Don's 2003 Messier Marathon observing report

What a wonderful time under the stars. I never tire of a beautiful
starfilled sky. The moon lingered longer than we had hoped for, but it also
added to the beauty of the sky. Many wonderful views were shared with me
through all scopes. The Auriga open clusters really stand out in Don's
scope. M51 sticking out against an inky black background is my fondest
memory through Dave's. M46 with the embedded planetary nebula was my
highlight at Roger's scope. I hope to have some images that are worthy of
our night out. It had been far too long since we last got together.
Perhaps, we will have another opportunity in early April. If so, I plan on
a visual only night with my new toy. I ordered the Orion XT8" with a
Kendrick dew shield and fan. I hope to bag as many Messiers as these guys
did last night. Oh yeah, M81 and M82 were spectacular in all scopes. Many
fond views. Thanks to the deep sky gang!

 

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