Houge Park 3/7/03

by Rich Neuschaefer

There was a big crowd at the SJAA's Houge Park Friday star party last night. People were attending Dave North's moon talk. A number of students from Evergreen College were there looking through the scopes and taking notes. There were maybe 200 people and more than 15 scopes.

The seeing near sunset was very good. We could see detail in the GRS, white ovals trailing and festoons in the EZ. Later the seeing was coming and going but mostly quite good. The sky was clear except for a little thin high stuff now and then.

I aimed my scope (AP 155mm f/7 refractor) at Jupiter, Saturn, the moon, M42, the Seven Sisters (in the house across the street), M81 and M82.

I had a request to look at Hind's Crimson Star but was so busy with students doing drawings and taking notes, I forgot to go to Hind's. If the folks wanting to Hinds will remind me at the next Houge star party, I'll be happy to try Hinds. We will need to go for it as soon as it gets dark. Orion will be getting a little low by the next Houge.