Following is a transcript of an audio tape made on July 3, 1989 of

timings of the occultation of 28 Sagittarii by the planet Saturn.

The observations were made by members of the S*T*A*R Astronomy

Society at their Huber Woods Park observing site in Middletown, New

Jersey (Lat. 40 deg 23' 10"N, Long. 74 deg 2' 5"W, Elev. 140 ft.).

Seeing conditions were S8T2 at the beginning of the observation and

S3T2 at the end. Observers were as follows:

 

 

Frank Loso (FL) 6 in. f/8 Newtonian Refl. (150X)

Gary Romans (GR) 4.25 in. f/10 Newtonian Refl. (225X)

Kay Sears (KS) 6 in. f/8 Newtonian Refl. (100X)

Alan Sheiness (AS) 8 in. f/10 Meade Schmidt Cass. (300X)

Peter Rathmann 6 in. f/8 Newtonian Refl.

Ed Shrum 8 in. f/10 Celestron Schmidt Cass.

Kevin Regan

Debbie Rich

Don Pitman

 

 

Note: Only those observers with initials after their names are

identifiable on the tape. Simultaneous comments by multiple

observers are indicated by the addition of their initials

in parentheses after the comment.

Time (UT)   Obs   Comment

0557:32     KS    Yeh, I can see it through the rings too.

0558:03     KS    You see it blink?

0558:34     KS    I have to use averted vision to see it now.

0558:37     GR    I can see it (like its regular(?))

0558:55.5   AS    Gone

0558:56     GR    Gone (+KS)

0559:05     AS    Back (+FL+GR)

0559:07     AS    Gone

0559:38     AS    Coming up, faint.

0559:44     AS    Gone

0559:44     GR    Can't see it

0600:01     AS    I see it real faint

0600:47     KS    Does anybody see it?

0600:49     GR    No

0600:49     AS    It just pops in every now and then very faint...

0600:54     AS    ...right now.

0601:02     GR    What magnification are you using Alan?

0601:04     AS    ( ) hundred power.

0601:10     AS    Brighter, brighter, brighter

0601:11     KS    Got it.

0601:24.5   FL    Gone (+KS+GR)

0601:34.5   AS    It's coming back faint.

0601:36     AS    It's visible.

0601:41     KS    I can still see it.

0601:47     GR    I 'm at 225, I can 't see it.

0601:51     AS    Barely visible right now.

0601:59.5   AS    Just went out.

0602:12     GR    Back?

0602:30     AS    There it is, there it is.

0602:33     KS    Speak up Al, I don't think you're recording.

0602:41.5   AS    It's back, faint.

0602:45     KS    It’s back

0602:47     FL    It's gone

0602:48     AS    Still there.

0602:51.5   AS    Still there.

0602:53.5   AS    Looks like its on the edge of Cassini.

0603:28     AS    Still there.

0603:30     KS    I don t see it. I’m at 100 power.

0603:51     GR    It's there.

0603:52     KS    Yeh, I see it.

0604:26     GR    It's staying up for a long time.

0604:28     AS    Yeh.

0604:41     AS    Gone.

0604:42     AS    Back.

0605:35     GR    Still there?

0605:37.5   KS    I don't see it.

0605:39     FL    I don't either.

0605:42     KS    What power are you using Frank?

0605:44     FL    150

0606:01     GR    It’s faded down.

0606:11.5   FL    (I can t see it.(?))

0606:13     GR    No, it a gone.

0606:17     KS    I haven’t been able to see it for quite a while

0606:21.5   KS    You guys got better ( ?)

0606:23     FL    There's not much contrast...

0606:40     GR    Back up.

0606:49     GR    Very faint.

0606:51     KS    Yeh, I see it now.

0607:15     GR    Still see it?

0607:17     AS    Yeh, it’s visible.

0607:18     KS    Yeh, I still see it.

0607:19     FL    I still see it.

0607:31     AS    ( ?) faded.

0607:59     GR    It's gone, I can't see it.

0608:00.5   KS    Yeh, I can t see it.

0608:32.5   KS    You see it Frank?

0608:34     FL    I thought I did, but now I can t.

0608:59     FL    ( ?) got it.

0609:56     AS    It’s back.

0609:59     KS    I see it.

0609:59     FL    Got it.

0610:26     AS    Brightening a little.

0610:36     GR    I can't see it.

0610:37     FL    Very bright now.

0610:38     AS    Bright (+KS)

0610:39     GR    I can see the star, I can't see the division.

0610:53     AS    Gone.

0610:53.5   KS    Gone.

0610:53.5   FL    Can’t see it anymore.

0610:56     AS    Back.

0610:55.5   AS    Gone.

0611:03.5   AS    Back.

0611:05     FL    Back.

0611:06     AS    Brightening.

0611:15     FL    Gone.

0611:16     AS    Still there.

0611:19     AS    Brightening.

0611:21.5   FL    Back.

0611:25     AS    Out.

0611:26     FL    Gone.

0611:27     AS    Back.

0611:34     FL    Very bright

0612:13     GR    Gone.

0612:14     AS    Back

0612:20     FL    I can still see it.

0612:21     AS    Yes.

0612:22.5   GR    Just flashed off for a second.

0612:34.5   GR    Dimming.

0612:38     AS    Out.

0612:39     AS    Back on.

0612:43     AS    Could be the seeing.

0612:59     AS    Blinking, it is definitely blinking.

0613:00.5   FL    Dimming

0613:02     AS    It's hitting debris.

0613:03.5   FL    Brighter.

0613:04.5   KS    Brighter, oh yeh, bright.

0613:20     AS    Out.

