Dark sky, desert night

Jane and I are planning another trek to our favorite isolated desert location for a night of deep sky observing this weekend, and you're welcome to join us. Our favorite spot is a bit of a trek -- 150 miles from our home in Monrovia -- but the desert landscape is beautiful and the skies are nice and dark. You can see pictures of the location here: <http://www.otastro.org/2006-04-01-messier/> If you've marveled at the night sky from a truly dark location, here's your chance to visit with a knowledgeable tour guide. You can bring your own telescope, borrow one of ours, or just "mooch photons." We'll have charts and things to borrow as well. If the weather looks good, Jane and I will depart Monrovia about 3:00 p.m. on Saturday to arrive well before sunset. You're welcome to join us any time in the evening, and stay as long as you like. If you're interested in some help with your own telescope, and want to join us, it's best to try to arrive about 7:00 p.m. Telescope orientation is best done before it starts getting dark. May is probably my favorite month for deep sky observing. The giant Virgo galaxy cluster is high in the sky, along with all the great Ursa Major galaxies. After a short nap, the rich summer Milky Way is available to wander in the quiet morning air. If you'd like to join us, please send me a note and a way to get in touch with you in case the weather turns sour. I'll send along directions. Our spot is on BLM land, just two miles off I-10. Plenty of room to camp, but no water or toilets. Best regards, Mojo -- Morris Jones Monrovia, CA http://www.whiteoaks.com Old Town Astronomers http://www.otastro.org