My observing report

As I drove up the winding road to Fremont Peak State Park, I idly mused upon the insignificance of astrology as I contemplated the night's aurora display. When I arrived at the parking lot, it was filled with friends eager for a night's observing. I counted at least 46 telescopes set up.

I started my night's observing with one of my favorite objects, M 43. It appeared to be an inflamed monkey butt. Then, for a real challenge, I hunted IC 176. It was a blurry likeness of all the other smudges I've ever looked at. With that checked off my list, I glimpsed M 103 in Lepus. It compared favorably with that graph in An Unpleasant Truth. Next, attacking my personal nemesis, I helped a beginner find IC 2195. It sparkled like a spitting cobra. After I'd spent a few minutes looking at that, I located IC 302. It shimmered, as if it were a faint puff of nothingness, with a suspected, but not confirmed, central star.

After a short break to do some yoga, I tried B 287 in Ursa Major. It was a dead ringer for Krylon Ultra-Flat Black.

Finally, it was time to pack up and leave. As I drove home, I contemplated the events of the night, and realized that any night out under the sky with good friends is better than getting shot in the face by Dick Cheney.


    ...Akkana (with help from David North, Jane Houston Jones, and Bill Arnett) .

(Don't forget to hit reload.)