[Lvas] Desert observing tips / Anybody up for observing this week?

[Rob]

Here's the single frame 14-second integrations of the Omega Centauri 
Cluster and Centauri A that David mentioned.  I captured these with my 
Mallincam from Death Valley during our Star Party there this past 
February.  Because it was so low on the horizon, the images aren't as 
sharp as I would have liked.  I've reduced the size of the jpg files for 
easier email handling of the files.  The higher resolution jpgs are a 
little better, but at least these images show you what can be captured 
with a special low-light video (NTSC) camera.

Rob

Jonathan Kade wrote:
> For what it's worth, we got a little too sick of the Strip yesterday
> evening (didn't take that long ;) and decided to try visiting Mount
> Charleston.  We found a decently protected parking area near a
> trailhead and set up.  (On the way up, Diane was somewhat shocked when
> we found the youth correctional facility next to the hilltop
> campground!)  We spent some time with the UMa/CnV galaxies and with
> assorted Messier and other open clusters, but then identified the top
> of Centaurus and looked for it.
>
> I'm 95% sure we found Centaurus A - a large bright patch with visible
> dark lane - but it was extremely low contrast.  Much better in 15x70s
> than in the 66mm telescope, too.  Based on where it was, we knew Om
> Cent was behind a ridge in the mountain, so we broke down the
> equipment to call it a night.
>
> But coming down the mountainside, we realized we could see much more
> of the body of Centaurus, so we stopped at the next pulloff and got
> out the binoculars.  We caught Om Cent just over a ridge, right near
> the meridian.  There was just enough time to pull out the telescope
> and set up.  The cluster was blobby and stars didn't really resolve,
> but it was stunning nonetheless - especially with the mountain ridge
> right below it in the field of view!
>
> Comparing it to M13, which was just across the sky from it, it was
> hard not to be struck by how badly the great globs of the north
> compare to the great southern ones.  We still haven't seen 47 Tucanae,
> but maybe someday...
>
> Jonathan
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