Saturday, September 19
Weather: Mostly cloudy, calm, 58°
Participants: Jay Baccala, Mark Munkacsy, John Kocur, Jim Hendrickson, Catherine
Attendees: 6
Observed: Moon, Alberio, M13, M15, M57
Photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjD5Hq6
Report by: Jim Hendrickson
Under skies that provided perhaps the bare-minimum conditions for a successful night of observations, Skyscrapers, Inc. hosted its International Observe the Moon Night 2026 event during regular observatory open hours on Saturday, September 19.
John Kocur set up his equatorially-mounted Meade 8-inch SCT in the front yard, and enjoyed showing all of the improvements and gadgetry that he has added to it.
Jay Baccala set up his Seestar S50 on the transit pier near the anteroom entrance and initially had difficulty getting it to align with the sky due to clouds, but managed to capture an image of M15.
Mark Munkacsy operated the 16-inch Meade SCT and a Seestar S50 to compare views using both instruments. He viewed M13 and M57, and much of the time, the Seestar provided superior views due to clouds.
What the sky lacked in clarity and transparency was made up for by the steadiest seeing conditions, as evidenced by the exceptionally sharp views of the lunar terminator in John’s SCT.
A young couple from Providence stopped by and stayed long enough to get a good look at the Moon and M57. They were very interested in returning on a clearer night.
Two couples came in together later on, wanting to visit Seagrave Observatory before returning to Florida. Unfortunately, sky conditions had degraded to nearly complete overcast, but they enjoyed their tour nonetheless. This is one where the Seestars really enhanced the visitor experience, as Jay and Mark were able to show their recently captured images.
By the end of the session, temperatures dipped into the 50s, but the chorus of katydids and crickets reminded us that summer is still with us, at least for a few more days.
We concluded the session and closed at 10:00pm.
International Observe the Moon night returns on Friday, September 10, 2027.
