Observing on the Road

by Paul LeFevre


Sorry to have not been able to observe with you folks on Saturday -- $#*! rain. I took my loaded-up car, and started the drive back down to San Diego. By the time I hit Coalinga on I-5, the skies were clear, and I was having fun trying to watch Scorpius out of my car windshield without going off the road (see how dangerous astronomy can be!).

At the top of the Grapevine grade, just past Gorman, I pulled off the freeway and on to a little side road for a "comfort" break...I had my binoculars with me (of course), and the skies were wonderfully dark and clear. The 4000-foot altitude surely helped, and except for a little light leakage from Gorman, there was no sky glow from horizon to horizon.

I immediately noticed something very striking -- a very thin streak of what appeared to be cloud, than ran almost directly north-south across the entire sky. It wasn't visible while driving, but as soon as I got out the car and my eyes adjusted, it was quite apparent. It was much too thin and regular to be a cloud...does anyone know if there was some kind of launch from Vandenberg on Saturday night?

I spent about 30 minutes strecting my legs and scanning the sky with my binoculars. Where I pulled over wasn't far from Mt. Pinos, a location used frequently by Los Angeles-based astrophotographers, and I can see why they like the site. M13 was just up in the east, and it was easily naked eye. I had great views of dozens of open clusters with my little 8x32 binocs, and even picked off a few double stars.

It wasn't as good as a night out at Coe with the TACos, but it was a great way to bleed off some tension during a long drive, and it was certainly 30 minutes well spent!