We've had a spell of clear nights recently and I finally took advantage of it tonight and did some observing. I decided to keep it simple and just set up the Dob in the back yard. I had not tried the Argo Navis digital setting circles yet, so I decided to hook it up and see if I could make it work.
I'm pleased to say that it didn't take long to figure it out. I suppose some would call it cheating but I'm a technology lover and anything that makes things easier is o.k. in my book. The Argo Navis unit is similar to a "go-to" system although it's actually more like a "push-to" system, it tells me with little arrows which way to push the scope to reach my target. It wasn't flawless but I suspect I will gradually learn to use it better.
I had a fantastic view of bright Venus in the twilight after sundown. It's a large crescent right now and a beautiful sight. I also observed Saturn and Jupiter, both of which inspired the usual jaw-drop with their amazing appearance.
One goal with the Dob is to pursue some Astronomical League "club" programs, and tonight I dusted off my old Double Star log and added to it a bit.
Overall a it was a nice session but I cut it short as I have bigger plans for tomorrow evening.
There are plenty of other astronomical things going on for me these days. My new membership on the TAAA board has brought some interesting things to thing about. Last Saturday I spent most of the day with the President working on a project, and the meeting on Wed. evening went for 4 hours. More to follow about that but suffice it to say we are working on some rather big plans.
I also submitted my first spectra to the BeSS database, and have been in communication with the site administrator; I'm looking forward to uploading many more Be star spectra in the future.
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