Devastated Area - 1May'08

Michael Huster

I'm thankful Mark and Randy initiated the revival of TAC-Shasta. I told them I owe them an observing report since it so happened I took my astronomy class (2 students + 1 friend) to the Devastated Area in Lassen Volcanic National Park on Thursday night.

BACKGROUND
I teach physics and astronomy at Simpson University in Redding, CA. For six years I've been taking my fall astronomy class to Shasta Mine Trail parking lot at Whiskeytown Lake. Most of the students have never been under a dark sky with someone to point objects out to them. I set up the school's two 8" Meades (2001 vintage LX-200 & 2005 LX-90) and my Celestron 9x63 binoculars on a tripod. A lot of students cite this as being the most memorable experience of the course. Two years ago I added a trip to Bumpass Hell at Lassen. Seven students, one telescope, binoculars and I crowded into my GMC Safari and went up for a spectacular evening. Last year I had more students and several friends in a car pool. We arrived early enough to hike to the mud pots (the peak was closed due to possible lightning) and then enjoy a night under the dark skies. Right now I am teaching a three week summer course for which I've planned in trips last Thursday and next Thursday.

1 MAY, 2008
The plan was to leave campus at 7:00 and arrive just at sunset. When I called the Ranger station in the late afternoon the ranger told me they had just opened the road from the south entrance from the Sulpher Works to Bumpass Hell. I was tempted, but didn't have time to change plans. Besides, I'd never observed from the Devastated Area. We left at 7:00 and arrived at the Devastated Area about 8:10, right after sunset. On the way up I had the students look over their SkyMap (skymaps.com) and What's Up from universetoday.com and plan some targets. We arrived and I set up the 8" LX-90 in the twilight. I could tell it was going to be a gloriously dark night. Wind - nothing. Very still. There were two empty pickups in the parking lot, and another with a 78 year old waiting until early morning to start a ski around the base of the mountain. We invited him to join us, but he said his eyes were too bad for telescopes.

We looked at Mar & Saturn. They were washed out by the atmosphere. Possibly a sighting of Mercury, in between trees. I am reluctant to call it because I couldn't see any other stars. The students were able to spot Mel 11, M44, and M35 with binos, even in the twilight. As the sky darkened I showed them Castor & Mizar. (Castor was hard to split, so I think the scope need collimation.)

They were awed by M36, 37, & 38, but I knew as it got darker they would be even more amazed by the globulars.

Finally around 9:30 twilight was nearly gone and the sky was pitch black, the darkest I remember ever seeing it. Easy mag 6 based on the Little Dipper.

We looked at M51, M81 & 82. The spiral arms in 51 were clearly visible as was the dark splotches in M82.

I remembered the double cluster in Perseus, and we caught it before it set.

We turned to M3 in the east and the students got their first look at a globular against a very dark sky. Hundreds of stars, it seemed popping out. After that we turned to M13.

Then we turned to the Virgo cluster. M84 & 86 and their friends were very easy to spot. I let the students look and see 5 or 6 easy-to-see galaxies fill the eyepiece.

Epsilon Lyra was hard to split confirming the scope needs collimation.

It was close to 11:00 and students (all of us are men) had endured the cold with just a little foot stomping and sprints across the parking lot. But I had promised we'd get back by 1:00 AM. One tried to light the camp stove to make hot chocolate as we broke down, but couldn't get the stove to pump up. I wondered if they had had too much, but one said, "So we're coming back out next Thursday?" I hope they're hooked! I know this report may not wow the serious observers out there, but I have some very engaged student right now!

Next week we'll head to Bumpass Hell early enough to see the sunset and spot Mercury.

Carpe Noctem!

Michael Huster