I should add to Peter's report that the humidity started out high: about 95%
for the first couple of hours. Then it dropped smartly around midnight. By
3am it was a whopping 25% RH.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Natscher" <natscher@No-Spam>
To: "[TAC]" <sf-bay-tac@No-Spam>
Sent: Friday, August 29, 2003 11:21 AM
Subject: [TAC] Fremont Peak Public Mars Night Observing, 8/28/03
> The transparency last night at Fremont Peak was so good that the beautiful
> razor-thin 1.1 day old moon was just visually superb hanging just above
the
> tree line to the west at dusk. This sight was a wonderful start for an
> eventful evening at Fremont Peak!
>
> This was my first evening in which I close to set up on one of the new
park
> observing pads. These pads worked out to be very functional for all of us
> using them. They are level, powered up with 120 Vac and spacious enough
for
> two mid-sized telescopes per pad. The surface material for the pads was
> explained by the park's engineer/designer to be a special mix of concrete
> and tree oils, for bio-degradability. I still don't like the brightness of
> the red lights, though. They're designed to be bright enough for the
safety
> of the visiting public on public nights at the observatory, but for deep
sky
> observing on non-public nights, they're too bright and hinder dark sky
> adaptation. Perhaps, a variable rheostat can be added in-line to the
lights
> to lower the light intensity at will, per pad.
>
> The seeing last night while observing Mars was variable. Between fuzzy
> periods of seeing, my AP 10" f/14.6 Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope provided
> me and a 100+ others more Martian surface detail than could be remembered
or
> sketched. I was using the Zeiss/Baaader Bino with two Takahashi 12.5mm LE
> (Long Eye Relief) eyepieces, which are easy for the general public to look
> into. I also screwed on each eyepiece a Baader Moon and Sky Glow filter
for
> a contrast improvement. This setup provided 370X which was adequate for
the
> seeing.
>
> At midnight, the side of Mars that was facing us was located at CM 50°
> (central meridian of Mars). The darker surface features named Mare
> Erythraeum, Solis Lacus, Aurora Sinus, Sinus Meridiani, and the large Mare
> Acidalium regions showed clearly with so much mottling detail from within
> these areas. No canals connecting these features were noticed. All of
these
> areas together appeared to me as a large dark tarantula spanning the face
of
> Mars.
>
> >From the observatory, the distant Santa Clare Complex fire to the north
> (east of Mt. Hamilton) was crowning on top of the mountains exhibiting
tall
> bright orange flames. I'm wondering if the Mars God had anything to do
with
> that.
>
> Peter Natscher
> Monterey
>
>
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
>
> > From: "James Turley - Sky Image Lab" <jturley@No-Spam>
> > Organization: Sky Image Lab - Digital Astronomy Images
> > Reply-To: jturley@No-Spam, The Astronomy Connection
> > <sf-bay-tac@No-Spam>
> > Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 10:32:44 -0700
> > To: "'The Astronomy Connection'" <sf-bay-tac@No-Spam>
> > Subject: [TAC] OR Peak, 8/28. Magnificent
> >
> > The Peak, 8/28
> >
> > In a word. Magnificent!
> > Starchy Milky Way from dusk to dawn.
> > Mars incredibly steady.
> > RH dropping 80 at dusk, 95 peak, 24 early morning.
> > Light wind, chilly...warming after midnight.
> > Classic inversion layer forming
> > Stupendous observing conditions.
> >
> > Highlights: Natcher's AP10" binoview of Solus Lacus
> > and the Bull's Eye on Mars. Viewing an inky
> > Black Ink Blot B86 in Sag. Thanks Albert!
> >
> > An enchanting Mars lecture under the stars beside
> > the observatory.
> >
> > Archer manning my XT10 adopting families
> > and first time kids all night. Such delight
> > to see the kids push a scope the first time, and
> > bag their first M.
> >
> > Two Russian guys on terrace offering XO Cognac
> > at will to all smoking Cuban cigars in honor of Mars.
> >
> > Richard "The Mage" Crisp C14 AP1200 mighty rig imaging
> > the Swan creating in narrow bands of exotic wavelengths,
> > until the scope hits the mountain. Pioneering
> > imaging techniques before my eyes.
> >
> > M31, 32, 110 through my scope Vx114ED all night.
> >
> > 200+ Public (customers as JVN would say) lining
> > up at the 30". All polite. Almost no white light.
> >
> > Meeting the DPR designer/engineer who designed the
> > pads and lighting. This was her first time to see
> > the pads in action.
> >
> > Fantastic night. Thank you FPOA. Thank you DPR, and
> > thank you Mars!
> >
> > James
> >
> > PS FPOA will be signing a new contract. Astronomy is
> > alive and well at The Peak.
>
>
>