Ida and I are planning to get there an hour before Sunset. Happy Pi Day.
CRO was already open.
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And there will be PI (pie; apple, peach, Oreo…). See you all there!
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Major slow down on I40westbound about 4 miles east of Cherokee trading post. Take the Calumet bypass to Geary, if you can. I’m stuck in the crawl!
Apparently it’s construction.
We are in the slow down as well. Still don’t know which lane is out of service!
Ok. Just as i posted that the sign came up. We have to move over. Right lane closed.
It was too cloudy and windy to bother opening the C14 or 30". But we were all well entertained with Pi and cookies! Thank you, Ida!!
Conversations were varied and vivid…from sharing astrophotography to baking tips!!
Bill worked up his amazing photo of the clouds over the dome. Joel set up his rig to take pictures of it for upcoming sale.
Not your typical All Member Night, but a great time spent together at Cheddar Ranch.
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CRO is all closed down. Tested out some Star trails with the S30 Pro came out okay. Will be much better with no clouds.
If you left your USB C power adapter in the power box down by the lower pads it’s now next to the phone in the kitchen.
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The next AMN is this Saturday, 21 March, on the solstice! (Oops. Make that the day after Spring Solstice. It’s on Friday, the 20th, at 0946 this year).
Sunset is at 1945. The Moon is a waxing crescent, at 0.8%, and sets at 2048.
The forecast is clear and warm. Make that hot. 80F at 2300. But ithe evening will start with winds around 9-15mph, increasing to 15-30mph by midnight, and getting stronger the rest of the night.
We can try the Messier Marathon again this week, but the wind may make it very difficult. Welcome to Oklahoma in the Spring!
My plans are in flux and I may not make it out again this week.
I’ll post more on the Messier Marathon shortly.
Please post on here if you plan on going out for this.
I’ll be coming out for this one. May open the 30".
Should be some great viewing. Lots of AC powered 6’ pads to set upon. The 14" Edge will definitely be running.
**NOTE WELL: There has been construction on I-40 Westbound starting at the Geary exit, causing backups up to 5 miles before the Geary/Cherokee Exit. Allow extra time. OR try and exit at the Calumet exit and take the truck by-pass through Calumet into Geary. OR take the NW passage route through Okarche and Kingfisher, then over to Watonga. They were just getting set up last week and traffic was already crawling along. May go on for several months.
ALSO NOTE: The observatory site is ranchland, open country. Hot as it may be, shorts are NOT recommended. And you definitely do not want to be wearing flip-flops or sandals (unless your name is Joel). There are “critters” out there of many species, legs and types on the grounds.
But it’s a wonderful dark site for astronomy if you are properly dressed and prepared!!!
Looks like a fine viewing evening.
Please post if you’re coming out.
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I’ll be there tonight with a guest or two.
It looks like the wind forecast has died down a bit with it now only hitting 15mph at 2am.
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Welcome, Alex and your guests! The C14 and 30" are well sheltered from the wind. And a breeze might be welcome!
As long as there is a CRO member present to close up, you’re welcome to stay as late as you’d like.
I myself will be leaving around midnight or sooner.
I’ll be out @CRO tonight around sunset as long as the wind continues to be relatively low. Seeing should be good. Kp index forecasts at 4.5-5 range ear to mid evening too.
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I’ll be coming out for my first time tonight.
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Welcome, Hunter!
If you or any other first timers pass through Geary, be certain to closely observe the speed limits. Geary is a known speed trap, and their reach extends as far south as the Cherokee Trading Post.
Also when you’re going home, watch out for critters jumping out in the dark.
Looking forward to meeting you.
The forecast is still for clear skies and warm temperatures tonight! It’s predicted to still be 73F at midnight, and only 69F by dawn. That’s unusual even for the summer months, much less for the first full day of Spring!
The wind forecasts are a bit better, but are still predicted to increase as the night goes on, so completing the marathon in the early morning hours might be difficult. But this should be perfect weather for the 14" and 30"! Thanks Marv, and others, for opening those up tonight!
I will not be there tonight, but here’s the criteria for certificates from the club for the Messier Marathon.
Messier Marathon 2026
We will award club certificates for participants in the Messier Marathon at CRO this year.
We’ll have four categories: Manual Telescope Go-to Telescope Binoculars EAA
In each category we’ll have 3 levels of accomplishment: 50% (55 objects observed) 90% (99 objects observed) 100% (110 objects observed)
To receive a OKCAC certificate submit your observation sheet to: observingcoordinator@okcastroclub.com. Certificates will be handed out at the meeting following the submission.
The club rules are simple. Observations must be completed in one night. Record your observations on an observation sheet (doesn’t matter which one you choose). Submit your observation sheet to the email address above. You must indicate at the top of the sheet what category you completed. For EAA observations, you must record an image of the Messier object, in addition to completing the observation sheet. Those should be posted on an online site for everyone to view and enjoy!
Observation sheets are available at CRO, though I’d recommend finding one online that you like, downloading and printing it before you go out. There are numerous sheets online you can find and print.
Tom McDonough has very generously provided a link to his Messier Marathon resources at Messier Marathon Charts
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I’ve working on stuff all day, but finally nostly packed and ready to head out, but I would be rolling in well after dark. Probaly after 9:30 PM. That sounds disruptive now that I think about it. Perhaps not?