[Chaos-l] back-porch observing

[Michael Hrivnak]

I just had a very nice time observing the Orion Nebula and Saturn from my back 
porch with my 8" dob.  This was with lights from the Carmax lot shining 
directly on me.  I highly encourage you all to grab the nearest telescope and 
head outside for a brief viewing session on a clear night.  As much as we love 
to seek out incredibly dark locations with our exotic equipment, it's good to 
remember that we can do enjoyable observing right at home with a modest scope.

For the Orion Nebula, an OIII filter works wonders at cutting through light 
pollution.  I also found that pushing the power up to 171x made a big 
difference over 120x in terms of detail, both with and without a filter.  Saturn 
looked great at 171x, but of course there isn't as much to see with the rings 
right now since we're close to their plane.

Get out there and enjoy yourself!
Michael
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