Observing Report Fremont Peak 25 Oct
By Paul Sterngold

Saturday night at FP was the most enjoyable night of observing I've ever experienced. I'm not exactly sure why -- the seeing was not particularly good, the sky wasn't all that dark. But it was really enjoyable to look through so many different types of scopes and rub shoulders with so many knowledgeable folks. And I personally managed to find and observe many new (to me) objects.

I was using my 13" Dob to track down the objects listed on Map 4 of Tirion's Star Atlas 2000.0 using Telrad and finder. I started in the upper right quadrant with a trio of galaxies that Richard and I had found the previous month -- NGC 147, 185 and 278. I didn't succeed in tracking down everything on the entire map, but only because I kept walking away to socialize or look through some other scope. I was able to find and actually see every object that I attempted. The galaxies were especially fruitful. Most notable were NGC 891, a real beauty, and NGC 404, which is amazingly close to B And. All in all, I think I tracked down over 20 objects on that particular map.

I had taken along my new toy, a Comet Catcher, which produced enjoyable wide-field views but didn't really take my breath away until M42 was in its sights. Wow! M31 and the Veil were also nice in that scope.

Jupiter and Saturn were fun at times, but not the spectacles they had been a month earlier, when the seeing was better. Other interesting items were the Iridium "flare", which was as bright as Jupiter, and the tether in Bill Arnett's 12" LX200, which someone appropriately likened to a neon tube floating in space. And M13 with the Zeiss Binoviewer in Bill's scope was breathtaking.

Just when I thought I was exhausted and had packed up everything, Richard pointed out that the bowl of UMaj was up, and Mark W showed me M81 and M82 in his 16". A fine way to end a fine evening!