"Bob May" wrote in message ...
Astro lore is rife with such occurances. Even been suspected of setting up
mortars to mortar military bases.

During the first gulf war, (in the early 90's), three members of our
club set up a 20" Obsession at the Lake Hudson Dark Sky Preserve. It
had been raining the afternoon but the forecast was for clearing
around midnight. So they went and set up.

As one of the members told me, it started to clear up around
10-10:30pm. They were the only ones in the park, or so they thought.
They had just started to observe when all these red and blue lights
with sirens came out of nowhere.

The police, having braked hard and fast, emerged from their vehicles
with sidearms drawn: and ordering our three members to lay face down
on the ground.

Of course, our three members were confounded by the turn of events. I
understand it took a little over a half-hour to convince the police
that they were harmless. The telescope was NOT a cannon and that all
they wanted to do was observe the heavens.

After the police left, they decided that they had had enough
excitement for one night. It just amazed them at what had happened.

Francis