From: Collin Smith [mailto:CollinofAlabama@cox.net]
Sent: Monday, January 17, 2005 1:58 AM
Subject: LLL
Folks,
It was colder than, well you know, at LLL on Saturday night the 15th of January.
Cold enough to keep away all of Patrice's potential new SPACsters, but not cold
enough to keep away the hard core foolhardy stars-in-our-eyes gang. Though I
very much enjoyed the heater in the car and the blazin' pair I consumed at
Buffalo's Wild Wings afterwards, we got some good viewing in.
I got lucky - parked and setup at the northernmost point behind the eastern tree
line. Tom Heisey was less so, at the southern end, because for about the last 20
minutes the winds shifted from due east to southeast. I felt 'em, but Tom felt 'em
a little more personal-like.
Still, I thought we had a nice viewing session, in spite of the almost First
Quarter moon. I started off the night putting a rather dim, washed out Double
Cluster in my SuperView 30 2" eyepiece in the F/6 six" dob. Nothing like SkyView
on a clear night, but the Double Cluster just the same. Patrice did the same
with M1. Rather washed out, but still there, the moon and city working their sky
whitening ways. Of course, Tom was blasting head first into the moon with
"insane magnification" as he captured the rocky, crater filled ridges that
dominate the northern hemisphere's edge near First Quarter.
(Tom later added: "I'd toss in the comments about watching the sun expose the
central peak and crater floor of the crater Alphonsus. (It's part of an obvious
overlapping crater chain including Ptolemaeus, Alphonsus and Arzachel.)
http://www.shallowsky.com/moon/rukl44.html and
http://www.astrosurf.com/cidadao/crater_alphonsus_01.jpg)"
Patrice captured the "E.T. Cluster" NGC 457, and showed me where it was, so I
phoned home, too. The bad example of this was my painful approach to the Eskimo
Nebula in Gemini, NGC 2392. Patrice found it, lickity split. I dug and dug and
dug and dug and... and dug and... and dug and... then I found it!!!! I think I
got TWO doggie biscuits! Tail's still wagging.
Tom went after M78 while I was still combing for that blasted Eskimo. Patrice's
image of M81 & M82 was definitely superior to my version thereof, so hats off to
Orion. Patrice and Tom both split Castor and I think Don't image of Saturn at
150x in a moment of steady sky was probably our best view the day's namesake we
took in. But I'm not complaining about my dob's 100x image of the same. Rick
seemed to like it enough and I was pretty happy with it - at least some of the
time. The image kept going in and out as the atmosphere changed above us. I got
M35/NGC2158, M37, M36, and M38/NGC1907 again.
Tom and Patrice's Blue Snowball, NGC 7662 in western Andromeda (like we'd allow
an easterner out here in west Texas!) came through nicely, despite all the
skyglow. We all got M31/32 - Patrice early in the evening, Don & me later.
Couldn't see M110 really though. The moon and city were too bright. We all
caught Machholtz' northern crossing, even if we weren't marking it. That comet
covers a LOT of sky-ground in a little time. He's Perseus bound, leaving the
Pleiades in the dust (ha!)
Sure I missed some things, but that gives you an idea. Guaranteed to beat
whatever's on the TV that night and most movies you might rent, too. But
speaking of 'other entertainment' (heresy!), Rick Fay will be in a Garza Theater
production of a Neil Simon play beginning in February. Make sure you drive down
to Post to catch him on some cloudy Friday or Saturday night that month. Also,
the Lubbock Chorale will be doing a Jazz concert at LCU on February the 19th.
But with a little luck, Fortuna will bless us with those very inexpensive, but
precious, clear, West Texas dark sky nights! Do I hear a Hallelujah! And don't
forget the SPAC meeting this Thursday night at 7. Looks like it's gonna be a
really good show (à la Ed Sullivan)
Hasta la vista, babies!
CDS
-----Original Message-----
From: Collin Smith [mailto:CollinofAlabama@hotmail.com]
Sent: Friday, January 14, 2005 4:09 PM
Subject: Saturday night starlights
Folks,
Forecasts for Saturday night are all over the map. Weather.com says it will be
clear. NOAA says partly cloudy. KCBD says it might sleet. Wow! That's a lot of
possibilities for Saturday night. So, please look out your window around 7 PM.
Can you see Orion rising in the East? If so, join the star-crazed gang for
some urban viewing at Lubbock Lake Landmark.
Drive past the locked gates to the Lubbock Lake Landmark. Continue on this
road and it goes to an undeveloped area. Rows of parking places (where we'll
be) are flanked by picnic tables on your left as you drive in. We meet here at
the LLL at 19:30 on Saturday the 15th.
Hopefully, the Heavens will put on a show for us.
At the Museum last night, we looked at the moon, the Pleiades, M15, M31/M32,
and Rick put Patrice's dob on Saturn at low power in opposition for me. Don
and I snuck out briefly later to SkyViews. We fished out what we could - Machholz,
M41, M81/M82/NGC3077, M35/NGC2158, M37, M36, M38/NGC1907 - before we had to
take off.
Ciao amigos,
CDS
-----Original Message-----
From: Collin Smith [mailto:CollinofAlabama@cox.net]
Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2005 6:23 PM
Subject: Public outreach
Folks,
This Saturday night, January 15th, we are planning to meet at the parking
lot/picnic area just past the Lubbock Lake Landmark gate entrance at 7:30.
The moon is at First Quarter, and won't set until midnight, rendering a dark
sky site of no particular advantage. On top of this, Patrice is doing a
class at the Museum and we may have some new people out to view.
All this depends on the weather, of course. Right now, weather.com is saying
mostly clear for Saturday night, while NOAA is predicting a mostly cloudy
evening. Soooo, it'll all be a crap shoot, like always!
O Fortuna, O Fortune,
velut luna like the moon
statu variabilis. you are changeable
Hope Camina and I see you Saturday night at 7:30!
CDS
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