The Watersound Origins community invited us to come out and provide a star gaze to the members participating in their first community campout event. We were located on the north edge of the community where new construction was taking place. This provided a very dark northern sky. To the south was the campers along with their large inflatable movie screen. The screen illuminated the southern horizon somewhat but not as much as we had feared.
The following NWFAA members supported the event:
- Frank Atchison
- Dean Covey
- James & Susie Dubben
- Tom Haugh
- Dennis & Marietta Hausch
- Robert Sutphen
Waiting for the sky to darken.
We setup before dusk just in time to view Saturn before it set below the high southwestern treeline. Eventually, the skies got dark enough to view the Milky Way from high overhead towards the northern horizon.
Ultimately, we showed our guest observers the following objects:
- Saturn
- M 1 (Crab Nebula)
- M 13 (Great Hercules Cluster)
- M 31 (Andromeda Galaxy)
- M 36
- M 37
- M 38
- M 42 (Orion Nebula)
- M 57 (Ring Nebula)
- Double Cluster (NGC 869 & 884)
- Vega
- Alberio
The observers kept us busy as they came out to view in a constant stream of small groups and individuals. Toward the end of the star gaze, as our guest observers wandered back to the tent area, we took the opportunity to compare the capabilities of all our scopes. Everyone targeted the Crab Nebula (M 1). As you would expect the 16″ showed the nebula the best but we all agreed on the need for a light shroud.
Thanks go to Marietta Hausch for the event photo.