristlecone studies at Barcroft Research Station-EBAS , and Research Facilities Results: Photo page and story

Aug 14 - Tue eve 10:30pm. Occultation of 12.9 star by Pluto. Northern limit across Central CA. Latest path looks good for getting the data from here and FPO. Planning page and Results Results: A successful video recording from Fremont Peak's 30" Challenger Telescope!

Sept 16 Sunday 1:48am - Occultation of 7.2 by Sappho, one of the big events of '18, will get lots of observers. Get from Pt Reyes . Planning and Results Page Results: A successful 0.866 sec event from Pt Reyes Hostel.

Sept 25 Tue eve 7:39pm - Occultation of 9.4 by Ivar - planning and results page , from Santa Cruz Results: Got a video record of a miss from Gray Whale bike crossing, with several students

Oct 11 Thur eve 8:22pm - Occultation of 12.7 by Iduna, from Santa Cruz. see OW. Planning and results page Results: A successfully recorded miss, Ted Swift got an occultation from Davis area

Oct 12 Fri morn 3am - Occultation of 12.3 by Hildrun, from Santa Cruz, mediocre rank. Planning page and results page. Results: A success! 4 second occultation videorecorded from home

Oct 12-14 - Fri-Sunday - Astro 25 "Field Astronomy in the California Mountains" course. at Stanislaus River/California Caverns. Results: Perfect weather, great viewing with JP, Karl's big binocs, Kirk's 12', and tour of California Cavern, and underground cave swimming at Natural Bridge. Physically and intellectually invigorating trip. Here's the page for this instance of A25

Oct 25 - "An Evening of Discovery: Science, Radio, and the Hubble Space Telescope" at Samper Recital Hall 5:30-9pm: Results: A great evening, we had about 100-130 people attended

Dec 6/7 - Comet Wirtanen and Mars/Neptune from Bonny Doon w/ Kirk B

Dec 12 6:17pm - Occultation of 12.2 by Sirona, from Fremont Pk, 71% odds there, followed by comet Wirtanen photography. Planning and Results Page. Results: Successful 3.0 sec video from Fremont Pk. Clouds then wrecked comet photography for Kirk and I

Dec 18 - My talk at Santa Cruz County Public Library - Scotts Valley "Observing Occultations for Fun and Science"

Dec 21 Fri morn - Occultation of 6.0 ZC 2110 by Venus, at 4 deg altitude. D=3:53:06, R=4:07:00am middle of dark limb. Planning page . Also, Mercury and Jupiter are in conjunction, 1 degree apart just below the head of Scorpio and above Antares. Nice photo op. Results: Clouded out - storm front came through then.

Dec 22 Sat 6:34pm - Occultation of 11.3 by Arne - from north side of Pt Reyes. Reserved bed at Pt Reyes Hostel.Results: Stayed the night at Pt Reyes, but clouded out.

Dec 27 Wed eve - Occultation of 11.9 by 10.6 Interamnia - a "sure thing" from Santa Cruz. Results: Wrecked by low cloud coming in, but also lots of blown fuses in powering equipment