As I drove up the winding road to my home observatory, I idly mused upon the popularity of chaos theory as I contemplated the fleecy clouds, hoping they would clear. When I arrived at the parking lot, it was filled with friends eager for a night's observing. I counted at least 1 telescopes set up.
I started my night's observing with one of my favorite objects, M 77 in Sculptor. It compared favorably with the face of God. Then, for a real challenge, I located IC 2012 in Virgo. It looked like a UFO.
After a short break to check my email, I tracked down NGC 4363. It appeared at low power like blackness. After that, I sought M 97. It seemed fainter than a whale spouting. With that checked off my list, I hunted Abell 63 in Sculptor. It seemed most like a glimmer of the Big Bang. After I'd spent a few minutes looking at that, I observed M 76. It appeared to be a dodo bird, extinct but for this celestial likeness. Then, I added to my logbook NGC 6130. It appeared as Smokey the Bear.
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.