by Jamie Dillon
Next night (Monday) the conditions weren't near as good. First found the same field around 507, and those small dim mysterious objexts were in fact still there. To be noted that all 4 of those galaxies (see Northern Pisces...) are within the same one-degree circle. Then I went in the other direction from beta And toward NGC 410, which just wasn't home. Hafta get back there soon. It was right at zenith, and there was high haze rolling by, which didn't occlude the sky but kept the naked eye transparency down to 5.0. Seeing didn't get better than 3/5, moderate.
(These are the voyages of Felix, a Celestron 11" f/4.5 Dobs with a primary made by Discovery. Was using a 22 Pan, 16mm UO Koenig, a 6mm Radian and a TV 2x Barlow.)
Cameron and his family rolled up just as I was getting there. He's moving to Coe at the New Year and doesn't seem to mind the prospect. Otherwise it was quiet on the mountain. Someone was up on the Peak proper till late, but the SW lot and the camping areas were empty. Good time to contemplate one's sins.
After spending a good long time not finding that galaxy in N Pisces, ate supper, watched the naked eye sky wheel by and waited for Monoceros to come up. Gazed at M37, which was still my friend, meanwhile. Spent long minutes on my continuing study of M42, which did show 6 stars in the Trapezium at 210x. Watched the sweep of nebula come in from the West, well over 2 deg past the Trap. Studied the dark area just NW of M43.
Then hit on beta Monocerotis, a truly dazzling triple star. Been a year since I first saw it, at New Years from that very same spot in front of the Observatory. Mark Wagner had given a lead to NGC 2301, which I hadn't in fact seen before and which is a sharp bright wedge. With 6866 the night before, it's my week for striking, wedged-shaped OC's. Ended up with 2215, just west of beta Mon, which struck me as a Navarrette.
By 10 I was beat, having been a while since doing two nights in a row. Surprised Jo by pulling in just after 11. Good company one night and needed solitude the next. Don't think I won't miss new Moon weekend with more TACos, though. Saturday morning we fly to Huatulco.
See y'all 3rd Q! Really Merry Christmas to all,