A Star Party for the Birds!
The Swan Nebula (M17) and the Eagle Nebula (M16) were favorite targets at OVAL's star party held at the Starr Homeplace in Oak Ridge, Louisiana by our gracious host Joe Rolfe. We counted 14 scopes and 25 people - a great turnout. Joe's "now famous" salsa and chips along with grilled sausage made for a great evening. The night sky was about as perfect as it gets. Jupiter and the crescent moon graced the early evening skies will the four Galilean moons positioned to one side of the planet. The Milky Way was very prominent - in fact, it was quite bright!
Andromeda rose from the northeast horizon around 10 PM and was enjoyed by all. It looked quite spectacular in the Teleview 2" eyepiece. Below are some photos from the event.
Thanks again Joe for the wonderful hospitality! In the words of The Terminator, "We'll be back!"
**Click on the astrophotos below to view the full sized file.
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 M15 - Globular Cluster |
 MM16 - Eagle Nebula |
 M17 - Swan Nebula (the swan is upside down!) |
 M18 - Open Cluster |
 NGC891 - Edge on Galaxy (black and white) |
 NGC891 - Edge on Galaxy (color) |
 NGC7331 Spiral Galaxy (black and white) |
 NGC7331 Spiral Galaxy (color) |
