[AHSP-registrants] AHSP Registrants' Letter #1

[Goldberg, Alan M.]

AHSP Registrants --

Thanks for signing up early for AHSP. We're looking forward to seeing you in late August.

We like to communicate with the registrants over the summer, to try to prepare the first-timers and remind the repeat participants with insights about this very special star party. Every couple of weeks we will send you an email with notes about the event, reminders, and planning tips. As we approach the weekend itself, the notes will become more specific.

The organizing committee is also planning to host a couple of call-in Q&A sessions to discuss this year's event. More details will be sent in the next email.
If you have any questions or suggestions, contact the committee at <mailto:info at ahsp.org>.

While the main draw of AHSP at Spruce Knob is the beautiful skies and observing with friends, we have some news to report on the speakers agenda: Both "Uncle" Rod Mollise  and Sky & Telescope's  Kelley Beatty have agreed to speak during the weekend.  (Google their names to find more about them.) More schedule details will be added to the AHSP web site <www.ahsp.org> as they are finalized.

For this first email, we want to quote from a great observing report written by our own peripatetic Allan Meyer. Allan captured much of the fun and wonder of the 2010 AHSP. Judge for yourself below.

For the AHSP Volunteer Committee, 

Alan

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AHSP Observing report 2010                         Allan Meyer                             9/8/2010

I'd just like to add a little more here while I still recover. I'd almost have to write a book to cover all the incredible viewing!
The winds Friday night, and Saturday morning were fierce. But I love weather, so in an odd way this was icing on the cake for me. I enjoyed the howling wind. Bring it on! My tent almost achieved liftoff velocity Saturday morning around 6am... I loved it!(being soaked in the rain Friday afternoon was another matter tho....)

M 33 was naked eye three nights in a row. M 31 and many other DSO's were as well. But M 33 just stood out and caught in my mind. Through Phil's 15 x 50 image stabilized binoculars the views were just amazing. Same with M 31. (spiral structure visible) M 110 instantly visible here as well. If my brain was working properly I'd have tried to hunt down globular clusters in M 31 with my scope.....

Seeing the spiral arms in several galaxies is not something I'll ever forget. M 51 was awesome even though not well placed for viewing.
The North American nebulae was a perfect fit in my 8 x 42 Celestron Noble binoculars as well.

The Double Cluster was glorious !! Another lasting viewing experience.

The Veil (piece by piece) through Bill's 20 inch Obsession along with M 8 were incredible. Made me forget how much I hate ladders. From 27 years of having to use ladders for work this says a lot for me.

M 8 was awesome not matter how I viewed it. M 20 showed the wishbone clearly, no filter needed. M 17 was stunning as was M 16. Who needs an O III filter in skies like that. M 24 was beautiful to scan.

My personal all time favorite and very first time to view for me was the Sculptor Galaxy ngc 253.I spent hours on it. A lasting memory. Stunning, with mottling all across the disc. My C 11 spent the most time pointed at that... Views that are etched in my mind.

There were soo many deep sky objects that were naked eye, and binocular visible it was mind boggling !! I spent the better part of Monday night just scanning the heavens with my puny (but quite nice) binoculars and was not disappointed ! I also did a globular cluster marathon on Monday night and saw almost too many to count. Amazing.......... I then just scanned the Milky Way with my 16 x 80 finder scope. Almost made me forget there was a C 11 underneath it. So many objects were seen with others in the same field of view with it.

The rest of the night was binocular viewing. The most I think I've ever done.

Bob Naeye and Rod Mollise were so cool and approachable; it was fantastic talking to them. Both spent time talking to people and helping them out. Rod spent time helping a new club member with his new scope, (Chris you had a once in a lifetime tutoring experience here !!) Bob spent time explaining all kinds of stuff with people.

The top of the cool scope list has to go to John McDonnell's Lunt 152mm solar scope !!!

OMG I've never seen the Sun like that, the views were something I never imagined. I (we) spent many many hours watching the Sun work in real time. Who says nuclear power is bad ? I've looked through a lot of big scopes in the past 30 + years, but this one is at the top of the list now.  You Da Man John ! To see filaments arc off the Sun, separate and then slowly vanish, amazing !!!! The Sun's disc in this scope looked huge !! And at high magnifications the surface detail was something I thought I'd never see with my own eyes ever.

Seeing part of our universe work in real time, WoW !

I was surrounded where I camped with 20 inch plus Obsessions. Who could ask for more !
This Star Party was truly an Almost Heaven experience for me..................

--  Allan Mayer