>From: Mark Wagner <mgw@No-Spam-intl.com>
>Reply-To: sf-bay-tac@No-Spam
>To: sf-bay-tac@No-Spam
>Subject: Always the Messier Monster
>Date: Mon, 27 Mar 1999 14:54:02 -0800
>
>
>Early afternoon on Saturday the 25th of March, the sky was mucky with
>clouds and a slight breeze put a spring chill in the air. I had heard some
>reports of clearing coming and so, decided to head to Henry Coe State Park
>about one hour drive southeast of my home.
>
>My daughter Mimi had been waiting for an opportunity to knock out the last
>of her Messier list, the lone remaining M83. She had started this list
>just a bit less than a year ago, up at Fremont Peak, on a two night
>observing session where she logged perhaps forty Messiers, then, during the
>summer had taken the total up over one hundred. During the winter, as
>skies allowed, she knocked out the remainders from our backyard, except for
>M83.
>
>So, this day, even with the clouds, I asked Mimi if she would accompany me.
> The first question was, of course, would she be able to get M83. I
>explained that it would not be in a good position until at least 11 p.m.,
>and that we could go and see what the sky would allow. Trooper that she
>is, her answer was a very decisive "yes"...
>
>Off we went. Traffic had its usual rubbernecking backup where the bay area
>empties out into the south counties heading down highway 101. Soon though,
>we were at our turnoff, heading for the eastern hills bordering the
>community of Morgan Hill. The further we drove, the more city we left
>behind. I could not help but think of those first two nights Mimi got to
>use her 10" f/4.5 Dob to begin her Messier list. This time though, she was
>not just a green amateur, but had grown during the year into a good and
>knowledgable observer. People state wide, and in fact, due to the
>Internet, people world wide, had followed her progress, sending both of us
>e-mails with praise and encouragement for her. Was I proud? I think so.
>
>So we drove, up through small communities in the lower hills leading to
>Anderson Reservoir, past the landslides that yearly narrow the road. Up
>past happy cows, chickens, climbing the windy road listening to old rock
>songs on the FM dial. Paradise. The sun glinted off the distant lakes to
>our west as we climbed the green hills toward our observing site. The
>congestion and tension of the city melted away more with every turn in the
>road. Green hills and wildflowers were our escape.
>
>One member of our star party was there when we arrived. Paul LeFevre
>greeted us and all the talk immediately turned to the sky. Clearing to the
>south and north, but lots of cloud due west and overhead. It did not look
>promising, but the satellite loop was said to be encouraging. Others
>arrived and stepped out into the chill breeze. Winter clothing was already
>being pulled out before dark. By the time the sun set, 20 to 30 scopes
>were set up and we watched as patches of sky would appear here and there.
>
>For the first few hours we played with sucker holes, picking out bright
>objects as available. It was fun in a way, you didn't know where you'd be
>observing next, and views would range from lousy to excellent. It was very
>changeable until about 9 p.m. During this part of the evening one of the
>Iridium sats passed overhead, broke and homeless. Later we would see a
>rather unusual satellite.
>
>Mimi was busy with Laura Navarrete, who came up with Richard. They were in
>Richard's car, on the cell phone to friends, playing computer games, and
>keeping busy. I'm so glad to see other people bringing well behaved kids
>to star parties!
>
>Suddenly around 9, the sky literally opened up. There was some low crud
>layers, in fact we were in one as evidenced by the dew on seats and car
>roofs. My scope did not dew at all. I began observing almost immediately
>in Ursa Major, the clearest and darkest part of the sky. I continued with
>my friend Ken (we shared my 18" Obsession this nite), logging objects off
>the big Herschel list. Some were fairly obvious, others needed
>verification by position on _The_Sky_ running on a laptop in the back of my
>truck.
>
>It was fun. I was checking on Mimi when Ken called me over. He was
>looking for a galaxy when he said he had a geosynchronous satellite in the
>eyepiece. I looked. Blink, blink, blink. It sat there as the star field
>drifted by. Others looked. Phil Chambers heard us talking, looked at the
>location and said "that can't be a geosynchronous satellite" ... it was not
>to our south, over the equator, where such satellites are orbited.
>
>So, what was it? A possible answer was a few feet away and approaching.
>Jay Freeman began talking about the Russian Molnya (sp) class satellites.
>He explained that from parts of the ex-Soviet Union the geosynchronous
>satellites sit too low to the horizon to be useful, prompting the Soviets
>to put their own communication system up. Their satellites were on very
>long elliptical orbits, and there were enough of them that sufficient
>numbers were always "up." Jay suggested timing the pulses for a minute so
>some satellite enthusiast could perhaps identify what we had observed. Ken
>timed and I counted. Almost 22 pulses in a minute. The location was
>roughly just north of the middle two stars in the handle of the Big
>Dipper... at 10:30 p.m. (roughly). The location was Henry Coe State Park.
>I would be interested if someone does figure out what this object was.
>While counting flashes, I did notice it was making very slow motion through
>the star field.
>
>We continued on in the Herschel, but the chill and perhaps just the
>excitement of being out under a clear sky was tiring me. We didn't do our
>usual "hard core" session, but instead also wandered around looking through
>other scopes, talking and relaxing.
>
>Mimi suddenly appeared from in the car, and looking south exclaimed
>"There's Corvus! M83 is up!" But it wasn't up much. It was in the goo
>near the horizon. Still, Mimi ran to the bumper of the truck, climbed up
>and used _The_Sky_ to locate M83 on the computer. We talked for a few
>minutes about which stars were which. Off she ran to her 10" Dob. Hunting
>around, she couldn't find it. Back to the computer, then a suggestion
>about using right angles in the naked-eye stars patterns to navigate. Back
>to the scope...
>
>I had heard it just this way 109 times... a voice filled with serious
>excitement tacitly asking that I come over... "I think I've got it"...
>
>A lousy but definite view of M83 was in the eyepiece. Wooo hooo! Mimi
>pumped her fists into the air. Yes! It is fun to see such enthusiasm.
>Other observers began coming over congratulating her and agreeing it was a
>lousy view! :-)
>
>Mimi, in less than a year, had accomplished what others either don't
>attempt, or take years to do. She learned patience, having asked over the
>past three months when M83 would be up. She also learned the feeling of
>succeeding in a long term goal. It was gratifying to see the pride and
>feeling of accomplishment. I congratulated her too, of course, but made
>sure to step away a bit while other observers came by to see.
>
>When it was her turn at the eyepiece again, she recentered and said "I want
>to keep this one in for a while and savor this!"
>
>What had begun as a cloudy night with slim hopes of any observing, turned
>into a night my daughter will remember for a long time. So will I.
>
>I played around a bit more in Ursa Major while Mimi, still at her scope
>called to me asking what else she could find. I would mention this M
>number and that. She would shoot to the computer and center it on-screen,
>then return to her scope. "I think I've got it"... again and again
>
>Jay Freeman mentioned to Mimi that many of Messiers are on the Herschel
>400. Later that night, on the drive home, tired and happy, Mimi asked
>about what Jay had said. I told her yes, she had a very good start already
>on the Herschel 400. "Have you done it, dad" she asked. I told her I've
>seen enough Herschels already that I surely have seem the ones on the 400
>list. Then she asked "What are people going to call me now, now that I'm
>doing the Herschels?"
>
>"Mimi" I said ... "no matter what you do now, I think people will call you
>the Messier Monster."
>
>Kids are fun. Mimi is looking forward to next weekend with her telescope.
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