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[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Now...

The Northerly Island event I was going to work for the Adler changed, so I am free to join Patrick at Horner Park and make this a nice Chicago Astronomer event!

Patrick's post on the observation site at California and Montrose:

astronomer.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=Observations&thread=4397&page=1#19855

We will have a great Moon, Saturn and for our deep sky fans...a Nova to search for and image. I will set-up the C11 by 7:30 pm and remain til...? (Patrick has the All Night papers...! )

The weather will be fantastic and the Horner Park hill has a great vista, but bring the bug spray for the skeeters and binoculars...for the Nova.
Parking is free and close by the set-up site - look for our red flashing lights.

And as always...All Chicago Astronomer events are free and open to all.

Be there.....

[patrickm]

Hooray!!

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Curt...

I will arrive by 7:30 pm and ready for visitors about 8pm.

Cool that we will see your brother again!

(And I have not forgotten about the Hideaway star party....soon!)

[regichuck]

I'll be there. I hope to see M13 on the C9.25!! M57 on the C11!!! Yay!

[Centaur]

I drove there from the suburbs and got to earn a nova merit badge. It was great meeting Joe, Patrick and Rick in person for the first time. They have some humongous light buckets. I thank them for hosting a fine event.

The sky was cloud free but somewhat mucky as can be expected for Chicago. My brother Kent who lives in the neighborhood was at his summer cottage in Turner Camp over thirty miles toward the northwest where he could actually see the Milky Way.

Next year the Chicago Astronomer crew is invited by Kent to Turner Camp where there are no streetlights or traffic and the sky is clear and dark.

[patrickm]

CENTAUR!

[regichuck]

Last night I finally got to see the ring nebula for the first time thanks to Joe. Hard to believe it was still visible with an almost full moon and with all the Chicago light pollution! I wish I could've found this group sooner.

I used to hunt for m57 all night with my 60mm refractor when I was a kid and never was able to see it. Joe just casually said let's try to find it, pulled out an ipad mini that was hooked up to his telescope and 5 minutes later I was looking at God's great creation. How times have changed..

[patrickm]

Had a great time last night and so thankful that Joe showed up. Super bummed that Scott had to wrestle with his scope. I know how frustrating that can be and hope it sorts itself out soon!

Only took a couple of pictures and then was too busy attending to people:

Julia hanging out with Sheila looking through the scope at the moon early. Wish Julia had been able to stay longer.


Joe setting up in the gloaming.

Was awesome to see friends, kids, neighbors, Horner Park Advisory Committee and Friends of the Park members, past visitors, Centaur, and Chicago Astronomer fans come out. After everyone was gone, Joe let me troll around the moon with the C11 and his binoviewers. We hung until about 2am, and as much as I wanted to, was never able to show my dew-drenched permit to anyone in authority.

The list is long and includes new Nova Delphini 2013 (why isn't it Sagitta?) listed here as the nearby star HD 194841. Times are all greatest approximations as I wasn't punching them in while attending tonight. I feel like there are a few objects that Joe was calling out near the end of the night that are missing from the list. Hopefully he'll fill in so I can update it.

One of the hits was the Double Double. I showed it to a lot of people first in the 23mm and then in the 17mm where the separation becomes clearer.

Even low in the mucky skies, Saturn is still a rock star. You have the best day of the week named after you, and you're still my favorite, you big, gassy buddy.

