[AZ-Observing] Daytime Jupiter

Thanks to Alister Ling's encouragement, I just looked at Jupiter a half
hour before sunset without optical aid.  I began by noting its position
relative to the moon with binoculars.  I tried for ten minutes after
finding the optimal orientation for a polarizing filter, all the while
cursing the impending arrival of nearby altocumulus clouds.  But in a rare
instance of clouds assisting an astronomical observation, they gave both a
locator for Jupiter and something for my eyes to focus on.  Once Jupiter
was visible with the polarizer, I could see it with some difficulty without
the filter.  After five minutes, Jupiter was lost behind the clouds, which
incidentally, looked really cool through the polarizer, but that's a
subject for another list.

Polarizing sunglasses are rotated 90 degrees from the orientation needed to
best see the sky's polarization band.  I found it easier to rotate only the
sunglasses than to rotate my head 90 degrees and look at the sky.  The
neighbors already think I'm crazy!

Tom

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Tom Polakis
Tempe, AZ
Arizona Sky Pages
http://www.psiaz.com/polakis/
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