Mars from 33N 116W

by Jane Houston Jones

We drove 540 miles to Anza Borrego State park yesterday and set up our AP180EDT and 105mm AP Traveler last night at about 11:00 p.m. when we arrived. Our friends Mike Portuesi (new 15 inch LITEBOX saw first light last night) and Jim Mace (TV 101) had arrived a couple hours ahead of us and were already set up. We just set up at the place we are staying, the Borrego Springs Resort.

Excellent seeing made our Mars views remind of us of the Hubble pics. Wonderful transparency too. Mike and I sketched Mars at 1:00 a.m. nd mostly we just enjoyed the views through the 4 instruments. Just incredible detail. We'll set up again at our hotel tonight and then go to a darker site (probably the Anza Borrego State Park Visitors Center) for Sunday and Monday nights. We invited the few summertime resort guests for a look tonight, and we hope to pick up a few more "customers" from the visitors center tomorrow night and Monday night.

But since it is so hot here (about 110 outside) we brought Optoma projector, a screen, and a pile of DVD's. We're about to settle in for an afternoon showing of Pricilla, Queen of the Desert, while sipping a cold shaken, not stirred libation and munching popcorn in our air conditioned suite.

More Mars and Milky Way tonight