Horner Park, August 17

Uranus
(Planet in Pisces)
Observed: Aug 17, 2013, 23:05:23

Neptune
(Planet in Aquarius)
Observed: Aug 18, 2013, 11:00:42

Saturn
(Planet in Virgo)
Observed: Aug 17, 2013, 20:00:51

Venus
(Planet in Virgo)
Observed: Aug 17, 2013, 19:45:00

Moon
(Moon of Earth in Sagittarius)
Observed: Aug 17, 2013, 19:30:20

Delphinus
(Dolphin)
Supernova in evernote

HD 194841
(Star in Delphinus)
Observed: Aug 17, 2013, 22:54:29
2013 Nova Sagitta

Andromeda Galaxy - M 31
(Spiral Galaxy in Andromeda)
Observed: Aug 17, 2013, 23:45:59

Wild Duck Cluster - M 11
(Open Cluster in Scutum)
Observed: Aug 18, 2013, 0:25:51

Ring Nebula - M 57
(Planetary Nebula in Lyra)
Observed: Aug 17, 2013, 21:00:15

Double Double - Epsilon1 Lyr
(Double Star in Lyra)
Observed: Aug 17, 2013, 21:00:26

Double Cluster - NGC 869
(Open Cluster in Perseus)
Observed: Aug 18, 2013, 0:05:37

Hercules Cluster - M 13
(Globular Cluster in Hercules)
Observed: Aug 17, 2013, 22:30:47

Messier 92
(Globular Cluster in Hercules)
Observed: Aug 17, 2013, 22:45:03

Messier 15
(Globular Cluster in Pegasus)
Observed: Aug 18, 2013, 1:05:21

Owl Cluster - NGC 457
(Open Cluster in Cassiopeia)
Observed: Aug 18, 2013, 0:25:28

Pleiades - M 45
(Open Cluster in Taurus)
Observed: Aug 18, 2013, 1:10:11

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Horner Park Bash...and a Nova...

With my responsibilities for the Adler Planetarium changed, I was now free to join C.A. Patrick in his star party at Horner Park and join in on the bash and I hoped to target and image the nova.

Arriving at about 8pm I set-up the C11 on the CG-5 and met old friends and new Chicago Astronomer fans....

Many, receiving the Chicago Astronomer email notifications and social media feeds, stopped by to catch views with us and I was glad to see them join us...

C.A. Rick and I spent some time together, talking equipment and picking out targets via iPad mini.

A very special treat, (above)... was finally meeting, after 9 years (since the creation of the Chicago Astronomer in 2004), C.A. Forum member Curt (Centaur)...! Surprising me in the dark, we chatted throughout the evening and very glad he stopped by to see us!

Master photographer Scott joined us too...

Early on, I had our visitors observe Saturn, but the air was mucky and the planet was sinking fast...so we explore the surface of the Moon and slewed the C11....

When the crowds thinned out, I decided to find and image the new nova in Delphinus. Working with Patrick and Rick, we isolated the area...

With the laser on-board the C11, it was a snap to see where we were at and consulting our pads, confirmed the R.A & Dec coordinates...

©Scott Mason

You can actually see the tiny and forgettable constellation of Delphinus...which really - I never paid any attention to before...

The Maxview 40mm 2" imaging eyepiece provided a nice wide FOV of the Nova region and confirming with fellow Astronomers, we were certain we got the target...

Success...!

Here is a sight that just a few days ago...was never seen before in the history man mankind. Very coolest...

I attempted to slew to other objects and image...but the skies were terrible for deep sky observing, and managed to catch a sub-standard M15...

And managed a simple Neptune...

Our last visitor left at around 12:30 am and Patrick & I stayed till 2am - talking and observing the Moon with my Binoviewers on the C11...

This was a great fun time with fellow Astronomers, friends and fans on Chicago's North West side.

We'll be back soon...

[scottmason]

Nice shots!
What is that above Patrick's head in the 4th last shot?

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

I would say ectoplasm...but really...looks like Mothra is stalking Patrick.

[patrickm]

Lens flare or Kirlean photography?

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

I think Mothra laid eggs in Patrick's collar...

Just sayin'.

[-=CROMAN=-]

It looks like a hyperdimensional creature!

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

I'm the one playing the flute....

[Paulie pchris00]

Curt at a C.A. star party and I missed it?!?

I was committed to an event at Taltree Arboretum that night, and had a couple hundred people to attend to. Wish I could have teleported over to Horner at some point.