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GREETINGS TO MY FRIENDS IN TAC!! AFTER SURVIVING THE FIRST WEEK OF WORK DOWN HERE, WORKING 4 10 HR DAYS AND GETTING FRIDAYS OFF, I FINALLY HAD A BIT OF ENERGY TO SIT DOWN AND ENJOY THE NIGHT SKIES HERE. MARS AND VENUS WERE BRIGHT AND RIDING HIGH IN THE SKY. I HAD FUN TRAVELING THROUGH THE ZODIAC AND PICKING OUT ALL THE CONSTELLATIONS. ALTHOUGH I WASN'T DARK ADAPTED FOR A WHILE, I WAS EASILY SEEING MAG. 6+ IN URSA MINOR. SIRIUS WAS POSITIONED FAIRLY HIGH AND NOT MUCH TWINKLING GOING ON. ANOTHER VERY BRIGHT STAR BELOW AND TO THE LEFT OF SIRIUS THAT I MUST IDENTIFY, IF ONLY I CAN FIND WHICH BOX I'VE PACKED ALL MY STAR ATLASES IN... MOVING OVERHEAD, ARCTURUS BURNING A FINE ORANGE AND COMA BERNICES' CLUSTER LOOKING ESPECIALLY NICE. WHILE WATCHING TOWARDS THE WEST AND KIT PEAK OBSERVATORIES, SEVERAL NICE METEORS CAME THROUGH WITHIN A HALF HOUR, TWO ALMOST AS BRIGHT AS VENUS, BURNING WHITE-BLUE, AND ONE SEPERATING INTO 2 PIECES. I SAW ABOUT 10, ALTOGETHER, BUT THE OTHERS WERE VERY FAST, LOW BRIGHTNESS STREAKS, YELLOWISH IN COLOR. BY THE TIME I WENT IN, SCORPIUS WAS UP NICELY AND LYRA TOO. M31 SETTING IN THE WEST WAS A EXTREMELY NOTICABLE GLOW. UNFORTUNATELY, ALMOST ALL OF MY SCOPES ARE BURIED UNDER PILES OF BOXES AND AS I AM GETTING A HOUSE CLOSER INTO TOWN NEXT WEEK, NOTHING HAS BEEN SET UP. TONIGHT HOWEVER, I PLAN ON USING MY ORION 20X80'S WITH A REST, AND PICK OUT A LOT OF FAVORITES. OMEGA CENTAURI LOOKS TO BE AT LEAST 15' OR MORE ABOVE THE HORIZON, AND WILL ENJOY LOOKING AT THAT. BY NEXT MONTH NEW MOON, I SHOULD BE READY TO GET IN SOME SERIOUS TROUBLE, IF ONLY I COULD OVERCOME MY FEAR OF SEEING TOO MANY STARS... WISHING ALL OF YOU THE BEST, J.L. HALES