[sac-forum] Re: So, how was Cherry II?

This was my first time out to the Cherry Rd. site(s), and think it is an excellent site. I had spent the day over at Stan Gorodenski's Blue Hills Observatory in Dewey, attending a meeting of the SW-Astrophysics group. Jennifer Polakis rode along with me to the meeting. After dinner, (slightly after sunset, actually) we drove over the hill east on AZ 169 to the Cherry Rd. site. This was located easily, as the dirt rd. turnoff is directly opposite (south side) from the road to the town of Cherry. This is between mileposts 10 and 9 on AZ 169 (numbered from the west end) or about 5 miles west of I-17. AZ 169 is smooth and paved all the way from I-17 to Dewey (where it intersects AZ 69). The dirt road 1/2 mile south to the observing field is well graded. The only issue is a small bump or berm on the rather narrow entrance to the large observing field (over a ditch). This only presents an issue when you are trying to locate the narrow driveway when exiting in the dark (with headlights off....)
Skies were good until Moonset ca. 11:30, when just as it got really dark, a bank of clouds moved northward from the vicinity of Phoenix, and rapidly covered the southern Milky Way. I noticed a sudden apparent increase in humidity, and the temperature (ground and sky) increased about 4 degrees. The measured ground temperature was about 70 degrees (which feels chilly after days in PHX this time of year).
I did not bring a telescope, as I had the car packed full with tables, chairs, projection screen, etc. from the meeting. So I set up my new "Gravity Chair" recliner and tried it out with my 8x40 binoculars. This works really well ! I would recommend one of those recliners (available at discount for under 50 dollars) -- very strongly constructed, and easy to adjust by exerting a slight pressure with your feet and legs, stops exactly where you want it, in any position from full upright to completely reclining, looking straight up, completely balanced. (There are also latches under the armrests to lock the position.)
I borrowed Tom's Canon 30mm Image-Stabilized binoculars, and got some good looks at the Milky Way, star clusters, the Coathanger (Collinder 399 ?) and etc. before the clouds crept in. As I was getting a bit chilly and tired, I left about midnight for the drive back. I had some drops of rain on the windshield when I got into the valley, and there was some lightning off to the east, over the Four Peaks or Superstition ranges when I got back to Fountain Hills.
A nice evening spent with my SAC friends. I got some peeks through scopes operated by Tom and Jennifer, Chris Hanrahan, and Rich Harshaw. (Nice doubles, Richard !) Everybody seemed to be having a good time, even Rascal the AstroDawg. (A well-behaved mutt, spent his time sniffing out crickets in the dark... No viewing for him, however -- no telescope!) 

Gene Lucas
(17250)

tpolakis@xxxxxxx wrote:
I think this star party set the attendance record for First Quarter moon. >From north to south, the attendees were Gene Lucas, Paul Lind, Steve 
McAllister, Tom and Jenn Polakis, Chris Hanrahan, Dick Harshaw, Bob Christ,
Tim Jones, and Like & David Romney.

It was all or nothing with the clouds.  Just when it appeared that all hope
was lost around 2 a.m., most of the sky cleared very rapidly, and we
enjoyed some views under great transparency.  At 3 a.m., the entire sky was
pretty much wiped out in a couple minutes, and it was time to try to grab
some sleep anyway.

Tom

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