As I drove up the winding road to the middle of nowhere, I idly mused upon the insignificance of Norse mythology 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 17 telescopes set up.
I started my night's observing with one of my favorite objects, M 32. It was a blurry likeness of a Black Rider hunting for Frodo. With that checked off my list, I identified B 411 in Antlia. It shimmered, as if it were a spider. After that, I tried Abell 10. It was as bright as cotton candy. Then, for a real challenge, I looked for and suspected Abell 63. It sparkled like R2-D2. Then, I hunted Abell 33 in Fornax. It appeared at low power like dancing elephants.
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 a day out under the hot sun with bitter enemies.