I volunteered to help with the Comanche Springs Astronomy Campus's public star night on Saturday July 30, 2022. Early in the week, the sky was predicted to be clear, with very low relative humidity. So I decided to spend the week there, observing, relaxing and helping.
I left work in AUrora, Colorado on Monday, July 25, drove to Amarillo, Texsas and had a wonderful steak dinner at The Big Texan.
I sat upstairs on the balcony and had a great view of the restaurant while I enjoyed the steak dinner with iced tea.
I stayed in the Super 8 on the east end of Amarillo, near the airport. The room was nice.
I arrived at 3RF Tuesday July 26 about noon. I always like to get the picture of the gate. Three Rivers Foundation (3RF) is the host organizatuin that owns the Comanche Springs Astronomy Campus.
Tuesday July 26, 2022. It reached a temperature of 105 degrees in the afternoon. Even the wind was hot.
In the evening, I got the 20-inch setup for a night of observing. The weather forecast was predicted to be clear and a maximum of 45% relative humidity, early tomorrow morning. The lower the relative humidity, the easier it is to see faint galaxies.
This night turned out to be one of those pristine nights that you rarely get. I was able to see 15.2 magnitude galaxies this night which is about the limit of that this telescope can see. It was an invredible evening of observing.
Wed Jul 27, 2022
Another 105 degree day today. As twilight darkened, I was setup and ready for another night of observing.
The weather forecast was identical to the previous nights' forecast. So I was excited to see more faint galaxies this night.
The forecast was not accurate and by 1 am, the sky was not revealing even 13.0 magnitude galaxies to me. The brighter objects were not the crisp views I had the night before.
Thursday afternoon, July 28, 2022. The weather forecast for the remainder of the week was afternoon thunderstorms with lingering clouds into the late evenings.
It reached 105 degrees again this day.
Friday hike, July 29, 2022. The high temperature for today was predicted to be 95 degrees. So I thought I would take advantage of the break in the heat and walk to the water marker and back. About a 5-mile hike.
I passed by the Beaver Pond. I counted about a dozen water turtles in the pond, something I had not noticed before on other hikes past this pond.
Got my usual picture with me and the water marker. This marker is over 100 years old. I think it was erected so the ranchers knew where the river below it was and could get their cattle to water.
While I was sitting on the bench 3RF put there, a road runner came over the edge of the mesa and investigated me. It was only about 5 feet away at one point. A beautiful bird and I was amazed it was not frightened of me. Weary yes, but stood there looking at me for quite some time. I think it was wondering how tasty I would be.
A picture of the cabins, I was in cabin 6, the one on the right end of the row of cabins.
The rooms are nice and comfortable. With a microwave, refridgerator, toilet and shower.
I spent the days in the air conditioning, working on spectra I had taken this past spring. I was working on the Astronomical League's Spectroscopy Observing Program and I was getting all the spectra images processed and ready to submit to that program's coordinator.
The Christian Trail Life scouts arrived on Friday afternoon. They were the major visitors for tomorrow night's public star party.
I was able to give a lecture to some of the scouts on how to find constellations in the night sky. I also gave them an overfiew of why the sky changes from night to night and other basic celestial mechanics a scout should know.
Heading home, Sunday July 31, 2022. A nice picture of the sun peeking through the clouds.
