[AANC Contacts] A couple newsletter articles and images from Jane and Mojo

[Jane Houston Jones]

Hi AANC friends,

Mojo and I are still ecstatic from our last weekend's trek to our 
Southern California observing site, called (by us) Chuckwalla Bbench 
after the geologic formation, and Red Cloud Road, as shown on maps.  
It's between Indio and Blythe on I-10. Specifically, it's between 
Chiriaco Summit and Desert Center on a 2 mile rutted single land dirt 
road. Don Machholz introduced us to this wonderful site during a Messier 
Marathon several years ago, and now we head here almost every new moon.

Mojo brought our Astrophysics Traveler for imaging.  And I brought my 
big reflector for visual. Four of our Old Town Sidewalk Astronomy club 
members joined us, making 6-person, five telescope star party.

 From dusk to dawn Mojo imaged the Milky Way and dark nebulae for my 
July What's Up Podcast, and also some favorite galaxies and Comet 
McNaught!  Here is his writeup and gorgeous images: 
http://mojo.whiteoaks.com/2010/06/13/observing-report-dark-desert-june-skies/

Meanwhile, over in the "visual astronomy" section of the observing 
field, I was busy snagging ten planets.  Here is my writeup.  
http://jane.whiteoaks.com/2010/06/14/a-ten-planet-night/

Just before dawn we all viewed Comet McNaught.  Here are sketches, star 
charts, images, and How-to-see-a-comet instructions 
http://jane.whiteoaks.com/2010/06/19/a-morning-comet-2/

Miss you all!  Come down and see us sometime.  Feel free to use any or 
all of our writeups and images for your club newsletters. :-)

-- 
Jane Houston Jones
Monrovia, CA
Latest Blog: Some thoughts about Cancer http://is.gd/c0wVU
What's Up June 2010? A string of planets! http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/whatsup.cfm
What's Up Podcast on YouTube: http://is.gd/c3r1i
Twitter: http://twitter.com/jhjones  http://twitter.com/CassiniSaturn 
Blog: http://jane.whiteoaks.com/