So, how was the Star Party?

[The Warthog]

I left on Thursday, a little late as I had to pick up some gear before I left. I didn't make any serious mistakes on the route until I got to Salamanca NY, and ended up on a highway going south instead of the more direct one southeast. This was about 6:00, and it soon started to rain, then it started to rain the kind of rain that washes away small mountain towns. I got on the highway going east to my destination, and pulled into the first motel and restaurant that I passed. I figured I wasn't going to set up my tent if I got to Cherry Springs, and wasn't going to do any observing, so I stayed the night and got back on the road after breakfast. I also got to watch Toronto beat Atlanta 3-2.

Arrived at Cherry Springs (Coudersport, PA) after stopping to pick up supplies and met all my buddies from the American forum that I frequent. There were about 10 of us. I set up camp and spent the day chatting, as the weather wasn't going to break for the evening, and as it turned out we had about half an hour of relatively clear skies before it clouded up again. During the day, I was approached by one of the teenagers who had come along with his astronomer buddy about buying one of the two 4.5's I had brought with me. I showed him the scopes, and carefully explained their advantages and shortcomings, negotiated a price (I gave him a really good deal - $85 for both scopes, a tripod and mount, and two Kellner eps, and $15 extra to throw in the Barlow) then told him to go talk to his mother and his friend. Early the next morning he came along with $100 US, and took the lot off my hands.

Saturday, I went to the swap meet and vendors, and bought a parfocalizing ring for $5, and went into the vendor tent with no fixed plans, and bought a 20mm EWA and a Konus 65mm Mak spotting scope for a total of $88. I had to bargain a little, but I paid about 2/3 the price I would have paid in Canada, and no taxes on the purchase. I had considered getting an OIII or LP filter, but they were about $95, and I couldn't quite justify it. Probably would have been able to see the Veil with the OIII filter, though. I had originally thought I would get a 90 degree finder, but I wanted a six or seven power one, and the only ones they had were 9x50s, at a higher price than I wanted to pay.

I'd made friends with a few of the young people, and one of them, named Otis, was a bit of a redneck fisherman. He brought me a couple of 12" brown trout at suppertime, just as I was about to make a ham and Swiss sandwich, so I cooked up the fish and had poached brown trout, pasta and garden vegetables for dinner. Mmmm-mm good! I'm not sure about Pennsylvania fishing laws. That trout may have been poached twice.

There were some good lectures presented, but this year I didn't make it to any of them, as I was having such a good time hanging out at the campsite. The sky was mostly cloudy Saturday evening, but I set up and collimated my scope in the early evening and waited. About 10:00 the holes in the clouds were getting bigger and bigger, and by 11:00 the clouds were mostly gone. It is one of those areas where a blind man can see the Milky Way. It was so dark that I could only see the red glow of laptops and the odd red torch. I could only find my black scope and tripod by shining my red torch around, and a couple of times had to produce a dim red light to find the eyepiece. I had some trouble with my finder alignment, but got the red dot finder adequately aligned, and used it most of the night. I first looked at M81/82, which I can't see from home, but put the scope in the right area and saw them, bright and blue, immediately, in the same field, using my new 20mm ep.

I saw more things than I can remember, and as it took me some time to find most of them, I could have seen much more. I checked out the veil and the North America nebulas, but couldn't see them even though I was in the right area (remember that OIII filter I didn't buy?)

I will return next year. This is two years in a row that we have had visibility on Saturday night only, so the third time may be the charm. People who have been there in other years have had better luck with the weather. I'm a camper, and I made some good deals on equipment (also sold my 15mm Plossl to one of the adults) so it was a good trip, any way you look at it. Besides, how 'bout those Toronto Blue Jays?

I'll have some photos by the end of the week.

[OXO]

All sounds a bit fishy to me WH

Glad you had a good time WH wish id been there too see the milky way like you had and congrats on your sales and buying of equpiment! Look forward to the pics

Why did the Redneck have to be called Otis :)

James :sunny:

[geppetto]

That sounds a perfect way to spend a weekend WH

Pleased you had a good time a look forward to the pictures

[daz]

Great report as always WH!!!

(Lucky blighter!!!! )

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

Yet again as I read your report I felt that I'd shared some of it with you. Thanks for sharing it WH and i'm pleased that you had fun.

Captain Chaos

[tom.yates]

Glad you had a good time WH also a good read.