Fremont Peak - Sat March 1, 2008

Jamie Dillon

Interesting that Mark Johnston and I were set up a few meters from each other and had fairly different experiences. I got to crabbing over the conditions. NELM was 5.0 at best overhead, seeing was on the mediocre end of 3/5. Miraculously we had wind and dew both. It was nice and cold too, with temps right around 0°C. With 3% cloud cover forecast, we had lots more than that. Hmph.

Andy Pierce, Johnston, Hans Schulze and I were on the pads. Ron Dammann had asked for help with a 5th grade class from Virginia Rocca Barton School in Salinas (nice school, I've visited there). Really nice, polite bunch of kids with quiet, reserved parents. As mentioned, Ranger Row was loaded with imagers who were from Santa Cruz. Denis Lefebvre was over in the SW lot, said he was joined by a guy named Mark with an 18" Plettstone.

In my scope, Saturn was indistinct at all magnifications, on repeated visits. It took some looking to see which way the rings were pitched. There were 5 stars in the Trapezium with work, less than half the time. What I did mostly was sit back and watch Leo Minor wheel overhead. Has lots of stars. Also watched clouds keep passing over Canis Major, where that Wolf-Rayet shell is that I wanna catch up with. Grumble.

Andy at one point was showing off a really good view of ngc 2903, major galaxy in Leo. Mark was exploring in the Bowl of the Dipper, a place I've spent a lot of time. He had a pretty view of 3613 and 3619, the brightest of that gang. In my 11 I've seen 24 galaxies in the Bowl. Yes I went back and counted. Real fun project, with that crowd of little galaxies.

Hans was playing with his imaging rig and apparently having a bunch of fun. In all, company was good. I was glad to pitch in at the Observatory. Sky was better than in town on the face of it. Every time I thought, OK, how about some starhopping, fella, the charts were soggy and optics getting moist. I know, I know, you want cheese with that whine?

This will all get better. Winter observing has plenty of advantages, including keeping our hardcore street cred. Thanks to Greg, Carter, Matthew, Albert for posting their good results this week.

DDK