whole sky (Buckhorn)

Dace and Scott invited me back to their cottage. Offered me a ride. Asked if I wanted to bring the telescope back up.

I accepted the invite and lift; but I declined bringing the 'scope. The weather reports, for Peterborough, did not bode well for clear skies. It looked like, at best, there was only going to be one clear night. I didn't feel like setting up for one night.

And wouldn't you know it... clear... Relatively clear.

It took me a while to get my bearings. I forgot how good their north-western view was.

I tried looking for Saturn but I wasn't sure that I had seen it. I could not see any of Leo. Maybe I was looking in the wrong spot. Arcturus was up high. Gradually I could see all of Boötes. Over time, Lyra and Cygnus rose over the trees.

Lukas knew where the Big Dipper was. He asked where the giraffe was, his favourite animal. Everyone was surprised when I said there really was a giraffe. But I didn't know where Camelopardalis was exactly. That's when I learned that they didn't have a star chart at the cottage. Or a planisphere.

I borrowed their 8x50 binoculars and looked at Mizar and Alcor. Tried to view M13 but the light from the fire was a distraction.

We saw a bright satellite off to the north at one point. It was fast moving and orangish, heading to the north east, fairly low. Looked like the International Space Station to me!

Clouds off to the north started to glow as the Moon rose.

Nice night.

It rained on and off over the evening...