As I drove up the winding road to Twin Peaks, I idly mused upon the study of cosmology as I contemplated the past week of rain. When I arrived at the parking lot, it was filled with friends eager for a night's observing. I counted at least 42 telescopes set up.
I started my night's observing with one of my favorite objects, M 49. It looked exactly like a nebula. After I'd spent a few minutes looking at that, I nudged my telescope to Abell 37 in Septans. It would be easy to confuse with the invisible man. After I'd spent a few minutes looking at that, I helped a beginner find M 45. It seemed just like the last six objects I'd seen. Next, attacking my personal nemesis, I star-hopped to M 21. It compared favorably with dancing elephants.
After a short break to do some yoga, I hunted for Abell 16. It seemed most like black pearls on flocked paper.
After a short break to grab a cheese snack, I observed NGC 2702 in a group of stars that looked like an armadillo. It reminded me of whipped cream. With that checked off my list, I looked at Abell 71. It looked exactly like the clouds I'd seen earlier. Next, I glimpsed NGC 4909. It would be easy to confuse with the invisible man.
After a short break to do some yoga, I checked out Abell 32 in Draco. It compared favorably with its Hubble photograph. With that checked off my list, I stumbled upon M 20 in Cygnus. It was a dead ringer for a UFO. Then, I tried for B 178 in Cygnus. It appeared in the eyepiece like R2-D2. Next, attacking my personal nemesis, I tracked down IC 2444. It looked like 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 a 24-hour 007 marathon.