Occultation of Aldebaran

70 Tauri occulted at 22.18. (Magnitude +6.4).

I am constantly clearing away the due from a 2" eyepiece. I will not be using a stronger magnification than 40X.

Aubrey.

Fermidox wrote: Thanks for the reports guys, clouded out here (Limerick) at the moment & not looking great for 3.20 either.

I wonder will I see the final occultation -that of Aldebaran.

The next star to be occulted will be 75 Tauri (mag. +5.0). The occultation occurs at 23.52.

Keep on fighting the dew!

Aubrey.

I've got serious cloud cover which has come from the southeast now at 23.30.

Aubrey.

I did get some views around 2.15 when Aldebaran was half a degree from the Moon but the occultation was shrouded by a cloud bank low to the west, although overhead was clear. That's the last 4 Aldebaran occultations clouded out for me. I did however get to see a lovely meteor darting through the Plough around 3.25.

Thank you, Fermidox, for your report. Even though it is quite a frustrating one. Missing 4 Aldebaran occultations must be very disappointing.

It would have nicer for us all if the Aldebaran occultation had occurred before midnight.
I did not see it either. Maybe we do have another one due soon. I can distinctly recall seeing my only occultation of Aldebaran way back in the very early 1980's with a 6" reflector.

However I did greatly admire the Lothrop Hills at low magnification last night. There are just south of the conspicuous small mountain Mons Vinogradov. I will remember this particular observation for some time. What is strange is that even though I can see them clearly in Antonin Rukl's Atlas of the Moon -they are not labelled. He does label some very small craters among the hills. I had to search Google to come across them. Rupes Recta was on view also.
I have just cleaned my refractor once again because of last night's soaking dew and I am ready to observe again -thankfully.

Aubrey.