From: TerryMosel@aol.com
Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2002 15:11:47 EST
Subject: Occultation Success!

Or, 'Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life'!

Believe it or not, an optimistic and hardy group of public visitors and IAA 
members Danny Collins, Kenny Doyle & myself braved the rain to head out to 
Cultra with telescopes & big binoculars in time for clear enough skies to see 
most of the occultation!

There was drifting cloud with spots of rain, but we saw the Moon gradually 
approaching Jupiter, the full immersion stage (First Contact to Second 
Contact) the occultation of the three satellites Ganymede, Io and Europa, and 
most of the emersion of Jupiter (3rd Contact to almost 4th Contact)! 

Then cloud prevented observation of the emersion of the satellites.

In between we had a quick look at Saturn. And I even tried a few photos with 
a telephoto lens held against the angle of the car roof, but without a cable 
release, so I'm not expecting anything!

Given the awful weather all day - it was raining hard just 30 minutes before 
the event started! - we were very lucky.  As they say 'Fortune Favours the 
Brave'.

We now have another occultation of Jupiter (albeit at 02.45!) on 23 February, 
and the occultation of Saturn on 16 April by a nice crescent moon in the 
mid-evening, to look forward to!  

Did anyone else see tonight's event?

Terry

Last Revised: 2002 January 28th WWW contact: webmaster@star.arm.ac.uk

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