timthelder
August 20th, 2007, 02:30 AM
The dung you see out here...
In Chronological order.
8/16/07 "THE IFO".
The wife and I return from the Kentucky state fair,it's late,about 11:00pm.But I want to see if I can get in a little stargazing,I walk out in the backyard to inspect the night sky and...Rats,...a low cloud cover.As I am standing ther looking around at the sky miffed at the obscuring expanse,up in the clouds I notice a flash.It's HUGE.At first I think it's some high altitude heat lightning.But then theres another flash,and another,and another,in a fairly straight line moving northeast.Just as the hairs on the back of my neck are beginning to stand up....off in the distance,far behind the flashing light,I here the faint sound of a jet engine...
It was the reflection of the planes running lights on the upper side of the clouds.Looked cool from the ground.
8/18/07 "THE GHOST PLANET".
The night looked like it was going to be an excellent night for viewing.Right before nightfall I get out the scope,73lbs,pack it from my storage shed 50ft,to the location in my backyard thats nearly level so I can get it aligned and ready to go.
Dusk finally arrives and away I go.A good hour of viewing, and then,it happens.A cloudcover starts rolling in.
I quickly start viewing just ahead of the clouds as they roll in,but it doesn't take long however for this bunch of cottonballs to encompous the whole night sky.Well,I figure they came in quickly maybe they'll leave just as quickly.So I wait.
After an hour of waiting,I say the heck with it.I pack up my lenses,my maps,my notes and logbook,unhook the scope and lug it all back to the storage shed.Inspecting the scope I discover I broke my polar alignment peg,a few choice words,!@#$##@.I step out of the shed to gp to the house to get a brewsky, and...NO CLOUDS! @#$$ A few more choice words you can say when you are all alone in your backyard.
Standing ther reinspecting the sky,10:30pm,trying to decide wether or not to drag everything back out,I notice a star I hadn't seen before about 20 degrees southsoutheast of Altair in Aquila (Mars maybe???)i Look at it about 5seconds before deciding how to take action.
I dash back to the shed to grab my lightweight RB60.Take off the main lensecap,find a 25mm eyepiece and head out to take a gander at this newfound object.And...IT'S GONE!
All I can figure was It must have been a meteor entering the atmosphere,and I had gotten a headon view of it.It was about the same size and magnitude of Jupiter(hence the excitement),reddish in color(hence thinking maybe Mars)...!@#$#@!.Off to bed,I really need to quit cursing so much...
In Chronological order.
8/16/07 "THE IFO".
The wife and I return from the Kentucky state fair,it's late,about 11:00pm.But I want to see if I can get in a little stargazing,I walk out in the backyard to inspect the night sky and...Rats,...a low cloud cover.As I am standing ther looking around at the sky miffed at the obscuring expanse,up in the clouds I notice a flash.It's HUGE.At first I think it's some high altitude heat lightning.But then theres another flash,and another,and another,in a fairly straight line moving northeast.Just as the hairs on the back of my neck are beginning to stand up....off in the distance,far behind the flashing light,I here the faint sound of a jet engine...
It was the reflection of the planes running lights on the upper side of the clouds.Looked cool from the ground.
8/18/07 "THE GHOST PLANET".
The night looked like it was going to be an excellent night for viewing.Right before nightfall I get out the scope,73lbs,pack it from my storage shed 50ft,to the location in my backyard thats nearly level so I can get it aligned and ready to go.
Dusk finally arrives and away I go.A good hour of viewing, and then,it happens.A cloudcover starts rolling in.
I quickly start viewing just ahead of the clouds as they roll in,but it doesn't take long however for this bunch of cottonballs to encompous the whole night sky.Well,I figure they came in quickly maybe they'll leave just as quickly.So I wait.
After an hour of waiting,I say the heck with it.I pack up my lenses,my maps,my notes and logbook,unhook the scope and lug it all back to the storage shed.Inspecting the scope I discover I broke my polar alignment peg,a few choice words,!@#$##@.I step out of the shed to gp to the house to get a brewsky, and...NO CLOUDS! @#$$ A few more choice words you can say when you are all alone in your backyard.
Standing ther reinspecting the sky,10:30pm,trying to decide wether or not to drag everything back out,I notice a star I hadn't seen before about 20 degrees southsoutheast of Altair in Aquila (Mars maybe???)i Look at it about 5seconds before deciding how to take action.
I dash back to the shed to grab my lightweight RB60.Take off the main lensecap,find a 25mm eyepiece and head out to take a gander at this newfound object.And...IT'S GONE!
All I can figure was It must have been a meteor entering the atmosphere,and I had gotten a headon view of it.It was about the same size and magnitude of Jupiter(hence the excitement),reddish in color(hence thinking maybe Mars)...!@#$#@!.Off to bed,I really need to quit cursing so much...