0613:21     FL    Gone.

0613:21.5   KS    Gone.

0619:07     GR    Every now and then you think you see a little

                  brightening, but it never lasts long.

0620:11     KS    It's been a while since I saw it.

0622:18     GR    Wind's picking up.

0624:25     KS    Gary gave up.

0627:33     GR    Saturn is starting to drift down now, it a past

                  the meridian.

0627:47     AS    (I see it now(?)

0627:59     KS    You see it Al?

0628:00     AS    Yes.

0628:01     KS    Al sees it.

0628:03     AS    Moving toward the inside edge of the ring (toward

                  the dark area).

0628:19     FL    I don't see it.

0628:21     KS    I don't either.

0628:23     GR    No, I don't.

0628:30     KS    You see it Don?

0628:35     KS    Don doesn't either.

0628:37     GR    It's like a ghost, you know? Every once and a

                  while you see a little brightening and think it’s

                  back.

0628:58     AS    (It's getting brighter.(?))

0629:17     AS    The seeing is worse.

0629:32     AS    It blinked up.

0629:35     KS    Al says it blinked up.

0629:38     FL    You see it now?

0629:39     AS    No.

0629:41     FL    I think I saw it blink on when you did also.

0629:44     AS    It’s up.

0629:44.5   KS    It's up.

0629:47     AS    (No(?))

0629:49     FL    (Can't see it(?))

0629:50     AS    (No(?))

0630:01     GR    God help us trying to decipher this tape.

0630:03     KS    I was just thinking the same thing.

0630:06     KS    I don’t see it.

0630:08     GR    I can’t see it.

0630:59     GR    Faint brightening.

0632:34     AS    On.

0632:36     AS    Off.

0632:38.5   AS    On.

0632:41     KS    It's on. I see it. It's in the black area.

0632:49     FL    Oh, I see it now.

0633:01     KS    Very bright.

0633:34     AS    Out.

0633:35     FL    I can’t see it.

0633:38     KS    I can’t either.

0633:45     FL    Back.

0633:45.5   KS    Back. (+AS)

0634:16     GR    I've got it faintly.

0634:24     KS    It's wavering.

0634:27     KS    It’s quite bright now.

0634:35.5   KS    It’s dim.

0634:38     KS    It’s out.

0634:42.5   AS    Back.

0634:43     KS    Back.

0635:04     AS    Out.

0635:06     FL    Gone.

0635:10     KS    Back.

0635:27     GR    Seeing’s definitely worse.

0635:37     KS    Not only is the seeing bad, it looks like it's

                  dimmer.

0635:52.5   AS    Out.

0635:53.5   FL    Gone.

0635:55     AS    Back. (+KS+FL)

0635:58     FL    Brighter.

0636:01     FL    Dimmer.

0636:01.5   KS    Dimmer.

0636:04     KS    Back.

0636:36     AS    Out.

0636:41     FL    I can’t see it.

0636:42     KS    I can't see it.

0636:45.5   AS    Back.

0636:46     KS    Back.

0637:03.5   AS    Out.

0637:06.5   AS    Back.

 

End of side one of original tape. Approximately 28 second gap from

0637:06 to 0637:34.

 

0637:50.5   AS    Out.

0637:51     KS    Out.

0637:52     FL    Gone.

0637:59     AS    Back. (+KS)

0638:05     FL    It blinked on and off a few times when the tape

                  was off.

0638:48     KS    The seeing is really getting crummy now.

0639:01     KS    I see it standing out in the middle of the dark

                  area.

0639:54     KS    Still visible.

0640:18     KS    Bright.

0640:22     GR    I’m going down in magnification.

0640:25     AS    I 'm going to 200.

0640:35     KS    I've got news for you guys, it's not much better

                  at 50.

0640:41     AS    It's still there, blinking on and off.

0640:56     AS    Appears to be a lot of blinking.

0641:13     KS    Everybody's having trouble seeing it.

0641:22.5   KS    It came up there. Right now.

0641:36     AS    Still there.

0641:37     KS    Still there.

0641:51     AS    I think I can see it.

0642:01     KB    I still see it.

0642:24     KS    I still see it, getting close to the planet now.

0642:31     AS    I see it about half way across the dark area.

0642:34     FL    I agree.

0642:36     KS    I think it's farther than that, its near the

                  planet.

0642:49     AS    Dimming, dimming.

0643:04     AS    Very dim.

0644:13     KS    This star is magnitude 5.4

0644:46     KS    I do, I see it.

0644:52     GR    All I can see is an irregularity in the gap.

0644:55     FL    Yeh, that's what I see.

0644:56     GR    I can't even make out the star.

0644:59     FL    Looks like the gap is filled.

0645:00     GR    Yeh.

0645:06     KS    I still see it.

0645:17     KS    Varying in brightness.

0645:27     KS    I still see it.

0645:54     AS    Still there.

0646:02     KS    Approaching the limb of the planet.

0646:38     KS    Still bright.

0647:03     KS    You know, the seeing isn't much better than it was

                  a while ago.

0647:07     FL    I’ve lost it.

0647:09     AS    It’s there.

0647:10     KS    It's there.

0647:16     GR    I can tell there's something there, but that's

                  about it.

0648:10     AS    It's flickering a lot, much more than Titan.

0648:57.5   AS    I think it's gone.

0649:01     AS    (Still not back.(?))

0649:04     KS    I think it went under the limb.

0649:06     AS    I think so too.

0649:O9     AS    It's gone.

0649:10     FL    I can 't see the star, I can't see the filled gap.

0649:28     KS    Yeh, it a gone behind the disk.

 

End of observation.