Click here if you are having trouble logging into the forums Cloudy Nights - Official Forums of the 2009 International Year of Astronomy Privacy Policy | Please read our Terms of Service | Signup and Troubleshooting FAQ | Problems? PM a Red or a Green Gu.... uh, User   You are not logged in. [Login] Entrance · Main Index · Search · New user · Who's Online FAQ · Calendar Observing >> Deep Sky Observing Previous   Index   Next   Threaded   Pages: 1 RRaubach AstroCowboy Reged: 01/26/05 Posts: 2173 Loc: Douglas (Converse County),WY My recent California visit.       #942719 - 05/05/06 01:15 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Hi All- This will be brief. I made a trip to S. California this past week--business related. I hauled along my trusty Canon 15x50 IS binoculars, hoping to see some objects not visible from 42deg 39 min N. Alas! The so-called "marine layer" prohibited anything being seen from Carlsbad. So--after the meetings were over, I drove out to Anzo-Borrego S.P. on Wednesday night (5/3/06), hoping to at least see Omega Centauri for the first time. The marine layer extended pretty far East, and up to about 3000' level. The openings in the clouds were really hit and miss. The 6 day moon above was really washing out everything down to about mag 3. I finally found a realtively clear spot on the way back to I-8 after being pretty frustrated. I pulled off at a call box turnout, and used it (the call box)to help support the binos (and, yes, the wind was really pretty brisk). I DID get a view of Omega Centauri at that point. I made a few notes: especially the size of that sucker. I'm sure under moonless conditions it would have been LOTS more impressive. -------------------- Rodger Meade SN-10 (UHTC) on Tak EM-200 mount/Antares rotating rings. Moonlite focuser. Parallax 14.5" Newtonian on HD 200 mount (arriving soon!) w/ conical Royce mirror. TMB 203 f/7 APO refractor on Tak NJP-160 mount. Discovery 12.5" PDHQ Schneider 18x80 "Flakfernrohr" binoculars/tripod mounted. Canon 15x50 IS binoculars Unihedron Sky Quality Meter Post Extras:       Scott Beith SRF Reged: 11/26/03 Posts: 33042 Loc: Gulfport, MS Re: My recent California visit. [Re: RRaubach]       #942763 - 05/05/06 01:47 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Still sounds like a good trip - even with the weather issues. Congrats on bagging OC. -------------------- Scott "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -- Edmund Burke. "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell "The measure of a man’s greatness is not determined by what he accomplishes for himself, but by what he accomplishes for others.” -- Some Bald Guy Post Extras:       John Jarosz I'm being watched... Reged: 04/25/04 Posts: 2192 Loc: Chicago area, IL Re: My recent California visit. [Re: Scott Beith]       #942785 - 05/05/06 02:06 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I made that same trip to Anzo-Borrega little over a year ago. The dark skies were something I have never seen. Too bad you missed out because I read somewhere they have a huge number of cloudless nights per year. You were unlucky. But at least your home skies are better than mine! John -------------------- 6" F4.6(w/Paracorr) GEM reflector, 8" F11 Dall Relay Scope 6" F5 RFT Refractor, Garrett Gemini 20x80 LW Post Extras:       Baja Ed member Reged: 01/31/06 Posts: 82 Loc: Baja, Mexico Re: My recent California visit. [Re: John Jarosz]       #946100 - 05/07/06 11:47 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   The De_Anza-Borrego area of the clevland national forest has great skies, a regularly drive up to San Diego, sometimes while driving up there or back by I-8 I just pull over and marvel at the sky. I dont have binos but I'll probably start packing the Edmund astroscan just for those highway pit stops. -------------------- Orion 6" DSO Edmund Astroscan Desert weather Post Extras:       RRaubach AstroCowboy Reged: 01/26/05 Posts: 2173 Loc: Douglas (Converse County),WY Re: My recent California visit. [Re: Baja Ed]       #946617 - 05/08/06 12:28 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   The downside to my jaunt up to A-B was the rental car was a Dodge Durango with a hemi; the fuel "economy" wasn't too great. Expense account. -------------------- Rodger Meade SN-10 (UHTC) on Tak EM-200 mount/Antares rotating rings. Moonlite focuser. Parallax 14.5" Newtonian on HD 200 mount (arriving soon!) w/ conical Royce mirror. TMB 203 f/7 APO refractor on Tak NJP-160 mount. Discovery 12.5" PDHQ Schneider 18x80 "Flakfernrohr" binoculars/tripod mounted. Canon 15x50 IS binoculars Unihedron Sky Quality Meter Post Extras:       Pages: 1 Previous   Index   Next   Threaded   Extra information 4 registered and 1 anonymous users are browsing this forum. 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