I've always been the lone backyard astro geek. I've never been much for joining clubs & had never been to a star party. So last year, I thought I'd give it a go. I didn't know what to expect but what I ended up getting was far more than I could have imagined.
Shortly after pulling in & setting up camp, I got to meet my neighbors. On one side there was an extended family who made their way up from Oregon, a nice group of folks. One of them, Derrick, had just taken delivery of his first scope, an Orion 8" dob. On my other side was a retired couple, who came to relax & learn.
We talked as a group for a bit about what we wanted to do while we were there. Derrick was very interested in testing out his scope and wanted to learn how to find objects. Larry (from
the retired couple) said he wanted to see a comet. I told the group my plan had been to go through the observing list TMSP had published. We all agreed that would be a good group effort & we would all observe together.
We were a day early, so before getting started on the list, I thought I'd take the group through some of my summer favorites. With Larry as my able assistant reading off RA & Dec we went from one object to the next.
Derrick stuggled that first night, but was clearly a quick learner & very deterined.
Derrick spent the next day going over the observing list & star chart. As night fell he was going from one oject to the next like seasoned veteran. We spent the next two nights going through the list.
While in line for dinner I met a mom who drove down with her two young children so she could show them the milky way. I
invited them to drop by later that evening & it was such a thrill to hear their "...oohs...ahs...." that alone would have made worthwhile for me.
So after the second night I had bagged the objects for the observing list & would be leaving the next morning.
Derrick needed one more object & Larry still wanted to see a comet.
Larry attended a lecture and found there was indeed a comet out there, between canes venatici and ursa major. So I pulled out a set of binocs & there was there was that unmistakeable thrill of discovery. There it is! Giddy as children,we looked at the fuzzy little ball through the binocs and the scopes,
That was the whole reason Larry came. He told me in 1986 he took his family to Hawaii to see Halley's comet & he wanted to see another comet.
So it was about 2:00 a.m. I was beat & Derrick still needed one more object...
I went over his list & said...look over there above the trailer...see that group ing of stars? "Yes, I see it," he said.
Congratulations. That is M45. "You've completed your list."
We turned in our lists & got our pins. Our names are posted on the TMSP site.
The views were great, the challenge was fun, but the best part was sharing it with others.
Thank you all so much & hope to see you again.
Shortly after pulling in & setting up camp, I got to meet my neighbors. On one side there was an extended family who made their way up from Oregon, a nice group of folks. One of them, Derrick, had just taken delivery of his first scope, an Orion 8" dob. On my other side was a retired couple, who came to relax & learn.
We talked as a group for a bit about what we wanted to do while we were there. Derrick was very interested in testing out his scope and wanted to learn how to find objects. Larry (from
the retired couple) said he wanted to see a comet. I told the group my plan had been to go through the observing list TMSP had published. We all agreed that would be a good group effort & we would all observe together.
We were a day early, so before getting started on the list, I thought I'd take the group through some of my summer favorites. With Larry as my able assistant reading off RA & Dec we went from one object to the next.
Derrick stuggled that first night, but was clearly a quick learner & very deterined.
Derrick spent the next day going over the observing list & star chart. As night fell he was going from one oject to the next like seasoned veteran. We spent the next two nights going through the list.
While in line for dinner I met a mom who drove down with her two young children so she could show them the milky way. I
invited them to drop by later that evening & it was such a thrill to hear their "...oohs...ahs...." that alone would have made worthwhile for me.
So after the second night I had bagged the objects for the observing list & would be leaving the next morning.
Derrick needed one more object & Larry still wanted to see a comet.
Larry attended a lecture and found there was indeed a comet out there, between canes venatici and ursa major. So I pulled out a set of binocs & there was there was that unmistakeable thrill of discovery. There it is! Giddy as children,we looked at the fuzzy little ball through the binocs and the scopes,
That was the whole reason Larry came. He told me in 1986 he took his family to Hawaii to see Halley's comet & he wanted to see another comet.
So it was about 2:00 a.m. I was beat & Derrick still needed one more object...
I went over his list & said...look over there above the trailer...see that group ing of stars? "Yes, I see it," he said.
Congratulations. That is M45. "You've completed your list."
We turned in our lists & got our pins. Our names are posted on the TMSP site.
The views were great, the challenge was fun, but the best part was sharing it with others.
Thank you all so much & hope to see you again.
