Things were not good early this Halloween night. Most of the early trick or treaters did not get to see the moon, Jupiter, or Saturn. Some got to see one (usually a little fuzzy) when a hole developed in the clouds momentarily.

But later on, there was a large clear area that went by, and all three astronomical treats were on display for the later groups. Just like last year, the kids were so jazzed at seeing the moon's craters, Saturn's rings, and Jupiter's cloud belts and moons, that they forgot all about the bowl of treats. Saturn rated the most "awesomes" and "cools" this year, with the moon second. Parents were, again, bashful and generally wouldn't look unless coaxed.

I used the BT80, with Vixen 8-24 zooms set at 8mm for 112X. This scope seems to be easier for the public to relate to than my SCT setup; there was less "technophobia". I suppose more people are familiar with binoculars and the BT-80 does resemble an overgrown pair.

The hole closed after an hour or so, but by then the ghosties and goblins were all home again with their loot.