From: Collin Smith [mailto:collinofalabama@cox.net]
Sent: Tuesday, December 26, 2006 7:53 PM
Subject: Observation report -- 13 December, 2006

I arrived at the Gott about 9 PM, following the tail-lights of Nancy & Russ Igo with Nancy's student Jessica, even as Jewel and Steven Downing followed mine in. We were greeted by Jason Sargeant of the TTU Physics Department and Travis Brown and his wife Marilyn. Don Fritz had come out earlier but the cold and lack of meteors hastened his departure. That's too bad, since the wind calmed down considerably and the meteors picked up a bit. Larry Pyeatt and his friend Bob showed up a little later, so our party was 11 at its largest as we watched the stars fall.
This shower wasn't as spectacular as the one observed out at Emma two Decembers before, still, we observed about 75 separate meteors between us from 9 PM till 10:50. Not bad for less than two hours of looking.
While my laser held out, which wasn't long, I pointed out Orion, Canis Major, Taurus, the Gemini Twins (rather important constellation for a night observing the Geminids), Cassiopeia, the North Star, the Great Square and the setting Northern Cross. The poor connections in my laser didn't let it last through all the tour I'd have liked, but I hope people got an idea of what they were looking at.
I pulled out my 6" dobsonian telescope and started digging for Uranus. Didn't find it but wasted a good bit of time. So much, in fact, that Nancy was almost ready to go, but I told her to hold on and I'd put this scope on something interesting. I quickly pointed just south of zenith, centering the Great Andromeda Galaxy in the Antares Elite Plossl. They liked it! M31 glowed brilliantly, its top dust lane prominently displayed with bright, oval satellite galaxy M32 below and dim, oblong M110 above in the eyepiece.
While I had them wowed, figured I'd better not quit while ahead, so it was off to M42 for the stellar nursery at work. The Trapezium and its surrounding shroud of clouds was a hit, to say the least. The dust envelopes and gasses lit by the nascent suns is a majestic sight, never ceasing to delight, and this night was no exception. At only 1500 light years away, this is the best star factory you're gonna see from planet earth. Quite a sight!
We observed the supernova remnant M1, the Crab Nebula -- death pangs of a dead star. We followed this with the galactic post-collision of M81/M82, and the two sets-of-diamonds-on-black-velvet of the Double Cluster at the Perseus-Cassiopeia border. By this time, Travis and Marilyn said goodnight followed by Nancy, Russ and Jennifer.
I moved the telescope to Castor's foot to see Open Cluster M35 with distant NGC 2158 behind, only 15 arcminutes southwest of M35. I have always enjoyed this ghost cluster behind its prominent cousin. M35 is 24 light years across, reduced to a mere 28 arcminute diameter from our distant, 2,800 light year perspective. NGC 2158 contains older stars (yellowish hue), five times further away.
Phew, just writing about that distance must have been enough for Steven, Jewel, Larry & Bob cause they'd had enough by then, too. We said goodnight and they took off.
Jason & I pressed on to finish up the Auriga Open Cluster series that follow M35 in a line in the sky, M37, 36 & 38. M37 is the best of the lot to me, with its lordly Orange star attended by loyal blue thanes. M36 has a spidery or starfish appearance. M38 has its own ghost cluster NGC 1907, another 500 light years distant than the 4,000 to M38.
By this time, we were cold, it was late, and 8 AM wasn't coming any earlier. Besides, the clouds that Travis Brown had first noticed in the North some time before had spread to cover the western skies as well. Auriga was temporarily spared the impending encroachment. The non-existent wind had rekindled itself, too. It was time to tear down and go. Jason helped, and I was back in the car with the heater blasting, heading south to a warm bed and silent night.
Happy New Year, Everyone!

From: Collin Smith [mailto:CollinofAlabama@hotmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, December 12, 2006 5:39 PM
Subject: Wednesday night Geminid watch

Folks,
On December 13th, around 8 PM, I will be out at the Gott Observatory to check out the Geminid Meteor Shower. StarDate foolishly poo-poo-ed this shower because the moon will rise at 1:15 AM. Although it is true that the moon will blast this shower right about the time it goes to maximum, I and the rest of humanity that has to wake up and go to work on Thursday morning wouldn't watch it at that time anyway. I intend to be fast asleep, warm in my bed then, but that will only leave us several hours to catch the meteors from 8 PM on, not to mention the Andromeda Galaxy, the Blue Snowball Nebula, M1, M35-38, M42, M81/82, Uranus and a host of others for your observation. Might even catch Saturn as our observing session ends. So come on out and enjoy a nice evening under the stars and catch a few shooting ones, too.