FreeLists / az-observing / [AZ-Observing] Re: Great Night at The Dodders

[Stan Gorodenski <stan_gorodenski@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Tom Polakis wrote:

>Thanks to Steve and Rosie Dodder for hosting their semi-annual star party at 
>their house south of Maricopa.  It was good to see that Rosie has improved 
>from her auto accident very much since we visited her the previous weekend.
>
>Late in twilight we saw an optimal pass of the ISS from the southwest to 
>northeast horizon.  By optimal, I mean that it had to have reached an altitude 
>of at least 85 degrees.  I couldn't tell which direction from the zenith it 
>was passing when it was at its highest.  It rose slowly to about the 
>brightness of Jupiter, where it stayed for a couple minutes.
>
>Joe Orman showed his latest slides, including attractive moonlit photos from 
>Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and the crescent moon near the Pleiades.
>
>We had some good views of the fragments of Comet Schwassmann-Wachmann through 
>my 10" Newtonian.  Fragment C is shaping up nicely, showing a nearly 
>half-degree tail and a very bright core.  Trailing 5 degrees behind it is 
>Fragment B, which showed a faint spine near the head that was elongated in the 
>direction of the tail.  The much fainter Fragment G should have been very 
>nearby, but we weren't able to pick it up with certainty.
>
>All three Belt of Orion set almost parallel to a slope that is due west of 
>Steve's place.  We watched the three Belt stars slowly set, including one nice 
>"grazing occultation" by a palo verde tree. 
>
>After a tour of mostly bright, departing Winter objects, we headed north, only 
>to have our senses assaulted with communities with names like Maricopa 
>Meadows, Cobblestone Farms
>

I have always thought it odd that communities and streets in the harsh 
desert environment would have such comfy names like Cobblestone Farms. 
Why not give them names more appropriate to the desert environment like 
Scorpion Gultch Rd., Rattlesnake Farms, Heat Exhaustion Avenue, 
Sunstroke Meadows, etc. Then see how many people would want to move to 
Arizona!! :-) .
Stan

>, and Rancho Malario.
>
>Tom
>
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