Conditions were excellent at Henry Coe last night. Temperatures were low to mid 50s, with persistant breeze but no strong winds. The marine layer filled the valley during the night, blocking out lots of light pollution and leaving a beautiful clear sky overhead that was much darker than conditions last Saturday.
I spent most of the night hunting Herschel 400 objects (and surrounding NGC objects and double stars) in Ursa Major, Canes Venatici, and Draco. Most of the galaxies showed as faint whisps or puffs of light in the 7 inch Starmaster. I was able to note shapes, orientations, and central brightening for most of them, and also enjoyed sketching interesting juxtapositions with surrounding objects and field stars.
I had only planned to stay to midnight or 1 am, but conditions were so good that Rich and I both stayed till 3 am. It was one of those observing sessions that stretches from winter to summer constellations, with 59 total and 32 new objects found in between.
This was one of the best mid-week observing sessions I have ever had. The drive 60 minutes from Palo Alto, (instead of 25 to Montebello). The skies were much darker, however, and the site is high enough to make a viable observing option when lower sites are fogged out. (Montebello was hit by clouds around 10 pm or so last night according to an email from Alan Adler, confirming the pattern of earlier in the week).
Ranger Barry also called this morning in response to my phone message yesterday. He confirmed that it is fine to use Coe midweek, and that there will almost never be a conflict in the middle of the week with someone else using the lot. Other points:
He was very helpful and pleasant to talk with and is providing access to a great near-town site.
Bleary eyed but full of photons,
-David Kingsley