[AZ-Observing] Saturday at Vekol

  
 An observing report from Saturday 1/25 - Vekol Az.
 
 The observing weather for Saturday was about as best that a
January night could be. Despite less than great seeing, the transparency
was way above what the rest of January had been, and the night temperature
proved to be quite comfortable. The evening started with a small group, as
this is not the main star party site for the last quarter moon or "local"
event. The first object on my list was Comet C/2002 NEAT which is now in
Pegasus below the great square and just to the right of the head of Pisces.
This comet is quite bright and if it was not in the outer boundary of the
Zodiacal light, I would have tried more to see if it could be viewed 
without optics. The comet had a well defined coma, stellar nucleus, and
a two degree tail with a well defined structure. Following the comet was 
a list of many, almost 100 objects for my list with a galaxy hunt in 
Andromeda and a first view for me of IC 65 as well as several from the
clusters between M31 and M33. On to Cass. and a first view of NGC7538 and
Sh2 -155 and 157. Crossing over to the rising part of the sky, observed a 
list of many in the lower half of Leo. As the moonrise approached, packed
and stopped at the half night mark and joined a group of cars leaving.
The road to Vekol has been graded, and the washboarding is gone for now
but in its place are very deep drainage ditches on both sides, watch out
for these as one cuts across the more northern entrance to the Star Party
site. The ditches end mysteriously right at the main entrance to the site
clearing. The dustiness of the road is still there. Being able to make a
good pace on the dirt road was the cap to a superb evening under the stars. 
  Upon our small convoy reaching the I8 entrance ramp we were greeted by
a bizarre sight, dozens and dozens of tractor/trailers were parked right
there as well as many police cars including one blocking the on ramp. The
I8 was closed from Vekol to Casa Grande due to a man in a car up near the
rest stop who had taken himself hostage at gunpoint. We sat for a while
to see if the problem would end, but after about a half hour, we took the
officer's advice and took the long way back. This was a trip down a deserted
I8 which had been shut down in the westbound direction also, to Gila Bend.
At Route 85, a quick turn onto 238 to take us to Maricopa. I had not yet
driven on 238, and wanted to sometime, so this was a opportunity, but one
I had wanted to save for daylight. The road is surprisingly smooth and 
not so mountainous as the maps seem to show it, but its not a place to make
speed either, especially in dark. It was also a bit lonely as I had allowed
the rest of the group to outpace me and not one other car was seen until 
reaching the end of the road near the new housing being built north of 
Maricopa proper. 
 On Sunday, looked for any word of what became of the individual who had 
taken I8 prisoner and delayed the road delivery of essential brew to San
Diego for Super Bowl Sunday. There was nothing on the news at all. Did
anyone hear of the outcome?
 
 Russ  
 
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