Pacific NW Mt St Helens EternaThread Pt 6

Heard this on the news. HWY 97 towards Goldendale closed due to wildfire Box Canyon Road area. Started July 24 and growing.

http://www.kimatv.co...osure-216839...

Ajay

Yes, I just heard it too. I hope this is contained soon.

[quote name="Spaced"]I'll probably just bring my binos. It should be great. We were dirt poor and I was working 2 jobs combined for 7 days a week when we got married. We couldn't have a honeymoon. This is also our first trip without the kids. We are pretty excited. [/quote]

Cool, Sean, I can see why you're excited. Lift a cold one, with a little umbrella, for me. [/quote]

bad astronomy year so far but, a huge marriage and family strengthening year. My new granite coated metal roof is finally done. I could have had a Webster c22 with all the bells and whistles and a set of Ethos to go with it instead for the same price but, I will never have to buy another roof. that is comforting for retirement planning.

Wenatchee was pretty wild Saturday night.
View looking south from East Wenatchee.

Saturday morning from Costco.

Got this one about 10 pm a mile east of Pangborn Airfield.

Great pics Kerry..really.

It was near 100deg here today in Big Spring TX....no fires..just our own star heating things up.

Rob

Kerry, those are some stunners!

I followed through with my "go to Hurricane Ridge Sunday and take Monday off work" plan, and I don't regret it.

It was overall cloudy with breaks when I arrived around 5:30. I drove out to Obstruction Point and took a short walk to a viewpoint. Of course, since the peaks were in clouds, my view was of clouds hovering around the tops of steep valleys. I returned to the Hurricane Ridge lot and brewed some tea for myself. I noticed that a rain squall was moving in, so I sat it out in the truck, listening to tunes and playing a computer game. About 20 teenagers drove up in 3 or 4 cars to look at Perseids so I got out and things were clearing up nicely. I moved the truck to a less teen-infused area and set up.

I brought Punk (80 mm refractor) but never got it out of the truck. It was strictly nekkid-eye & binocs. It turned into a very enjoyable and productive binoc session. Seeing was very good and transparency was good. Dew was heavy but it didn't cause any problems -- just a saturated blanket and pillow and dripping hard surfaces everywhere. I'm learning to love my 12 X 36 i.s. binos! Here's what I chased down:

--NGC 7000, No. Amer. Neb. I've been frustrated in my inability to pick this out of the Cygnus star cloud for the past couple of years but I finally got oriented on it last night, with some careful chart reading and star hopping. It was, once I had it figured out, prominent and obvious, not to mention huge and bright.

-- Pelican Neb. Ditto my comments on starhopping, etc. It is much fainter than the No. Amer. but I was able to make out the Pelican head shape. Pretty cool!

-- Western Veil. I was able to make out intermittent ribbon structure to the west of 52 Cyg and could hold a bright area to its east with averted vision. Subtle, but there. At times I thought I could detect more extensive ribbon structure but I'm chalking it up to averted imagination.

-- Alberio, just to see if I could split it. I could!

-- M27, Dumbell. Well, of course! Big and bright and I thought I could detect spindle-like elongations at the ends. The Dumbell is one of those things I know generally where to look but can have trouble finding. This time I concentrated on locating and learning its starfield, situated between Gamma Sge and 13 Vul. If I can remember, that should nail it down for me.

-- NGC 7006, GC in Delphinus (mag 10.56, .9 arc sec.) I knew this was a "maybe" at best. With great care I navigated to study its exact location. I'm saying I "suspected" seeing it. Studying the area with averted vision I would occasionally glimpse something in the right place at the very edge of detectability.

-- NGC 6934, GC in Delphinus (mag 8.82, 1.4 arc sec.) Much better. I could hold it in averted vision.

-- M15, GC in Peg. Again, "Well, of course!"

-- NGC 281, brt. neb. in Cass, "Pac Man Neb" or "ET Neb". Surprisingly bright and defined. I could distinguish Pacman shape.

-- NGC 457, OC in Cass, "Owl Cluster." This is a cool one. I'll go back and look at it with more magnification.

-- M103, OC in Cass. It is bright and a distinct fan shape.

And then it started clouding up. I paused to make some coffee and stretch my legs and when I got back to the truck I noticed it was starting to brighten toward dawn.

It was truly a spectacular, just beautiful night. There were some bright meteors but not necessarily "fireball" category. I *reaaly* like my binocs!

Nice report. Thanks Mike!

Sounds like a great night out Mike. I'm getting into enjoying more nekkid-eye viewing myself. It's fun to lay back, and enjoy our front window view on spaceship Earth!

Any chance for a star party on Sept7-8th? Mike, any chance on Pixieland?

Brad

Hi, Brad. I haven't decided what I'll do then. No matter what, feel free to camp on the property or use it at night. . . Any of you. (Maybe someone should make a run at actually organizing something for there and then.)

I'm interested in the Brothers star party, which is that weekend, but I've made no plans.

Speaking of Pixieland's namesake, she had major surgery last Thursday and is doing well. They removed her spleen, and the tumor attached to it was described to me by the vet as, "Half the size of a person's head." She now has more of a greyhound shape and less like that of a sausage. She's past the pain from the surgery and is feeling pretty good. She's breathing much better.

Mike - didn't know about Pixie's illness, glad to hear she's doing well.

Cheers!

Mike - didn't know about Pixie's illness, glad to hear she's doing well.

Pixie: "Woof!"

Sorry to hear about "Pixieland's namesake". Our pets are special to us.

By the way the Pixieland star party in early June was the best seeing I've had all year. The Oregon Star Party was a wash out for me with lots of rain and thunder storm activity. The wife and I left early and I never uncovered my 16".

Mike, We hope Pixie is feeling better. She is a sweet, sweet girl. We will have a special treat for her next time we see her.

Asher sends his love as well. (Can't blame him for trying)

I kept waiting for the weather reports to improve before heading down to OSP but they just kept getting worse. So I ended up not going at all.

If there is enough interest in Pixieland in Sept I may just try to organize something.

Glad to hear Pixie's on the mend.

Brad

Pixie thanks you for your warm thoughts. We just hope it wasn't cancerous. There's grounds for optimism.

If someone were to organize a P/land trip I'd be very tempted to go. Not that I wasn't thinking about it already. As long as Kerry doesn't attract lightning, that is.

As long as Kerry doesn't attract lightning, that is.

Hey, when you hot...your hot. !@#$%

BTW Mike, best wishes to Pixie on the recovery.

If there is enough interest in Pixieland in Sept I may just try to organize something.

Slim possibility I may go there.

I spent the last weekend in Midland/Big Spring Texas and OH boy..the night is awesome...far better then round here.

If the job thing works out OK..Texas will be my new digs.

I can
t wait for large dark skies...every day!

Rob

Speaking of Pixieland's namesake, she had major surgery last Thursday and is doing well. They removed her spleen, and the tumor attached to it was described to me by the vet as, "Half the size of a person's head." She now has more of a greyhound shape and less like that of a sausage. She's past the pain from the surgery and is feeling pretty good. She's breathing much better.

Ohhhhhhhh! Poor Pixie. She's such a sweet dog. Give her a big hug and a butt scratch for the Pegster.

a butt scratch for the Pegster.

Tom, I hope you meant "from" and not "for".
Unless you have recently broken both of your arms...

That's what I was going to say!

Hey Mike,

Great report on Hurricane Ridge. You saw all that with binos? Maybe I got to get me some of them...

Wish I could make it down there in Sept to Pixie Land, but I am heading to California on the 1st.

Glad Pixie is on the mend!

Doug