Mark? Mr. Lumpy Darkness? That Mark?
Rich ;-)
>
>I set up my 10" f/5.7 scope in the backyard before doing the BBQ. Let is
>cool down nicely, tweaked the collimation. Ate dinner, fixed a coffee and
>went out back.
>
>Mars, of course.
>
>20 Nagler, 72x. Steady with detail.
>12 Nagler, 120x. Good detail. Rock steady.
>7 Nagler, 207x. NIce detail. Holding up very well.
>Put in the 2x Barlow. 414x, more detail. I could do a drawing, the dark
>markings are so well defined. Very good seeing snaps to exquisite. Magic.
>
>I can't help but look at the foreign world and think of the first human,
>maybe one of my kid's friends, maybe your's, setting foot up there. Nobody
>has been there.
>
>I keep watching. Ochre, the color of those soft "peanut" shaped candies...
>circus peanuts. But with banana bad spots on it.
>
>I am amazed.
>
>The southern polar cap is doing a disappearing act. Magic. I can watch it
>through this weird collection of aluminum struts, rods and several pieces
>of glass.
>
>I'm telling you, it is magic. It is fun.
>
>I watch for a while more. Subtle features - a bay of orange in the dark
>river crossing the planet. Smaller dark pieces extending along parallel to
>the main feature. Faded dark on the limb and up toward the southern ice
>cap. Haze on the northern one.
>
>I'm so glad I set up the scope.
>
>I look around.
>
>Pegasus is up.
>
>At 414x I point at M15. Find it in, well, the finder - I can see it at
>9x. Center it then in the eyepiece. It is there, dim. Handful of stars.
>
>I cup my hands around the eyepiece and look. Stars begin filling the
>field. Suddenly they are everywhere. The core is dense. The globular is
>beautiful. Stars are everywhere. No counting them
>
> From my celestial backyard to the halo of my galaxy in 10 seconds.
>
>It is magic.
>
>I hope some of you are out tonight. It is a fine night.
>
>Going back out to count features on Mars.
>
>There is something magical to this.
>
>Mark
>