I like Jeff's idea on Eagle Bluff for the 15th. The QH crowd will likely get the astronomers that don't want to stay out all night. I'd really like to beat the 82 we got last year for the current Messier Marathon record.
Stuppo and I got out for 3 hours tonight. I scanned the western horizon for the first hour, but no luck on PANSTARRS tail. There was some low thin clouds in the west that hung in there like luggage.
Steve started the ball rolling by nabbing M67 in Cancer. He found that pretty easy. Then I mentioned that I wanted to get M79 in Lepus for my Globular Cluster observing program. He wanted to try that too, so I started Lepus off with Gamma Leporis, a nice wide pleasing double with a good color contrast. Then I went to R Leporis, "Hind's Crimson Star", a variable and it must have been near minimum because it is blood red right now. Steve was impressed. He had never seen a carbon star until tonight. I recorded M79 and then spent some time tracking down IC 413 the Spirograph Nebula (planetary). I have to admit, it sure looks better in Randy's scope. We finished with observations of Jupiter which is right on the edge of the Hyades. AGNFA!!