"Rick Johnson" wrote

George Normandin wrote:
This is one of my few images of the past months.........
....
I've been wondering what happened to you........

Rick,

Well, out of the last 3 months I've been to two major star parties, a
weekend trip to Cherry Springs State Park in PA (which is a star party
*every* weekend - about 100 people on dark weekends - with lots of big Dobs
and CCD rigs), and 16 days at my camp in the Adirondacks. Nearly all of
that's been visual observing and at places with no phone service, let alone
internet connections!

The attached pic shows my friend Art (left) and I with my Obsession 20 at
Cherry Springs. Note the nice concrete pad the scope is on. There's AC power
about 5 feet to my left, and running water on the field. They're building
flush toilets and hopefully a visitors center and planetarium on the other
side of the road. Camping is only $4 per night ($20 to rent one of the empty
domes). For their astronomy programs the PA Parks people get about 50 people
on a clear night. They can walk the field after the formal program, but
they're told not to touch people's scopes unless invited. The sky is really
dark - Bortle scale 2 or so, the ground is flat and grassy, and the entire
sky is visible because the field is on the top of a mountain.

George N

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