Tony Cook's lunar dark side recordings of Nov. 16-22
Added to this site 2001 Nov. 26David, For observing I managed to have a balcony on an 11th floor apartment facing West not far from Land Mark mall on 17th & 18th. This allowed me views down to just 3deg above the horizon. Spectral calibration was done using distant street lamps! Enclosed are my observations - some of these others were observing at the same time but didn't see anything. However with any CCD camera, there may be some non exposure dead time, when brief events may be missed. I've sent all these obs to Brian Cudnik. Let me know if you find and flashes that agree with mine. Tony Video recordings of Moon 2001 Nov 16 ==================================== CCD camera used on a 400mm f/6.3 telephoto lens from the National Air & Space Museum, Washington DC. I used the PC23C CCD camera. Date & duration of video tape ??? - session 1 --------------------------------------------- 2001 Nov 16 UTC 22:08:37 - 22:17:18) (tape time codes 0:10:10:14-0:18:50:20) PC23C CCD camera used + Wratten 87C near IR filter. 22:11:25UTC (Time code 0:12:57:29) Flock of birds. 22:15:24UTC (Time code 0:16:57:02) Plane flys under Moon. Date & duration of video tape ??? - session 2 --------------------------------------------- 2001 Nov 16 UTC 22:18:01 - 22:26:01) (tape time codes 0:00:00:00-0:07:59:13) PC23C CCD camera used + Wratten 87C near IR filter. No impact or cosmic ray flashes seen. Date & duration of video tape ??? - session 3 --------------------------------------------- 2001 Nov 16 UTC 22:28:00 -22:32:18) (tape time codes 0:08:33:18-0:12:51:13) PC23C CCD camera used + No filter. No impact or cosmic ray flashes seen. Video recordings of Moon 2001 Nov 17 ==================================== CCD camera used at Newtonian focus of 8" f/5 Dobsonian near Landmark Mall, Alexandria, from a high rise apartment balcony of a colleage at work, Priscilla Strain. GPS coords: 77deg 08' 17W, 38deg 48' 35N, 102?m elevation.Wratten 87C used first during twilight with the PC23C CCD camera, then switched over to the Watec 902HS CCD camera + diffraction grating. Mostly the NE section of Earthshine was videoed. Limiting magnitude of stars visible to the naked eye was about 3. Assuming lower stars in the rectabgle of Lyra are 3? But of course limiting magnitude drops off towards the horizon anyway. Date & duration of video tape ??? - session 1 --------------------------------------------- 2001 Nov 17 UTC 21:49:13 - 22:28:34) (tape time codes 0:14:07:04 - 0:52:48:07) PC23C CCD camera used + Wratten 87C filter. 22:27:27UTC (Time code 0:51:40:20) Flash (can't freeze frame with camcorder pause key) SE interior of Mare Crisium. It looks a little too sharp and small, so is possibly a cosmic ray. Date & duration of video tape ??? - session 2 --------------------------------------------- 2001 Nov 17 UTC 22:33:41 - 22:38:58) (tape time codes 0:52:48:08 - 0:58:05:17) Watec 902HS CCD camera used + 12,700 lines/inch 19 deg dispersion angle diffraction grating. 22:37:47UTC (Time code 0:56:54:07) V.faint star (not in predictions) occulted of NW/W limb. Date & duration of video tape ??? - session 3 --------------------------------------------- 2001 Nov 17 UTC 22:41:17 - 22:45:01) (tape time codes 0:58:05:18 - 1:01:49:00) Watec 902HS CCD camera used + ??? lines/inch (lower resolution) ?? deg dispersion angle diffraction grating. No flashes seen. Date & duration of video tape ??? - session 4 --------------------------------------------- 2001 Nov 17 UTC 22:45:26 - 23:34:25) (tape time codes 0:00:00:00 - 0:48:58:21) Watec 902HS CCD camera used + ??? lines/inch (lower resolution) ?? deg dispersion angle diffraction grating. 22:53:30UTC (Time code 0:08:03:31) Flash somewhere N Serenitatis. No sign of a spectra. 22:59:43UTC (Time code 0:14:17:03) Aircraft flys past Earthshine. Nice continuous spectra. 23:06:39UTC (Time code 0:21:12:17) Double short line flash in E. Mare Frigoris. Obviously a cosmic ray event. 23:18:44UTC (Time code 0:33:18:07) Flash in Mare Serenitatis. No sign of a spectra. Might be a cosmic ray as it is slightly elongated horizontally, and perhaps sharper than Mts on the terminator. 23:27:10UTC (Time code 0:41:44:00) Faint diffuse flash - might just be a clustering of noise. Somewhere W of Mare Crisium. Spectra Calibration: Tcode 0:49:03:16-0:51:15:28 Video recordings of Moon 2001 Nov 18 ==================================== CCD camera used at Newtonian focus of 8" f/5 Dobsonian near Landmark Mall, Alexandria, from a high rise apartment balcony of a colleage at work, GPS coords: 77deg 08' 17W, 38deg 48' 35N, 102?m elevation.Wratten 87C used first during twilight with the PC23C CCD camera, then switched over to the Watec 902HS CCD camera + diffraction grating. Mostly the NE section of Earthshine was videoed. Limiting magnitude of stars visible to the naked eye was about 4. But of course limiting magnitude drops off towards the horizon anyway. ************************************************* N.B. Camcorder UTC values on tape had slipped 1 sec since the camcorder clock was set. The UTC values given below have been corrected for this fault. ************************************************* Date & duration of video tape ??? - session 1 --------------------------------------------- 2001 Nov 18 UTC 21:42:36 - 21:55:34) (tape time codes 0:51:15:28 - 1:01:48:09) PC23C CCD camera used + Wratten 87C filter. 