Man it was cold last night! Down to about 24 degrees F at the OCA site. Of course back in Rochester NY I'd have been standing in snow as well! And that's IF it had been clear there! So I am not complaining!
I observed with the 18" LITEBOX from 6pm till 1:30am. Then packed in and was in bed by 3:30am or so. Cold, but nice! Not a single soul was there other than me. Wish I could have gotten a few of the X-mas lights in the small valley below the OCA site turned off, but I am no scrooge. So I guess I'll cut them some slack. Seeing was aweful and transparecy was so-so. It was very windy along the I15 (tho just calm to perhaps a slight breeze at the site) so I suspect there was a lot of dust in the air.
Still just before I packed up I just glimpsed Abell 2 which is a small planetary in Cassiopeia at about mag 14.1 using a 12mm Nagler (166x) and a UHC filter, so it could not have been real bad. I was using the Best of the Abell's for Winter from Jim Shield's web site.
Knocked off about 20+ objects, mostly Messier (but as you can see from above, I do get off the beaten path!) as I am trying to do a Messier survey with the 18" then get my certificate. Got summer, fall, and winter done. So I am done till Feb when I'll knock off all the spring M's. I like to get to them while they are high in the east as that's the darkest location at the OCA site. Mark can I do this through you or should I just turn in copies of my logs to the AL? I am an AL member-at-large but TAC is an AL affiliate as well.
Clear skies, Jeff
Objects: M2, M76, M77, M1, M38, NGC1907, M36, M37, Jupiter (awful seeing), Eta Cas, NGC457, M103, Struve 131, M52, NGC659, NGC663, NGC654, M41, M47, M46 (a favorite), NGC2438, M35, M81, M82, M97, M108, M109, Abell 2
(If you are wondering why I did not hit other "M's" it's because I knocked out a bunch last month).