March 20th Field Trip to CGO is ON!!!

[defalkner]

The forecast is calling for clear skies so the field trip to Cherry Grove Observatory is ON. Bring your telescope and WARM CLOTHES. The Messier Marathon will also be going on so you can participate in that. Nancy and I will be at CGO to provide guidance and help as needed. I don't think I'll be there all night but certainly until midnight. Come a little early so you can set up in daylight and see who else is there! Sunset is at 7:26.

If you don't have a telescope there are two on-site loaner Dobsonians available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

See you there!!

[Enberg]

Yay! I will be planning to stay all night to coach B-Sig members if needed. I will bring a couple ground tarps to protect scopes from mud - I have one full of cactus spines from the Nebraska Star Party field......and I'll bring a couple tables to set stuff on.

You might want to bring a sleeping bag to take a nap in your car, either in the middle or at the end before you drive home.

Hope to see you there!

Nancy

[DivaBekki]

We had fun tonight at the MM. Weather wasn't great but I did manage to find 11 messier objects and one mystery object it Cassiopeia. When I looked it up when we got home it was Comet Lovejoy!

[Enberg]

Yup, Bekki did find Comet Lovejoy. This is a site I use to check out comets - they have good finder charts and a list of what comets are visible: http://cometchasing.skyhound.com/

Check out the finder chart for Lovejoy - it shows where it was tonight, near M103. I find it ironic that Bekki "discovered" a comet while searching for Messier objects..... the Messier list was started by Charles Messier to catalog these faint fuzzy objects so the fuzzies would not be confused with comets as Messier and others were trying to be the first to find the (predicted for the first time) return of Halley's comet in 1756 or so. Halley had died in the early 1700s and never lived to see his prediction come true.

[srupes]

I was a bit bummed I didn't make it down this time. Next time.

[Krontab]

Great to hear it was clear skies. I'm getting over a cold so, I neede to stay home. How was the condition of the field?

[Browncoat2112]

Had a great time, thanks to Nancy and Steve helping me with my Orion 130ST EQ getting it set up properly and collimated. Even if the skies were a little spotty it was totally worth the time getting to meet all of you and picking up on your advice. Already placed in my order for the Rigel, a copy of "Nightwatch" and "Sky and Telescopes: Pocket Sky Atlas". I think I'm hooked!

- Pat