Hi, Group, what a
wonderful Independence
Day weekend. The weather has just been gorgeous. The Astro fun started
when we
received an
email message from El Presidente,
Dave L inviting us to an impromptu Star Party at the Nielson
Observatory. Several
members,
(Dave l, Tim K, Mr. Nagy,
Ed W,
Steve S, John R and myself) showed up and
the sky was
very cooperative for a change.
We started the night by
observing a
wonderful fireworks display in the northwest.
Not to be outdone, Mother
Nature presented
a wonderful conjunction. Here’s the Moon, with Regulus,
Mars and Saturn pointing out the ecliptic…
John R got into the whole
Independence
Day spirit with his red, white & blue “Stars & Stripes”
telescope.
(What’s
that, you don’t
see the stars? Duh, look in the eyepiece, silly!)
Even the Park Ranger
dropped by and couldn’t
resist doing a little observing.
It was a truly magical
evening.
Good cloudless sky,
seeing and transparency.
Good company.
Fresh
coffee and munchies.
Classic rock prevailed
over the
normally eerie silence of the Nielson. Maggot Brain, Frankenstein, King
Krimson’s 21st Century Schizoid
Man and
Jimi Hendrix’ Star Spangled
Banner wafted
up into the spacious skies and across the amber waves of grain that
surround
the observatory.
While I was busy looking
thru the
numerous scopes available, chatting with the guys and playing air
guitar, my
camera was busily photon pharming!
It dutifully shot the
Dumbbell and
the Great Andromeda Galaxy
Fog, dew and clouds
finally
convinced me to close up shop at 4:00am. In this parting shot you can
see the “steam”
rising up out of the Teapot’s spout,
and Jupiter shrouded in dew
that was
rapidly forming on my lens. You can really appreciate the moisture in
the air
by looking at the trees at the bottom of this image.
The air was so moist and
dense that
you could actually see it.
