Aha! This proves you have bats in the belfry! Richard Harshaw Cave Creek, AZ -----Original Message----- From: az-observing-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:az-observing-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of stevecoe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 12:35 PM To: az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [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 -- See message header for info on list archives or unsubscribing, and please send personal replies to the author, not the list. -- See message header for info on list archives or unsubscribing, and please send personal replies to the author, not the list.