June 2000 Overnight at Fish Lake
Saturday, June 3, 2000
( Please allow images to load )

The skies were beautiful on Friday night but we weren't there.  As clouds moved off and an H on the weather map moved in, would skies hold long enough for our turn on Saturday night?  Whew.... for the most part they did!  Guests were treated to lovely views of galaxies, globular clusters, and the sort through a fleet of predominantly Schmidt-Cassegrains and Dobsonians.  The SCT's ruled the night - a Compustar C14, two LX-200 12-inchers, two C11's, three C8's, and a C5.  Paul and Joe compared Naglers in their LX-200's and even shared a few (thanks!), globulars were bright jewels and M-51 sported spiral arms in the C14, Eric put a new Astromaster the test, and Jay tooled around the skies with his improved 13" Dob.  Kevin brought out Saginaw Heritage High School's elegant wood masterpiece 10" Dob and did his ever popular sky tour.  Tom Kasper's 6" Dob from his telescope-making class saw "first light" as well. And Jason's clever RC boat-mounted model rocket launch on Fish Lake and Linda's delicious homemade pies (yummy!) were also among the highlights.  Occasional clouds would later pester our views after midnight and another fast-moving system would bring observing to a close by 3 am, but we were pleased to have gotten the skies we had.  A few hours sleep gave way to a warm, gray, hazy Sunday morning.  All-in-all another great, albeit short, time!


Schmidt-Cassegrains getting cozy


Mike McClain and Renee Reynolds take in
late afternoon views of 2 sunspot groups with the C5


John Mills and Jack Underwood are ready for sunset
Tom Kasper breaks out the new 6" Dob (left)
( click on image for an enlarged view of this scene )


Courtney Hancock awaits a view through the Harding clan C8
Kevin Dehne (right) is decked out for star gazing!


Norbert Vance with the EMU Compustar C14


Bob Justin with Jack Underwood and his trusty, and dusty, C8
Del Pielli and Paul Wysocki chat in the background


Waiting for 10 am breakfast in the dining hall
Linda Hancock watches for critters out the window on a peaceful Sunday morning


Kevin Dehne with his Delta College students

Those with comments and pictures from the trip, please send me copies or scanned images for inclusion to this page!
phy_vance@online.emich.edu



Back to the Fish Lake Page