[Chaos-l] Last night report

[Allen Davis]

Last night at Medoc.  We had Mark Montazer, John Miller, Jason Strother,
Michael and Sandy Camp, Tony Garcia, and for the first time observing with
us,  Peter Zhao.  And me.

 

The transparency wasn't terrific for some of the time...and the skies seemed
a tad brighter than usual.  But I wasn't complaining as it was clear and it
was Friday night!  

 

Set up my 20, the others pretty much were setting up when I arrived.  

 

My hope was the seeing.I really did want to get a look at the planets and
see them in their glory.  Especially Saturn.

 

Highlights.

 

The ghost of Jupiter and Hubble's Variable Nebula through Michaels scope.
Hubble was also the first object I observed through mine.  Nice unusual
object with its fan, or comet shape.  Thought of this before it got so low
in the west to disappear.  

 

M3 through my scope.  Very nice once it reached about 30 or so degrees in
the east.  Glob season is back.  

 

Saturn through Peter's scope.  Very nice sharp image.  

 

Venus through Tony's scope.  Nice crescent.amazing it is so bright with less
than 50% visible!

 

Mars through a number of them.  I was really impressed with mars in my big
scope.  At 404xit was steady and we could see much surface detail.  Tony and
John can remember the names of details..i am too lazy right now to remember.
But it was the best I had seen Mars literally in several years.

 

Saturn through mine at 316x  very sharp...and several moons visibile of
course.what impressed me was the banding on the planet itself.  More
noticeable than in some time and with a definite orange/yellow hue.

 

I also greatly enjoyed at John's suggestion Abel 21 or the Medusa nebula.
Great at low power with the 21 Ethos and OIII filter.

 

Jason and sandy made our fire.it was still cold enough to need that..and we
had rice milk drink that Tony brought and some snacks.  

 

I took down at 230ish and we all were packing up around then.

 

Last object...M5 teasing us into glob season.  NICE.

 

Home around 400am.

 

I decided to try my theory that maybe I would relax more if I didn't leave
at midnight..been in the habit of that for a while....feeling like I needed
to get home. I think some of that is a false feeling.  We all have our
worries and priorities, but I wanted to see how things went with me by just
relaxing and not rushing to take down.

 

So far so good. It worked and I felt like I enjoyed everyones company and
the sky better.  Thanks to all of you who came.

 

Peter said he wants to come back next weekend.  Thanks to him for coming to
observe with us the first time.  I am game.  

 

allen

 

E. Allen Davis

starstorm151 at embarqmail.com

 

"M'Illumino              "I am enlightened

D'Immenso"              by the immensity."

 

   -Ungaretti               -Ungaretti

 

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