From: Collin Smith [mailto:CollinofAlabama@cox.net]
Sent: Saturday, February 05, 2005 12:23 AM
Subject: Star tales
Folks,
Though it was not particularly cold, last night was clear as a bell, and, mercifully, without much wind. Besides, it was Sky Mail Call! Gotta do one's duty, right? North to Skyview we went and we were not disappointed. The Beehive glowed down on us all night, but we never trained our scopes on it. So many things to look at we never got around to it!
When I got there about 9:15, Curt and Don had been there some time, talking and observing. I was just setting up when Jerry showed up and we were a team! We started off with the Double Cluster, shining down upon us brightly and begging us to take a peak. We couldn't resist.
This was followed by Comet Machholtz which is now in Cassiopeia and M103/NGC663. Jerry looked at the Pleiades, and we wound up looking at M81/82 and the satellite galaxy NGC 3077. From there we found M97/M108 (Owl planetary nebula/spiral galaxy).
We turned our attention to Saturn and it kept our attention for a LONG time. Don's scope was operating at 300x with no problem, the sky was so calm. Saturn's globe demonstrated clear banding, and the outer "A" ring did indeed look like light glancing off a phonographic record - the Enke Division! Pretty amazing for an 8" scope. Jerry's scope did a nice job on Saturn, too. Since I had my 100mm refractor, I didn't even try out Saturn and put it on M1
But this moved things toward Orion. Ironically, we started out with obscure M78, then moved on the even more obscure Flame Tree Nebula just above Alintak in Orion's belt. Very pretty, really. I found it in the 100mm.
M42, the great Orion Nebula, was as spectacular as you might imagine on a pristine night.
After this, Don and Curt packed it up. Actually, Curt was already gone when Jerry was going to town on M42. We got 6 stars out of the Trapezium!
Jerry and I looked unsuccessfully for M109, then Jerry suggested we try M51 again. Don and Jerry had found M51 earlier in the evening, but it was too low to the horizon and disappointing. But when it was just Jerry and me, it had risen considerably. The detail through Jerry's scope was amazing! Mine did as good a job as it could with half the aperture. Then Jerry moved on to Leo, finding the pretty spiral galaxy NGC 2039. I looked in vain, but was just able to make out M96, M95 & M105 - an achievement Jerry got earlier and easier than my effort.
It will be interesting to see how Curt's wide field exposures come out. I'm sure I left something out, but we all had a very good time and look. It was beautiful night!
It's off to morning town. It was a late night and long day at work, but the trip to the heavens with our Galilean and Newtonian instruments was well worth the time and effort.
Viva astronomy!
CDS

-----Original Message-----
From: Collin [mailto:csmith@koch.math.ttu.edu]
Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2005 3:44 PM
Subject: Sky Mail Call!
Soldiers,
Now I realize this is not much warning, and you probably had other things on your Thursday night agenda, but a Star Commander must be ready at all times for clear skies. So instead of sitting back in the Lazy Boy with the remote catching another episode of "The Apprentice," tell Trump "You're Fired."  Then get up off your rump, pack up that scope, and head out Skyview way! Do you understand me, Private! Be prepared for incoming photons from 180º. This is NOT a drill!
Your Sergeant will arrive around 20:15. Arctic Uniforms required. Call me if you need additional marching instructions.
At ease,
CDS