Did anyone take advantage of last night's steady seeing? The windy weather pattern we've had all Summer finally broke after the rainy weather on Tuesday.

I set up my 8.5" Ceravolo Mak-Newtonian and was eager to check out the seeing on a few doubles. I'm just beginning to learn the potential of this new hand made wonder.

Not too long after sunset (9 p.m.), I was able to easily split the binary double Eta Corona Borealis (0.8 arc-sec.) with 604X using my Zeiss Abbe Orthe 6mm eyepiece combined with my Klee 2.8X barlow. This was my first double this close that my new scope has split. Diffraction patterns were clean and even on this double. The Epsilon Lyra double-double was split so easy at 216X with the 6mm Ortho, alone. Switching to Jupiter at 10 p.m., the planet was showing the two darker spots on the NEB and other white ovals between the equatorial belts. The GRS was on Jupiter's far side this evening. I continued to observe Jupiter using the 6mm Abbe which was giving me good resolution. I was noticing how Ganymede's position over a few hours was changing in relation to a faint (mag.12) star 10 arc-sec. away. The many fine belt lines from the equatorial belts to each pole on Jutpiter were plainly visible. The sky stayed steady until I quit at 11 p.m. The dew was getting to me.

I wish I could have more nights like this one up here in windy Belmont.

See all of you at the Peak on Saturday night.