by Dan Wright
First, the comet -- by god I saw it naked eye before I even lifted the binos to my face. The binos confirmed it. Ran inside and told the wife and kid. Showed them the S+T article about Machholz, and the SJAA web page with Don's article, and my copy of his Messier Marathon book. But couldn't get them to put on a coat and step outside -- too sleepy, and I'm guessing they figured it would just be another of those little smears of light Dad so often gets excited about.
Back to the comet. Couldn't believe I could see it naked eye from Palo Alto, but it *was* at the zenith and I *did* have to avert, you know.
OK! On to M42, yes, then those clusters in Auriga, yup, one - two - three, glad to see they're still there, then M31 of course like a wisp of cotton, and even M81 and M82 -- yes I saw these guys from the city, and without averting my eyes either. OK then, M35 for sure, and even a hint of NCG 2158. M41 straight below Sirius, uh-huh, lookin' good, and M44 in Cancer.
But -- couldn't get M74. I know right where the dang thing is supposed to be, but as usual it just would not appear. I've only seen it a couple times in my life! Seems I always go hunting for it at times when it's hard (like at the beginning of a Marathon), but when it's easy, I don't remember to look.
Great to see the sky. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Sorry I can't make the MROSD official party at MB tomorrow (Wednesday). My son has a Youth-in-Government YMCA thing -- parent participation required, and my wife couldn't find a sub to teach her kickboxing class, else she would have gone. The MRSOD party was great fun last year -- those Open Space Directors are smart and make a good audience. I was picking doubles out of James Mullaney's Celestial Harvest and reading the comments Mullaney had extracted from astronomy's great authors. Just everyday doubles, but the authors are good with superlatives, which got my audience all keyed up before each double.
Get out there and impress the Directors. Good for gate mojo.
I propose a toast -- let's "raise our glass" to the several days of clear weather supposedly coming in the near future.
Posted on sf-bay-tac Jan 12, 2005 00:32:21 PT
Converted by report.pm 1.2 Jan 25, 2005 20:41:24 PT