As I drove up the winding road to Sierra Buttes, I idly mused upon the inner workings of cosmology as I contemplated the shrinking ozone layer. When I arrived at the parking lot, it was filled with friends eager for a night's observing. I counted at least 31 telescopes set up.
I started my night's observing with one of my favorite objects, M 34 in Pisces Austrinus. It appeared in the eyepiece like smoke signals from a rampaging Iroquois band. With that checked off my list, I studied NGC 3780 in Draco. It glowed, rather like an inflamed monkey butt. After that, I looked for and suspected NGC 1711 in Antlia. It was a dead ringer for diamonds on black velvet. After I'd spent a few minutes looking at that, I added to my logbook M 60. It reminded me of a hamburger. (Hmm, it had been a while since dinner). Next, I went for Abell 61. It was even more difficult than R2-D2. Then, I tried M 25. It looked like blackness. After I'd spent a few minutes looking at that, I tried B 467. It was like dancing elephants. Then, I observed NGC 4207 in Orion. It was a blurry likeness of a spitting cobra.
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 stacking 400 Mars images by hand.