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[dewayne]

Saturday nite (7/10/04) did not start out with great promise.
An astronomy class from Illinois Central College was going to our dark sky spot at Jubilee State Park.
There were massive clouds everywhere. On the way to the park there was a downpour.
But, I kept going.
When I got to the park there was no rain, but still lots of clouds.
Several other members of the Peoria Astronomical Society were there and students began arriving.
Perhaps it was sheer force of will but the clouds departed just before dark.
We would have bouts with passing clouds, but only temporary bouts.
All in all, it was a great night.
The students left about 10:30 p.m. then it was time to hunt DSO's.
By Midnight it was so dark we could see what I'd call starclouds in the Milky Way.
I was very anxious. This was my first time out at Jubilee with my Telrad.
I bagged 10 new Messier's (WOOHOO), and revisited some old favorites like M57.
I finally got M81 and M82. I've been wanting them for a long time. Now I'll have to see if I can get them at home.
Below is my log for the evening.

#30
M80
7/10/04
10:50 p.m.
Orion XT8
Viewed at Jubilee at 30X
Did not appear especially large compared to M13, but easily resolved.

#31
M51
7/10/04
11 p.m.
Orion XT8
Viewed at Jubilee at 30X and 48X
Very impressive. I could make out both galaxies as faint fuzzies and the dust lane between. It was larger and brighter in John Barra's 12" Meade. However, it was not that much better a view than in my 8".
Very exciting object!

#32
M27
7/10/04
11:10 p.m.
Orion XT8
Viewed at Jubilee at 30X.
Had located this object last year before I began tracking Messiers. Seeing it in my 8" was quite a sight. It was much larger and brighter as compared to last year's view in my 4.5".

#33
M4
7/10/04
11:45 p.m.
Viewed at Jubilee at 30X and 120X.
Not particularly impressive, but easily resolved.

#34
M18
7/11/04
12:30 a.m.
Viewed at Jubilee at 34X.
Not particularly impressive.

#35
M8
7/11/04
12:40 a.m.
Viewed at Jubilee at 34X.
Very impressive. Trouble making out lagoon shape though with clouds.

#36
M24
7/11/04
12.45 a.m.
Viewed at Jubilee at 34X.
There was haze visible in the sky to the naked eye. An interesting object, clearly a heavily populated area with stars.

#37
M20
7/11/04
12:57 a.m.
Viewed at Jubilee at 34X.
Very nice. In John Barra's 12" Meade it was easier to make out dust lanes.

#38
M81
7/11/04
1:14 a.m.
Viewed at Jubilee at 30X and 34X.
Bright core easily resolved. Used the Big Dipper as my guidepost.

#39
M82
7/11/04
1:14 a.m.
Viewed at Jubilee at 30X and 34X.
Very bright, my favorite to view between the two.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

dewayne,

That is quite a list there, and well documented. The notations are nice too. Where is this State park at?

How did you locate your targets? Do you have goto on your scope, use the setting circles or did you starhop?

It's interesting that there is a sort of neutral zone after the 8" until you reach perhaps a 14" or more in a great jump of brightness, detail and clarity.

Thanks for listing them all. Perhaps I'll create a board on targets accomplished by our members.

[dewayne]

Jubilee State Park is about a half-hour outside Peoria in Brimfield, Il.
The Peoria Astronomical Society has a dark sky spot at the park. It is for members only and our guests. It's a nice, dark, private spot. We have a 14" and 24" reflector housed there.
I found the objects I listed by star-hopping.
No go-to for me.