As I drove up the winding road to my backyard, I idly mused upon the impact upon modern astronomy of the internet as I contemplated the low fog. Would it rise, or not?. When I arrived at the parking lot, it was filled with friends eager for a night's observing. I counted at least 17 telescopes set up.
I started my night's observing with one of my favorite objects, M 1 in Lynx. It appeared as a spitting cobra. After I'd spent a few minutes looking at that, I tracked down Abell 83. It gave the appearance of two scoops of spumoni ice cream. After that, I tried M 72. It was a blurry likeness of Krylon Ultra-Flat Black. With that checked off my list, I sought NGC 3203. It appeared as George W. Bush. Then, for a real challenge, I located IC 1367 in Canis Major. It compared favorably with dancing elephants. With that checked off my list, I checked off M 33. It appeared at low power like a cantilever bra. Then, I looked for and suspected IC 2051. It was better than its Hubble photograph. Then, for a real challenge, I hunted for Abell 50 in Gemini. It appeared in the eyepiece like Miss Piggy. Then, I hunted IC 2381 in Lyra. It seemed most like its Hubble photograph.
After a short break to find a bush to pee on, I observed B 551. It appeared at low power like a faint puff of nothingness, with a suspected, but not confirmed, central star. Then, I sketched M 62. It was not quite as bright as that graph in An Unpleasant Truth. Then, I found by accident M 77. It looked exactly like a whale spouting. After I'd spent a few minutes looking at that, I stumbled upon Abell 81 in Canis Major. It was better than the last six objects I'd seen. After that, I looked for and suspected M 49. It reminded me of cream being swirled into hot coffee. Next, I tracked down M 58. It looked like spent coals, faintly glowing. With that checked off my list, I located Abell 35 in Canes Venatici. It was like cotton on velvet. Then, I jumped to M 73. It was as bright as a spitting cobra. Next, attacking my personal nemesis, I logged B 265 in Scutum. It was easy, just like a spitting cobra. After I'd spent a few minutes looking at that, I stumbled upon M 12. It took me back to the first time I saw a spitting cobra. Then, for a real challenge, I tried for Abell 20. It appeared in the eyepiece like desert sand. With that checked off my list, I looked for and suspected IC 2022. It looked like smoke signals from a rampaging Iroquois band. Next, attacking my personal nemesis, I star-hopped to NGC 6378. It would be easy to confuse with the eye of God.
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 reading Beowulf in Old English.