[AZ-Observing] Bats on my telescope

OK, so I am out observing at the Antennas site and my buddy is sound
asleep, so I have no witness, but I promise it is the truth.

I have a 6" f/8 refractor with a metal dew shield. I am observing galaxies
in Virgo (NGC 4030) and as I am viewing some detail there is a low noise
above my head and the galaxy dims quite a bit in the field of view.

I look up and there is a bat perched on the dew shield with wings somewhat
outstreched. It has blocked off some of the aperture and that is what I
saw as dimming in the eyepiece.

I wave a hand at it and it chirps and flys off to find some bugs to eat. I
check the scope for bat droppings and find that there have been no
"deposits" left on the scope, or the lens!! I re-align the scope and
continue wading through galaxies in Virgo.

This is my 33rd year of going out into the Arizona desert with telescopes.
I have heard and seen many bats over the years flying about in the dark
hunting food. But I have never had a close encounter with one until last
night.

Crazy, man, crazy;
Steve Coe

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