New Year's night on the Peak

by Jamie Dillon


At 5 pm there was fog flowing over the SW lot and no sign of an astronomer. Just as I was getting off the phone from ragging Mark Wagner, up drove Jason Newquist, He Who Was Eloquent Over Montebello. He got a walking tour of the place, then as we were sauntering down from the Observatory, up in the fog came Jay Reynolds and Harvey.

As we were nattering, here came David Kingsley and his StarMaster. So we adjourned to the main lot for coffee, Norfolk punch, walnuts and chocolate-covered pfeffernusse.

Soon enough, here came Tom Noppe with his wife Jane from the Fen Country and their boy Tristan, with their newly acquired refractor. Tristan at just 1 was the youngest and had a big time.

Dunno about the inner depths of anyone else, but after 5:00 I had no illusions about the sky tonight. Certainly no one got serious about setting up. At one time the zenith opened up, and we saw once again what the Peak can be like on a good night. Cassiopeia and Perseus were flat dazzling. Cat and mouse.

So 7 including the baby stuck around in the freezing dripping fog having a party. It was clearly fun. Crowd broke up at 2100.

In the quiet and dark, Mirphak, Rigel, Capella, Castor and Pollux were coming in and out of the murk, showing off glimpses of their bare shoulders. Then I rolled.

I'd surmise that one solid fact Jason Newquist learned about amateur astronomers tonight is that we're easily amused.