We drove 540 miles to Anza Borrego State park yesterday and set up our
AP180EDT and 105mm AP Traveler last night at about 11:00 p.m. when we
arrived. Our friends Mike Portuesi (new 15 inch LITEBOX saw first light
last night) and Jim Mace (TV 101) had arrived a couple hours ahead of us
and were already set up. We just set up at the place we are staying,
the Borrego Springs Resort.
Excellent seeing made our Mars views remind of us of the Hubble pics.
Wonderful transparency too. Mike and I sketched Mars at 1:00 a.m. nd
mostly we just enjoyed the views through the 4 instruments. Just
incredible detail. We'll set up again at our hotel tonight and then go
to a darker site (probably the Anza Borrego State Park Visitors Center)
for Sunday and Monday nights. We invited the few summertime resort
guests for a look tonight, and we hope to pick up a few more "customers"
from the visitors center tomorrow night and Monday night.
But since it is so hot here (about 110 outside) we brought Optoma
projector, a screen, and a pile of DVD's. We're about to settle in for
an afternoon showing of Pricilla, Queen of the Desert, while sipping a
cold shaken, not stirred libation and munching popcorn in our air
conditioned suite.
More Mars and Milky Way tonight
--Jane Houston Jones San Rafael, CA jane@No-Spam http://www.whiteoaks.com