Bruce Prickett was already setting up when I arrived at Del Valle at 8:25pm last night. I had been worried that we might get hazed out, since there had been fog and haze developing in Alameda, and it dogged me all the way to the Dublin grade. But as I got out and greeted Bruce P., I looked up and the beautiful, dark sky dispelled my concern. I estimate the limiting magnitude to be around 6.0, based on what I could see in UrMin. Moreover, it was relatively warm and dry.

Bruce P. set up his C8 and I set up my 8" Cave Newt. Bruce J. arrived about half an hour later and set up his Orion Shorttube 80. My objective for the evening was to begin familiarizing myself with the Messier galaxies in Virgo, in preparation for the marathon. The southeast sky is the darkest horizon at DV, so Leo and Virgo were well placed for this. We had great success, and I found the task not as difficult as I had expected. I didn't count, but I suspect that we found nearly all the Messier galaxies in Leo and Virgo. I was particularly excited and impressed with Markarian's Chain.

Bruce J. impressed the hell out of me by finding them all, and then some, with his Shorttube 80. That's quite a feat!

We took a look at some other objects as well, including M81/82, M51, M101, M3, M5, and others that I'm forgetting right now. By 11:30pm the southeastern sky was beginning to brighten noticeably, so we began packing up. Bruce P. left, but Bruce J. and I chatted for a while, and then the moon dramatically rose from over a saddle between two hills. It was a rewarding evening and a good warmup for the marathon.