21:48:39UTC (Time code 0:54:53:03) Small aircraft flys past. Date & duration of video tape ??? - session 2 --------------------------------------------- 2001 Nov 18 UTC 21:57:47 - 22:20:23) (tape time codes 0:39:10:11 - 1:01:46:08) PC23C CCD camera used + Wratten 87C filter. No flashes seen. Date & duration of video tape ??? - session 3 --------------------------------------------- 2001 Nov 18 UTC 22:21:09 - 22:27:46) (tape time codes 0:00:00:00 - 0:06:37:11) PC23C CCD camera used + Wratten 87C filter. 22:26:29UTC (Time code 0:04:53:09) Two widely separated simultaneous point flashes near top and bottom of screen, somewhere in way up north. One flash in W and other in W hemisphere. Can't freeze frame this event. Clearly this is a cosmic ray event. Date & duration of video tape ??? - session 4 --------------------------------------------- 2001 Nov 18 UTC 22:28:17 - 22:31:35) (tape time codes 0:06:37:12 - 0:09:55:01) Watec 902HS camera + no filter. No flashes seen. Date & duration of video tape ??? - session 5 --------------------------------------------- 2001 Nov 18 UTC 22:36:43 - 23:26:23) (tape time codes 0:09:55:02 - 0:59:35:15 Watec 902HS camera + lower dispersion diffraction grating as used yesterday. 22:48:19UTC (Time code 0:21:30:28) Star seen ~3 min of arc north of Moon. 22:53:43UTC (Time code 0:26:55:13) Flash - quite sharp edges & small. Located somewhere in the area between Theophilus and Arzachel. This is unlikely to be an impact flash as I was moving the telescope at the time and everything else was motion blurred. Therefore it is probably a cosmic ray. 22:58:40UTC (Time code 0:31:52:01) Flash - can't freeze frame - quite sharp edges. Located SE Imbrium area. Probably a cosmic ray. 23:04:25UTC (Time code 0:37:37:07) Flash just north of Copernicus - probably a cosmic ray - see below. 23:04:25UTC (Time code 0:37:37:08) Flash south of Copernicys and brighter and larger than previous flash. However due to their large spatial separation, the fact that they were a mere 1/30th sec apart and had an apparent vertical alignment in the TV frame, its likely this was a cosmic ray. 23:06:27UTC (Time code 0:39:39:04) Flash - quite sharp edges - located near Euclides. 23:08:01UTC (Time code 0:41:13:25) Aircraft + spectra from lights flys past. 23:12:58UTC (Time code 0:46:09:29) Star seen ~2 min of arc off SSW limb of Moon. 23:25:20UTC (Time code 0:58:32:13) Flash in SW Mare Vaporum. 23:25:33UTC (Time code 0:58:45:10) Flash SW of Kepler. Calibration Spectra: time codes 0:59:57:11-1:13:20 Date & duration of video tape ??? - session 6 --------------------------------------------- 2001 Nov 18 UTC 23:32:11 - 2001 Nov 19 00:09:32) (tape time codes 0:00:00:00 - 0:37:21:03 Watec 902HS camera + no diffraction grating nor filter. 23:32:35UTC (Time code 0:00:24:16) Star 187360 K0 mag 8.6 just off S limb of the Moon. 23:54:02UTC (Time code 0:21:51:06) Aircraft flys past NNW limb of Moon. 23:55:14UTC (Time code 0:23:03:07) Occultation on N limb of 187372 K0 mag 8.0. Date & duration of video tape ??? - session 7 --------------------------------------------- 2001 Nov 19 UTC 23:09:59 - 2001 Nov 19 00:24:35) (tape time codes 0:37:21:04 - 0:51:56:21 Watec 902HS camera + no diffraction grating nor filter. 2001 Nov 19 00:18:58UTC (Time code 00:46:20:01-00:46:20:03) Flash lasting 1/10th sec near center of Moon. Brightness fades with time. Some whispy, hazy cloud drifting past Moon at this time, but can still see some parts of Earthshine. Moon slightly above 3 deg above the horizon at this time. Video recordings of Moon 2001 Nov 19 ==================================== CCD camera used at Newtonian focus of 8" f/5 Dobsonian in Alexandria, VA from my apartment balcony. Watec 902HS CCD camera + with no filter or grating. The Moon gets effected by trees badly roughly half way through the session. ************************************************* N.B. Camcorder UTC values were off by 2 sec. The UTC values below have been corrected for this mistake. ************************************************* Date & duration of video tape ??? - session 1 --------------------------------------------- 2001 Nov 19 UTC 22:19:45 - 22:29:21) (tape time codes 0:51:58:27 - 1:02:35:09) Watec 902HS CCD camera used + no filter. 