We measured the sky at 6.0 LM, about a magnitude below what y'all
were getting at Plettstone. By no means shabby, though, and the
seeing was flat 5/5, crystalline. People were using all kinds of
immoderate magnifications to play with Porrima.
Someone was up on Coulter, but the propane lamps at the camping area
were way too bright, and we didn't go there. A nice couple of people
from Oakland were trying to get a new GPS-enabled thing to work from
the SW lot, and Czerwinski and I made sympathetic noises before
disappearing into the dark. Kingsley was by himself in regal splendor
on the Knoll, and there was a compact but jovial crew on Ranger Row.
CL came by to wish us well, and Ranger Andrea hung out for a while
and mooched views. Elena and Craig were there, along with Peters
McKone and Natscher, Bobs Jardine, Baldwin and Czerwinski, Nathaniel
and David, and Jim Everitt.
Jardine showed us exactly where Vesta was, and sure enough several of
us could see it naked eye. I'd seen Vesta a couple of years before
when it was sailing thru the Hyades, and seen Ceres before that, but
had no idea of ever seeing an aasteroid naked eye. A real thrill. Joe
Bob mentioned as how it's the 10th of 10 solar system objects we can
see without optical aid. 3rd biggest of the asteroids but by far with
the brightest albedo. Albedo, not libido.
Kingsley was onto a supernova on the edge of 3169 in Leo, more
genuine excitement.
I got real focused on 12 galaxies in Virgo, to finish page 7 in my
Dickinson atlas project. Raved some when finished. Now having spent
some quality time transcribing found objects from Edmund's Mag 6
atlas onto SkyAtlas, lo and behold dudes and ducesses I found 4 more
objects, all of which are thankfully in the spring sky: 1788, bright
EN in western Orion, and 3 galaxies - 3631 in UMa, 5371 in CVn, and
5676 in Bootes.
Among those 12 galaxies last night are some real beauties. Fuller
report to follow.
It was a great night in all, very refreshing for us all. We were grateful.
DDK
-- Jamie Dillon <*> <mavericks@No-Spam> http://www.winepress.com/jd1.htm This message has been sent using 100% recycled electrons.