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The weather looks like it will be cooperating for this weekend. Should we consider the Root River Park? We keep talking about it. Maybe this is the time to give it a try.
Got out for about an hour last night, had a little problem with my scope dew'ing up but Jupiter and Saturn were very satisfying.
Hey Jeff and other astronomy fans!
Just talked to Eagle Bluff. Both Friday and Saturday night the parking lot lights will be off around 8 pm. Friday night there?s a family group that will have members arriving until around 9 pm, so there will be vehicles driving in, FYI. They will be parking in the parking lot, but presumably they will gravitate toward the east end to be closer to the buildings, so we should be prepared to use the west 2/3s or less of the parking lot. Friday sunset is around 8:30, and moon set is around 10 (3 days past new).
Saturday is probably not going to work well. There is a fairly large group coming on Saturday that will probably have the lot mostly full. If you?re willing to take a chance, the lights will be off, as I said, but there may not be much if any space to set up.
Contact RACTreas@rochesterSies.org, before noon, if you need the bathroom code.
At this time, Saturday looks better than Friday. Just talked to Dean Johnson and he can make it to Root River Park on Saturday.
So let's do it!Randy
We?ll contact Root River to let them know we?ll be coming on Saturday.
Is anyone up for tomorrow ? Friday night also?
So are folks still up for som observing this evening?
As promised, I have not looked at the weather. 😉Looking outside, looks like it will be good. I guess I plan to head down to Root River unless someone says otherwise or too many clouds appear suddenly.
Don't know if they fixed them, but there were a lot of potholes in the road on the way in. Hope they fixed them.
We set up in the grass south of the parking lot.
See you all there!Wow! We had a great turnout and observing experience last night at Root River Park (RRP). Although skies were partly cloudy the southern sky with Jupiter and Saturn and many Messier objects were observed by many telescopes including Randy's 30 inch light-bucket! Dean was there providing expert commentary and many members and even some non-members and local folks were sharing there observations and experience. Both Randy and Dean were favorably impressed with the Root River site; Dean suggested we might have a mini-starbique at RRP in the near future!
Some planetary images from tonight (Sunday Aug. 4th). Seeing was good. About 150 images of each planet stacked and enhanced. Meade 10 " SCT and Orion 5 MP camera used.
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Root River State Park WAS wonderful. I was pleasantly surprised at how many people showed up.
I really like my Celestron 25X100 binoculars and the Orion Monster Paralellogram Mount. I got out last Tuesday for an hour and 2 and a half hours on Thursday night. I'm still learning how to get the best operational use out of them, but am making good progress on that.
You should see The Coathanger, Collander 399 through them! That asterism fills the whole field of view. I also got a terrific look at Alcor and Mizar. Very impressive. I can even split Mizar A and B. I did not expect that.
See you Tuesday at the meeting.
Update – I talked to Karlin, the Olmsted park supervisor. She said that we no longer have to call ahead of time to use the Root River park. We are allowed to use it after 10 pm whenever we want.
Wonderful news, John! I think we have a spot for a 2019 Sorta-Annual Star BQ, weather providing.
The CSC is showing a chance for observable skies tonight. If so, I will go out locally and try get my first Moonrise through my Celestron 25X100 binoculars.
So grateful John for all your efforts regarding observing at Root River and other parks. I haven't observed at Chester Woods park to see if there will be problems related to Hwy 14 or not nor have I camped there but think the campground to observing field distance is probably not too far to eliminate the park as a starbecue site.
Hope you got out with your binocs before the clouds and rain last night Dean. Tonight Jupiter will put on a show with it's Great Red Spot and moons (especially Ganymede).Well Jupiter was great from 10:00 to 10:30 last night visually … but a tree got in the way by the time I was ready to take a pic of it! Anyway, Saturn was well placed and I did get a decent picture of the ringed planet.
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