22:24:21UTC (Time code 0:56:35:20) Cosmic ray streak on NW limb. Can't freeze frame this. Half inside the limb, half ourside. Date & duration of video tape ??? - session 2 --------------------------------------------- 2001 Nov 19 UTC 22:30:02 - 23:08:13) (tape time codes 0:00:00:00 - 0:38:09:25) Watec 902HS CCD camera used + no filter. No flashes seen. Date & duration of video tape ??? - session 3 --------------------------------------------- 2001 Nov 19 UTC 23:08:36 - 23:15:24) (tape time codes 0:38:29:06 - 0:44:57:15) Watec 902HS CCD camera used + no filter. 23:14:05UTC (Time code 0:43:38:03) Point flash - very sharp - located somewhere E of Copernicus/center of disk?. Almost certainly a cosmic ray flash. Video recordings of Moon 2001 Nov 20 ==================================== CCD camera used at Newtonian focus of 8" f/5 Dobsonian in Alexandria, VA from my apartment balcony. Watec 902HS CCD camera + with no filter or grating. The Moon gets effected by haze, so observations curtail early. ************************************************* N.B. Camcorder UTC values were off by 3 sec. The values given below have been corrected for this. ************************************************* Date & duration of video tape ??? - session 1 --------------------------------------------- 2001 Nov 20 UTC 22:46:21 - 22:56:29) (tape time codes 0:00:46:29 - 0:10:54:08) Watec 902HS CCD camera used + no filter. 22:52:56UTC (Time code 0:07:21:13) Flash - can't freeze frame on located just on the east of Lambert crater. 22:54:04UTC (Time code 0:08:29:08) V.faint star just off NW limb & not in the occultation predictions. Earthshine detail by far the best from the last 4 days, at least until the Moon hazed over! Date & duration of video tape ??? - session 2 --------------------------------------------- 2001 Nov 20 UTC 23:09:32 - 23:11:39) (tape time codes 0:00:00:00 - 0:02:06:17) Watec 902HS CCD camera used + no filter. 23:10:41UTC (Time code 0:01:08:22) Star X46841 mag 9.7 off W limb. Hazed over again! Video recordings of Moon 2001 Nov 21/22 ======================================= CCD camera used at Newtonian focus of 8" f/5 Dobsonian in Alexandria, VA from my apartment balcony. Watec 902HS CCD camera + with no filter or grating. Date & duration of video tape ??? - session 1 --------------------------------------------- 2001 Nov 21 UTC 23:27:46 - 00:21:34) (tape time codes 0:08:01:24 - 1:01:49:15) Watec 902HS CCD camera used + no filter. 23:34:42UTC (Time code 0:14:57:14) Flash near Konig - very sharp and point-like, so is probably a cosmic ray. Can't freeze frame this flash. 23:49:04UTC (Time code 0:29:20:05) Occultation on NW limb - v.faint star not in the predictions. 00:12:33UTC (Time code 0:51:48:14) Double flash near limb W of Mare Humorum. Obviously a cosmic ray flash. Can't freeze frame the flash. 00:18:55UTC (Time code 0:59:11:00) Cosmic ray flash off the SW limb - can't freeze frame. 00:19:41UTC (Time code 0:59:56:17) Cosmic ray flash off SW limb. 00:20:04UTC (Time code 1:00:19:07) Plane flys across Earthshine. 00:20:45UTC (Time code 1:01:01:05) Very faint star (not in predictions) occulted on SW limb. 00:20:49UTC (Time code 1:01:04:10) or a sec or two later An even fainter nearby star (again not in the predictions), was occulted off SW limb. Date & duration of video tape ??? - session 2 --------------------------------------------- 2001 Nov 22 UTC 00:22:21 - 01:00:20) (tape time codes 0:00:00:00 - 0:37:59:16) Watec 902HS CCD camera used + no filter. 00:28:29UTC (Time code 0:06:08:14) Occultation of a faint star (not in the predictions) off the W limb. 00:46:57UTC (Time code 0:24:26:09) Flash in NE corner of Mare Humorum, near Gassendi. - Tony also wrote in his message about filters that he and I tried to use. Yes I too had problems with the Wratten87C in that it was not as effective at making the sky "very dark", just "darker". Anyway if there had been flashes coming in as frequently as in 1999 and as bright, then in it probably would have detected them under twilight. I think the problem was being close to the sunset region of the sky the sky is full of scattered red/IR light, so there is not as much reduction in sky brightness as we had hoped. If the Moon had been a lot further away things from the sunset region, things would have been a lot better. Anyway it was worth a go until Earthsine became visible to the naked eye. As for the diffraction grating - I used this entirely on 17th after the end of civil twilight, as the crescent was less of a glare problem then. I used it for ~50 min on Nov18th but as it became apparent that impact flashes weren't rolling in as I was hoping for, I took it off to increase sensitivity. - end of message