by Albert Highe
The temperature reached 105°F as I drove through the Central Valley south of Redding. The temperature dropped to the mid-80's as I reached Shingletown a little after 5PM. I didn't expect too many observers the first night. I was shocked to see that two thirds of the runway was already wall-to-wall scopes and the far upper (north) end was completely packed with RV's. With no room left in the area designated for RV's, several large motor homes were maneuvering into position about a 1/3rd the way from the entrance. I found a spot to set up between two stretches reserved for vendors. This proved to be a good spot since, on Saturday, it was almost directly across from the dessert table. : )
The temperature dropped quickly after sunset, and the afternoon clouds dispersed. By the time it was dark enough to start hunting faint fuzzies (10:20PM), the temperature was in the low-60's with a relative humidity of 48%. Seeing started out soft, but improved by 11:00PM, allowing magnification of 286X. Around 12:30AM, clouds moved in, and few holes remained by 1:00AM. It appeared most everyone packed up for the night. The lowest temperature I measured was 56°F with a relative humidity of 60%.
Clouds passed through during the day, and were relatively thick during the late afternoon. However, after sunset they quickly disappeared. It was noticeably cooler than yesterday. By 10:20PM, the temperature was already in the mid-50's with a relative humidity of 75%. Clouds threatened to make it a short night, moving in around 10:45PM. They completely cleared out within a half-hour, leaving us clear, but humid conditions. Seeing allowed a magnification of 286X. The lowest temperature I measured was 49°F with a relative humidity of 92%. Mild puffs of wind kept dew from forming.
Conditions were similar to Thursday. The lowest temperature I measured was 51°F with a relative humidity of 82%. The sky was clear all night. Seeing appeared to be the best so far, although I stayed with a magnification of 286X.
The sky looked better than any other day this week. There were no clouds during the afternoon or after sunset. I didn't record any weather data, but it seemed a little humid.
Being near the beginning of the runway, I had a line alongside my scope for much of the night. I targeted objects that could be viewed while standing on the ground or seated: Jupiter, M81, M82, M27, M22, and M17. With my undriven scope, I used a magnification of 143X for most of the night. Visitors were very enthusiastic and appreciative. I was surprised when midnight rolled around. The time had passed very quickly.
My interactions with the public were most rewarding after midnight. By then only a few people would approach at a time. I allowed each to sit at the eyepiece and "steer" the scope. All expressed similar sentiments and observations.
This was a night for bright lights. As expected, the public driving out often turned on their headlights. However, the bright white light near the north end of the runway puzzled me. As far as I know, no public drove their vehicles down there. Even more puzzling, the light was on for the duration of the public event. I think it was turned off around 1AM. The light didn't bother us at our end, but it must have been very annoying for those closer to it. What was it?
| Scope | 17.5" f/4.5 ultralight |
|---|---|
| Eyepieces | mostly 7mm Nagler T6. |
Selected Notes and Observations
I spent most of my time observing galaxies in Abell 1656, The Coma Cluster. The cloudy Winter weather kept me from observing it earlier this year. So, I was determined to make some progress this week. Otherwise, I'd have to wait until next year. I bagged 73 new galaxies, bringing the total to 357. At least 35 of these galaxies are not gravitationally bound to the cluster. For more details, see http://pw2.netcom.com/~ahighe/a1656.htm.
Since I can't use a ladder, I had to wait about a half-hour after it got dark for the Coma Cluster to reach a low enough elevation. While waiting, I targeted objects in Abell 1367, the Leo Cluster. I bagged another nine galaxies, bringing the total to 131. At least nine are not gravitationally bound to the cluster. For more details, see http://pw2.netcom.com/~ahighe/a1367.html.
After concentrating on mostly ultra-faint fuzzies, I spent the rest of my time enjoying bright favorites and talking to friends
A big THANK YOU to all the organizers and volunteers.
Posted on sf-bay-tac Jun 21, 2004 01:07:25 PT
Converted by report.pm 1.2 Jan 01, 2005 17:40:34 PT