by Jamie Dillon
We had a couple of windows of sky Thursday night and didn't dawdle hauling Felix out. Put the binocs on the tripod as well for a set purpose.
These were shortish windows, maybe an hour of sky at a time, stars maybe down to 3.8 or so, not great, couldn't make the Hyades into a wedge naked eye, and the seeing was moderate 3/3, but who's complaining?
The news to write home about was catching two ephemeral objects that night. Vesta is winding around the south reach of the Hyades, and there she was in the binocs, the brightest of the asteroids. Makes two for me with Ceres from Coe this past summer. Little pinpoints, not visually remarkable, but it's just fascinating to be looking at an asteroid.
Then we caught the comet, my first time at this one, whooping along thru Aries now. Showed a discernible core and a bright big halo, about 18' or so across, with a tail clearly streaming off. Reporters from some 3 weeks ago here and on amastro didn't see much of a tail, so it's clearly growing. Fun. Too bad about the LINEAR name, C/2000 Wm1 but a nice splashy comet.
Our old pals Jimmy and Val, old neighbors from North Beach, were staying over, so they got in on the astrofestivities. Ganymede was just peeking out from behind Jupiter as we were watching, so that made for some aaahs. Titan was looking dramatic, and Jim was pleased to see the Cassini division, being pretty much an eyepiece virgin. Jo took extra looks at Vesta, and later at M42 and sigma Orionis, then the clouds moved in for the nth time. It was great to look thru the focuser again.