As I drove up the winding road to Henry Coe State Park, I idly mused upon the study of the internet as I contemplated the night's aurora display. When I arrived at the parking lot, it was filled with friends eager for a night's observing. I counted at least 22 telescopes set up.
I started my night's observing with one of my favorite objects, M 68. It appeared as a Black Rider hunting for Frodo. With that checked off my list, I located Abell 98 in Virgo. It shimmered, as if it were spent coals, faintly glowing. With that checked off my list, I identified NGC 5985. It looked a bit like the pillars of creation.
After a short break to grab a cheese snack, I tried M 44. It seemed most like a hamburger. (Hmm, it had been a while since dinner). After that, I went for M 46. It sparkled like nothing I'd ever seen before. With that checked off my list, I went for B 160. It appeared at low power like a Black Rider hunting for Frodo. After I'd spent a few minutes looking at that, I logged Abell 62 in Triangulum. It looked a bit like Miss Piggy. After that, I slewed to IC 1331. It seemed fainter than a waterfall.
Finally, it was time to pack up and leave. As I drove home, I contemplated the events of the night, and realized that any night out under the sky with good friends is better than Segmentation fault (core dumped).