Clear Alpine Skies at Jaufen Pass (2094 m)

Two clear nights Fr/Sa and Sa/So (May 30 to June 1, 2014)

A trip alone to this High Alpine site, located slightly south of the central Alpine ridge
in South Tyrol, the northernmost province in Italy.

The site (red) near the uppermost southern bend

View over this bend back to the pass

The observing site (alt. about 2000 m)


Parts of the central Alpine ridge in the West (here up to 3480 m altitude)

Before first night: The 16" is ready

Some light was showing in the SSW, from the Meran area, but apart from the southern horizon it was a good Alpine sky,
near the zenith I could discern the mag 7,04 star (HD133330) close to the Abell 2022 galaxy cluster with the naked eye -
at times, but definite with averted vision. I observed some of the faint Abell clusters in the Corona Borealis/Bootes
region, and the easiest among them was Abell 2061: It's three main galaxies are surprisingly obvious with 140x, clearly
easier to discern than the two brightest Abell 2065 cluster members. And also more obvious than the galaxy chain in Abell
2022, although this cluster is reported to be about a fourth closer to us than Abell 2061 or Abell 2065 (whose distance is
about one billion light years).



0:24 CEST: View to the pass

1:40 CEST: Two bears in the sky

0:36 MESZ: The Milky Way passes the Sarntal Alps ...

2:13 CEST: ... in the South

Saturday afternoon: Invading clouds from the North

Saturday afternoon saw more clouds from the North crossing the central Alpine ridge. They were initially dissolved by
a strong Foehn effect, but were apparently winning over around 21:00 CEST, with dark clouds swiftly invading the entire
sky, even with some snowflakes showing. I didn't expect too much for the rest of the night, but it cleared up again
around 23:30 CEST, and remained so for the rest of the night. That was unfortunately too late to inform the innkeeper
of the local mountain cabin. He had invited me to join him on an evening walk before, with his shepherd dog, and was
curious to have look through my 16". But on returning weather conditions were not inviting, so we said goodbye at my car.

Flora

Crocus

Gentian

Back