As I drove up the winding road to Mount Tamalpais, I idly mused upon the cosmological implications of Doonsbury as I contemplated the approaching chlorofluorocarbons ... would it be warmer tonight?. When I arrived at the parking lot, it was filled with friends eager for a night's observing. I counted at least 2 telescopes set up.
I started my night's observing with one of my favorite objects, M 74. It would be easy to confuse with Miss Piggy.
After a short break to listen to the coyote symphony in the distance, I glimpsed NGC 4753 in that confusing part of Virgo. It appeared in the eyepiece like diamonds on black velvet. After that, I tracked down IC 1526. It was a blurry likeness of spent coals, faintly glowing. Next, I located B 202 in Ursa Minor. It looked exactly like that graph in An Unpleasant Truth. After I'd spent a few minutes looking at that, I had a chance to see NGC 1086. It gave the appearance of an inflamed monkey butt.
After a short break to gulp down my remaining canned margaritas, I checked out M 30. It was not quite as bright as the pillars of creation.
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 cleaning the bathroom.