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It was a good weekend at Pine Mountain Observatory. Friday night, the sky was crystal clear. With a crescent Moon not rising until 2 a.m., it gave us plenty of dark sky to explore. It had been a hot week in Central Oregon, so it was pleasantly warm as well. Clicking on any photo will give you a larger view.
Here’s my best Saturn shot from Friday night. I took this through my telescope — an 8″ Dobsonian with the 11 mm Nagler as the eyepiece. I’m still using my Sony Cybershot to shoot through the telescope. That may change soon.
Mars is getting low in the sky. I took a movie through the 24″ Cassegrain. You may hear Jim and Eric chatting some. Being low in the atmosphere is what makes it as wavy as it is.
With Jim and Gary outside with me, it made for a pleasant evening where we were able to give more attention to small groups of people. Got the first look at Andromeda this season. So, that was exciting. I love looking at Andromeda.e
Saturday night didn’t start out very promising. When I took my hike up to the summit. I felt splashes of rain and saw it coming our way.
I came down the summit and told Eric we were going to get rain. A few minutes later I was yelling up the dome, “Rain! Rain! Rain!” We can’t let the mirrors get wet. So he shut the dome and I packed my telescope up.
We sat in the dome jawing and I started playing with the menus on my camera. All the muck cleared up and we had the telescopes going by 11 p.m. The playing with the menus during the rain allowed me to get my first Milky Way shots ever.
You can clearly see the Big Dipper over the dome.
We viewed a nova in Sagittarius when the crowd went home. Late nights both nights. Good groups both nights. I was hoping to see the Northern Lights on Saturday, but they didn’t come far enough south, so I didn’t get to see them. I was very disappointed.
This coming weekend, I’m taking off from star guiding for an adventure with the Husband Unit.
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Some of your most amazing sky shots! And the sunset was nice, even if it did mean rain.
Next weekend, you two go enjoy yourselves!
A few months ago my son called me up to his bedroom because he could see the Milky Way, and we both hung out there for ages – the more we looked, the clearer and bigger it became. It’s such an amazing universe!
I could see the milky way all the time when I was little (southern CA). It’s sad how much light pollution there is now. And Florida is the worst for any stars – so much moisture in the air.
It was a beautiful sunset. I’m glad it swept through and cleared up fairly quickly though. Thanks, Alex. I could use some time off.
It is an amazing site, Annalisa. I never get tired of looking at it.
I never saw it until we moved out west, Laura, and I was so awestruck.
Sounds like an awesome good time. I never thought of astronomy as a group activity.
Wow, absolutely beautiful pictures!
Love your pictures. My favorite is the Milky Way one. I blew it up, but I want to see it bigger even! It would make a fantastic poster.
Beautiful pictures, Mary! Saturn doesn’t look real, but it is. I’d love to see it through a telescope.
Wow what wonderful pictures! I especially love the Big Dipper shot. Just beautiful.
Have fun on your upcoming adventure. :)
It was a good time, Maurice. Part of the fun is the people I hang out with. The visitors can be fun, too.
Thanks, Cherie.
I’ll send you the original if you want, Jay. Although, now that I figured out how to do it, There may be better photos coming.
Saturn never looks real, Darke. It’s that fantastic.
I liked that shot, too, Julie.
Love these photos – even the daylight ones :)
Those are gorgeous pictures. I wish I could get out into the mountains and forest more, away from the millions of people I’m around every day. Looks like you had a blissful weekend. :)
Thanks, Carol. More will be coming.
I’ve lived with the millions, Michael, and really appreciate living out here among all this beauty now.
Great shots, Mary! I really like the Milky Way and Saturn :)