All Members Nights at CRO

I’ll come out for this one. The WX looks to be good, so far. I’ll arrive about 5 pm. I’ll open the C14 Observatory.

it was such a wonderful time. my daughter came as support, but she enjoyed it so much she may join too! Marv, you are amazing and taught us so much! I can’t wait for this coming Saturday! What an awesome club I found. Thank you guys so much for helping and the warm welcome into your space.

Glad you had such a fine experience at Cheddar Ranch on a totally cloudy night! We are committed to opening the observatory, unless storms endanger members coming out. Closures will be posted in good time.

Our club is all about spreading the appreciation of astronomy to our regular members and the general public! Please bring your daughter again, and be ready to spend time looking through our excellent telescopes! Viewing the planets is awe inspiring. You guys will be thrilled to look through our 14" Schmidt Cassagrain, and our 30" Dobsonian. Weather permitting, of course,

Hopefully more members will come out this Saturday and you’ll meet more interesting persons, and gain more experience in our wonderful hobby.

I am hoping to make the next one.

Planning to be there as well. Looking like a great night coming up.

EDIT:

Well, this is Oklahoma and the wind forecast has changed quite a bit. I’ve changed my mind and will not be out this time.

For those who do make it, I hope the wind doesn’t prevent the 14" to be used.

Planning on going to Swadley’s in El Reno for dinner around 3:45pm, leave around 4:15pm and get to CRO about 5pm.

I will not be able to make this one. Family in town. Looks like the sky may be okay for you tomorrow, but the wind will be strong. The 14" and the 30" may be the main viewing instruments for you tomorrow. Suspect you may get blown off the pads. I hope it’s clear enough to see some DSOs!

Too bad it isn’t tonight. It’s clear and calm right now. I’ve got 2 scopes running in my backyard and am getting some nice images, along with a couple of science observations.

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Sorry, this might not be the right place to post this, but I’m planning on heading out there with a few others around 7pm-8pm tonight! This is our first time going out there, do we need to do anything specific?

Just make sure to dress warm and wear a good pair of shoes like hiking boots we have stickers.

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Welcome!

Please Be aware that you will be arriving in near total darkness, and there is NO white light outside because it interfers with astronomy night vision and astrophotography. It’s always best to arrive at or before sunset, especially if you are setting up a telescope. Please park your car facing outwards toward the gate. This will make it easier for you to pull away when you leave.

Bring a flashlight wrapped with red cellophane, or other source if red light. The ground is uneven. We will ask you to sign a liability form.

Be careful driving through Geary. It’s a known speed trap. Also watch out for critters.

We hope you will enjoy your visit to the observatory. Viewing should be good.

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I’m heading out tonight. I’ll catch Dave at Swadley’s around 3:45.

I’ll be coming out tonight. I just joined the OKC Astronomy Club today, and this will be my first trip to CRO.

welcome to the group! have a great time out there tonight everyone. stay warm!

CRO is Open!!

Thanks again, Marv, and all other CRO Members out there, for opening CRO on a somewhat iffy night of viewing!

I hope it clears enough for you to get some good viewing in!

Sorry, we actually decided to wait until the next new moon cycle! We weren’t going to be able to get out there until late and we just decided it’d be better to wait until we can get there before dark!!

Zoe,

There’s not a rule you have to arrive prior to sunset, and many folks do arrive later. We’ve just found it’s much easier to set up in the daylight.

If you do arrive after dark, try to dim your lights as much as you can, though that’s sometimes impossible on new cars. I personally don’t like any vehicle moving around there after dark without some kind of vehicle lights, or a ground guide. There’s lots of folks walking around in the dark, as well as sometimes thousands of dollars of gear. I prefer a few minutes of white light over hitting someone or something.

Hopefully you’ll be able to make it out there soon!

Last night turned out to be a great night. We had 5 club members. It was pretty much fully overcast when we got there it then started clearing up. The wind was still a bit high. We opened up the 14" Schmidt Cassagrain to do some training on it. We look at Saturn, Venus, Neptune, Jupiter and Mars. The Moon and Venus were very close together and they were both in almost the same phase. We locked up around 9:30pm.

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Thanks for the summary, @DaveNH6SM ! I appreciate those that made sure it was open and available as a resource. I love seeing it shared and club members and guests made to feel welcome.