by Jamie Dillon
Not flat excellent, but decent here last night, 4/5. Pulled Felix out fot the first time since getting back from Mexico (got into some serious lag earlier in the week). Sat and stared at Jupiter for a good long while, the GRS and that moon just exiting. Yes, I missed Europa's shadow transit.
Looks like a bunch of TACos were on the same page last night, playing in the backyards.
Caught occasional moments of rich detail on Saturn's rings, with subtle shadowing across its disk. In advance honor of Ms Robinson, I stared at M42 for a good long while as well and pledged eternal fealty, Keyhole or no Keyhole. Followed the one wispy arm to the NE. This was all with the 6mm Radian, so at 210x. Caught 6 stars in the Trapezium easily, not bad with the Moon so close.
It'd been a long time since I'd visited Castor, and that magnificent double was looking good also at 210x. Blue, blazing, awe-inspiring. Then on to guilty pleasures, where Sinus Iridum was a jaw-dropper at the terminator. Just off to the SW , turning out to be between Euler and Natasha in the SW of Mare Imbrium, there was a set of spikes and little craters showing up in the dawn light there, all intricate and tiny.
Looking forward to Houge tonight!