viewed some TLAO targets (Blue Mountains)

10:49 PM, 14 June 2013. Had been helping Risa with the C14 and imaging Saturn. Pointed out some constellations. Helped her move her CGEM. For a better sight line of Polaris. Etc.

Pointed out the LAN messenger tool, on the Paramount computer, if she needed me.

10:44 PM. Finished my hot chocolate. Tasty.

Now I was the THO with the N11. Using SkyTools on John Littlejohn. With my custom Celestron data cable to the hand controller. Not sure what to look at. Found some unfinished items from the Turn Left at Orion summer list...

10:59. Risa reported the cover of her OTA was wet with dew. Already?

I tried to check the local conditions but got a 404. Damn it. The old URL has tanked... Headed to the GBO.

I had brought my dew heating kit for Risa to try. We had to fire it up. Put it on max. And returned to the THO.

11:57. I viewed Saturn in binoviewer. Neat. It looked quite good. Invited Risa to take a look. Afterwards, I didn't like the view. Couldn't seem to get it settled. Had something gone off? My eyes? Or the seeing? Went back to the single, the 36mm.

The Moon was almost down.

12:26 AM, 15 June 2013. Spotted the PN He 2-126 near SAO 183407. It was very small. Not star like. But not very satisfying either. Was there green colour?! It would be higher in a month... But never rises about the 2 airmass threshold.

12:28 AM. Risa pinged me. With my tripod, she wanted to shoot some Milky Way pix with her Nikon DSLR.

12:30. It was pie o'clock! Mmm. Lemon.

1:28. Back.

1:34. Viewed NGC 6052. Either a star over the centre, or the centre was very bright. It was small in the 36mm. Very small. Near the pinched diamond of stars.

1:39. Viewed BM Sco from summer list TLAO. It was orange! In the middle of the Butterfly Cluster.

I thought V862 was not as bright as BM.

2:03. Tried to spot Hickson 76. Couldn't see anything.

2:13. Ian popped by. He was off to bed. For a bit. Still imaging. I said I'd hold the fort. Millie and Risa were still going!

2:18. Risa shut down her 'scope. Was gonna do some DSLR shots.

Viewed RR Sco. About same brightness as TYC 07359-2179 1 at 10.2 and TYC 07359-1863 1 at 10.9. So, near the low end of its brightness level.

2:20. The coyotes fired up.

2:30. Hey! SkyTools crashed. Sheesh.

2:35. Viewed NGC 6891. It was a small fuzzy in the 36mm.

For some reason I was not terrible interested in bumping the power...

2:57. The women were done. I closed the GBO for them. Checked the conditions. The OneWorld station was outside the THO: 77% and 4.1°. I felt cold.

Risa visited me for a bit.

3:25. Viewed NGC 2300 (aka Arp 114). Barely detectable. Not very exciting.

Risa left for the house. Sleep well.

I couldn't think straight. Staring into space. Not through the eyepiece. Tired, I guess. 3:30. Had I woken at 7:00 AM?! Closed up the THO and wandered across the parking lot.

Ho ho. Someone here... Dietmar! He was still imaging. What a trooper. Last man standing.

4:03. I was in bed.

The NexStar with SkyTools worked better good tonight. No major problems.

I'm still feeling lost. In the wake of viewing all the Messiers, I'm not sure what to do now. Tonight I just looked for some targets for "old" lists, the Turn Left at Orion, and so on. Gave me something to do, for a while. The other suggestions from SkyTools were produced by the Nightly Planner. But some of those were surprisingly difficult. I want some interesting objects. Not necessarily super small or super faint. Dunno. Dunno what to do.