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--Boundary_(ID_4SQMxBBZxEmioCEv/St+dw) Content-type: text/plain; CHARSET=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Last night I was observing Saturn (11:30 p.m. to 12:15 a.m.), while doing so there was a RUFFED GROUSE DRUMMING in the woods near my Horton Bluff location, heard 6 or more times during the observing period. Perhaps it was the fellow who comes regularly to my feeder area during the day. It was interesting to hear the drumming that late at night. Moonlight was fairly bright (gibbous). Earlier in the evening when I put the telescope out to cool down, there was a full chorus of SPRING PEEPERS. Right around midnight SATURN IS AT ITS BEST, at its highest in the SOUTH (on the Avonport meridian about 12:48 a.m. ADT, which is close to true midnight by the Sun). This arrangement (with us on the same of the Sun as Saturn) puts Saturn at its closest to Earth (72 light- minutes -closest was around April 3-4). So it's a good time to view the planet in a telescope; even in a small one, the rings are easy to see. The view last night was very nice. The northern side of the rings are tipped nicely toward Earth, whereas last year the rings were near edge on, looking like a pin stuck through the orb. This arrangement does not emphasize the rings. This year we can clearly see the opening in the rings circling the planet disc. Two of Saturn's moons, Titan and Rhea were also visible (one on each side). The telescope I was using has a 10 inch aperture objective lens and I used eyepieces at 92X and 122X. Here is a link telling about Saturn and the Moon and Spica visible close to each other this weekend, Apr 16, ( the bright Moon in the same area of sky makes Saturn and Spica harder to see). http://earthsky.org/tonight/moon-waxing-to-full-pairs-up-with-saturn- on-april-16 and a link to SkyNews featuring Saturn with a photo similar to its current view. http://www.skynews.ca/pages/11-best-2011.html and a bit of a star chart for location http://www.skynews.ca/pages/highlights.html Sherman --Boundary_(ID_4SQMxBBZxEmioCEv/St+dw) Content-type: text/html; CHARSET=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Last night I was observing = Saturn (11:30 p.m. to 12:15 a.m.), while doing so there was a RUFFED = GROUSE DRUMMING in the woods near my Horton Bluff location, heard 6 or = more times during the observing period. Perhaps it was the fellow = who comes regularly to my feeder area during the day. It was = interesting to hear the drumming that late at night. Moonlight was = fairly bright (gibbous). Earlier in the evening when I put the = telescope out to cool down, there was a full chorus of SPRING = PEEPERS.<div><br></div><div>Right around midnight SATURN IS AT ITS BEST, = at its highest in the SOUTH (on the Avonport meridian about 12:48 = a.m. ADT, which is close to true midnight by the Sun). This = arrangement (with us on the same of the Sun as Saturn) puts Saturn at = its closest to Earth (72 light-minutes -closest was around April 3-4). = So it's a good time to view the planet in a telescope; even in a small = one, the rings are easy to see. = </div><div><br></div><div>The view last night was very = nice. The northern side of the rings are tipped nicely toward = Earth, whereas last year the rings were near edge on, looking like a pin = stuck through the orb. This arrangement does not emphasize the rings. = This year we can clearly see the opening in the rings circling the = planet disc. Two of Saturn's moons, Titan and Rhea were also = visible (one on each side). The telescope I was using has a 10 = inch aperture objective lens and I used eyepieces at 92X and = 122X.</div><div><br></div><div>Here is a link telling about Saturn and = the Moon and Spica visible close to each other this weekend, Apr = 16, ( the bright Moon in the same area of sky makes Saturn and Spica = harder to see).</div><div><a = href=3D"http://earthsky.org/tonight/moon-waxing-to-full-pairs-up-with-satu= rn-on-april-16">http://earthsky.org/tonight/moon-waxing-to-full-pairs-up-w= ith-saturn-on-april-16</a></div><div><br></div><div>and a link to = SkyNews featuring Saturn with a photo similar to its current = view.</div><div><a = href=3D"http://www.skynews.ca/pages/11-best-2011.html">http://www.skynews.= ca/pages/11-best-2011.html</a> and a bit of a star chart for = location <a = href=3D"http://www.skynews.ca/pages/highlights.html">http://www.skynews.ca= /pages/highlights.html</a></div><div><br></div><div>Sherman</div><div><br>= </div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br= ></div><div><br></div></body></html>= --Boundary_(ID_4SQMxBBZxEmioCEv/St+dw)--
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