Well after a well deserved soak and a even more well deserved nap, I
home if not totally unpacked from CalStar.
Hits:
- The sky was excellent. As dark IMO as a few of the nights at SSP
2002 or SSP 2003 but not always as transparent. Sometimes especially
in the south transparency would go... well... south!
- OTOH, seeing often a 6 or 7 in the wee hours.
- The venue. As usual, and this is my 4th CalStar, the park was
wonderful. What a gem Montery has.
- The people. Everyone knows who you are. As Stacy would say good to
see you "da 'lings".
- The wine. Thanks to all who let me sample.
- Lumpy and Mexican coffee. You know who you are. Fun fun fun.
- The fog. Thanks to the man above for making sleeping in a bit more
enjoyable (see minor misses as well).
- Bill, Markus, Debbie, and Paul. Observing with you folks each night
and hangin' out together during the day is just the best. It makes
the party 'a party'.
- Charlie and Susan. Thanks for all the hospitality. Nice having nice
neighbors.
*Minor* Misses:
- The group picture facing into the sun. All I guess to get the 30
inch in the photo? I don't care about the scope, it is the people
that count. Not cool. Last year we faced North. Much better idea.
- The teens in the next camp over to me who did not understand 'quiet
hours'.
- Not seeing Jane and Mojo. :(
- No 180EDT on Mars with Ziess binoviewer and orthos (RICH!!!!). :(
- Taking the 11 inch instead of the 18! What the @#$!# was I
thinking! (Answer: I wasn't. But the 11 is a very sweet scope)
- The Johnsonian platform. I helped finance the first production run
and it still does not track well (never has). And now a motor's gone
dead. I think it's a lost cause.
Best views:
- Naked eye as the Milky Way of Cygnus sets in the early morning
darkness while the Milky Way of Gemini rose.
- 7184 trio through Debbie's 20.
- Another grouping where I counted nine galaxies but the NGC number
eludes me (it's in my notes somewhere). Paul will know...
- The Veil in my 11 inch Starmaster and the 31mm Terminagler w/ OIII
- NGC 40 in the 20 inch.
- Barnard's Galaxy and 6818 in the same FOV in my 11. First time I've
seen 6822
- Pleiades in my 12x60's mounted on Paul's bino-chair.
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Jeffrey D. Gortatowsky
La Habra Heights, CA
Telescopes: Teleports 14.5-001, 7-007, 18 Litebox with Swayze mirror
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