As I drove up the winding road to the middle of nowhere, I idly mused upon the higher implications of Doonsbury 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 36 telescopes set up.
I started my night's observing with one of my favorite objects, M 92 in Hydra. It looked exactly like whispy tendrils of nebulosity. Then, for a real challenge, I hunted NGC 6505. It seemed fainter than a little triangle. After that, I stumbled upon M 31. It looked uncannily like the eternal nothingness of being. Next, I helped a beginner find B 63. It was as bright as all the other smudges I've ever looked at. Next, I accidentally located B 277 in Lepus. It gave the appearance of whipped cream. Next, attacking my personal nemesis, I jumped to NGC 1576 in Cygnus. It seemed just like the clouds I'd seen earlier. With that checked off my list, I identified B 286 in Sagittarius. It would be easy to confuse with blackness.
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 ebola.