Solar System Eyes Only Certification 

Solar System Eyes Only Certification: This is a partial certification available for the Solar System Observing Program.  For those completing 5 of the Eyes Only requirements a certificate is available.  These are marked with a “*E*” on the lists of Observing targets.  It is suitable to meet the requirements of the For Your Eyes Only Observer Award, but not the other Master Observer Progression Awards.  

No telescope or binocular observations may be included in the Eyes Only Solar System Certification.

Solar System—Naked Eye Certification

Observing Location(s):                

                                 Bortle      Latitude       Longitude      Elevation

Brommelsiek Park     orange          38.723N       90.815W         644 ft  
Home--driveway      red               38.631N       90.553W          562 ft

Moon Maria—done     7/13/2024, 10:00 CDT

Location: My Driveway

I was waiting for the lunar occultation of Spica observed below when I viewed the Moon with naked eyes for the Moon Maria and Highlands activities.  The Maria are the darker areas.  The mare craters on the mare don't contain ice (they’d be more reflective) and are not full of water.

Moon Highlands—done 7/13/2024, 10:00 CDT

Location:  Driveway
The highlands are the lighter areas.  There seem to be rougher areas (more craters) in the highlands than the mare so the highlands must be older. The Maria may have had more craters in the past that may have filled in

Moon Occultation of Spica—done  7/13/2024 10:12:27 CDT (egress) to 
11:28:35 with binos and 11:30:45 visually (ingress)
Location: My Driveway
The time was measured with an Android cell phone using Verizon.  As such the time should be treated a approximate.  Add 5 hrs to the above times to get UT.

Lunar Eclipse—done    10/8/2014  04:00 a.m. CDT
Location:  Brommelsiek Park
Seeing Conditions: Seeing: 4/5 mid-eclipse
Transparency: 4/5 mid-eclipse

Start partial: 4:13:22 AM

Start total: 5:23:33 AM
End total: 6:22:50 AM
End partial: not observed…the Moon set before the end of partial phase 6:48:47 AM
I'd say it was L3

Venus daytime—done  6/1/2018, 8:20 p.m. CDT
Location:  Brommelsiek Park, St. Charles County

Observed exactly at sunset.  Venus was 30 degrees from Sun, 30 degrees above the horizion, and very easy to find and see.

Comet Observing 
Location:  Brommelsiek Park, St. Charles County
Comet C/2011 L4 PANSTARRS 3/11/2013  7:38 PM CDT 
Seeing Conditions: 7/10
Transparency: 6/10 and windy

Seen from the Dog Area and later at the Astronomy Area at Broemmelsiek Park with JT... borderline naked eye at the time. The comet was approximately 4 degrees west and 1/2 degrees above the 20-hour crescent moon which made it easier to find.   It showed well with 30x80 binoculars with a tail 1/6th the field of view and a bright core. It was less than ten degrees above the western horizon. I watched the comet until forced to move and then until it sank below the horizon. The comet was naked eye at times.