Ideal Observing Conditions
by Francine Jackson & Jim Hendrickson
Francine Jackson
Open: 8:00 – Closed: 9:30
On Saturday, September 8th, a surprisingly clear night, I came to Seagrave, bringing along a person who hadn't been to the observatory in decades, Sandra Laurie. Our first stop was the 8-inch Clark, but, unknown to us, a group of homeschool families had also decided to take advantage of the beautiful sky conditions; therefore, it took a while to be able to climb up for a really nice image of M31, with Bill Gucfa taking care of the observations, and Steve Siok providing crowd control.
Then it was outside, where Jim Hendrickson had set up his portable scope. There we were greeted with such deep-sky views as M8, Albireo, the coathanger, and a few double stars. As Sandra hadn't been observing in many years, she realized after awhile that being outside can be chilly, but she wholly enjoyed herself, and was amazed that Bill remembered her from so many years ago. She wants me to bring her back.
