by James Turley
Present at the Imagers Ghetto near the toilets were John Gleason (AP 7/7), and a pair of Tak FSQ106's manned Jeff Crilly and Richard Crisp, fashionably doing wide field. Both Jeff and Richard with new film gear-- Pentax 6x7's (yes film is alive). Rich was using CCD. Bob Cz, nearby, visually assisting the imagers.
Up the lit stairway to the Observatory and Pads were Marek, Bud Whittlin, myself, and set of enthusiastic imagers. Plus the FPOA 30" guys, and, of course, about 50 public guests and campers, mostly leaving by 10pm. 3 or 4 pads were empty.
What an evening. I knew things were good when the Milky Way showed that "frosty, granulated sugar" look early on, even low to the South. At first I thought it was the Soledad light dome. Not to be. For my Vixen 114mm ED f/5.3 OTA on a GPDX (SS2K), I begged Marek for exclusive use of his 9mm Nag VI. Love at first site. Forever mine. Perfect frame of M81/82. Perfect frame of M101. Perfect fit for the Lagoon. Everything perfect.
All night, zenith had phenomenal seeing. M101 through my teeeeny aperture with the 9Nag6 filled the whole 82degree view. M51 swirly dust lanes. Bud's M51 in his 12" Albert scope was a life changing event. Richard Crisp was Ha narrowbanding the IC 1396 candy made famous by the recent Spitzer Red Dragon/Elephant vdB 142 stuff. Other stuff too, glowing backlit pillars and eggy fingers. A celestial bridge across some dark lane chasm. A snake-like S shaped dark lane leading to a Cosmic Bagel nebula. Wheeeeeeew...what a ride. Spinning side-splitting Hunter Thompson tall tales.
While Marek was bagging H400's (he got over 40, I think), I sadly needed to revitalize my enthusiasm for astronomy, after having a major crappy Winter season. So, I stuck with Summer Eye Candy. I mean..it's like seeing this stuff for the first time.
I love the Pads. While the imagers and Bob Cz preferred the fragrant protected saddle at Ranger Row, the Pads are the Eagles Airy of observing locations. Scorpio Rising perfectly framed throughout the evening. And...if you get tired of your own gear, just mozy over the 30". These FPOA guys have really tuned that baby up. Ron Dammann had a The Sky hooked up, and the pointing was spot on. Stephan's Quintet was breathtaking. 7331 FOV chock full of fuzzies, like pilot fish. The Lagoon with OIII was heart stropping.
Then mozy back to your Pad, recline, and check out the Summer Star Clouds with your binos.
All night like that. Imagers wandering around between exposures. Wows from the 30". An intelligent public, asking good questions. Polite kids.
Everything looked good. Bud noticed the sky get darker about midnight. Perhaps a mini inversion. Marek and I hauled out our 31T5 TermiNaglers for O3 Veil prayers, and Star Cloud adventures. What can I say?
Photon overload around 3PM. Sprawled out with my pad and sleeping bag next to my scope, looking at Scorpio setting and the Milky Way wheeling above at Zenith. Dozing off 'till a Golden Dawn, and then into the muck of the valley, home.
Now, with renewed and healed spirit, ready for the next bundle of photon inspiration to chase away unimportant worries.
Posted on sf-bay-tac Jun 13, 2004 10:59:22 PT
Converted by report.pm 1.2 Jan 01, 2005 11:26:52 PT