Garden Stars

What It's All About

It's A Spider, Man!

A lovely arachnid makes her home in the Observatory

Wasp, Where Is Thy Sting?

Photo courtesy Lucy Epps

Green Bank Star Quest XVI (June 2019)

Jupiter and the Teapot...my best astrophoto yet!

Green Bank Telescope (GBT) in the morning mist

GBT

The observing field (my camp is in the shadow of the tree center-left

Group photo of attendees

The kids gather to launch the rockets they've built

Lift Off!

The Leander McCormick Observatory

Leander McCormick Observatory, Charlottesville, Virginia

(From 29 April, 2019)

On Saturday Kevin and I visited the Leander McCormick Observatory, tucked into a beautiful corner of the UVA campus in Charlottesville. We could only admire the observatory buildings from the outside--it's only open for public viewing on the first and third Fridays of each month (excepting holidays). I guess we'll have to make another trip out this way sometime soon to see (and, weather permitting, see through) the 26-inch Alvan Clark & Sons refractor telescope that stands within!

Night On Fan Mountain

Me on the Mountain!

(From 29 April 2019)

Here are a few photos from our visit to Fan Mountain Observatory on Friday night. Kevin and I drove out for the Observatory's public night and had a great time seeing this UVA facility (just south of Charlottesville) and its three telescopes; the weather wasn't ideal for stargazing (overcast and, um, somewhat breezy) so we enjoyed the demonstrations put on by the University students in attendance and talking to astronomers like Professor Ed Murphy who gave us a private tour of the Rapid Response Robotic Telescope and its control systems (run by SKYNET, oh my!).

The 40" Reflector

A great evening on the Mountain. Funny, I've lived in Virginia for most of my 56 years and never heard of this place. If you get the chance, check it out--you might even catch them on a clear night!

The dome for the Skynet Rapid Response Robotic Telescope

The RRRT in standby mode

Kevin Francis poses with Professor Ed Murphy in the RRRT dome

Inertia

(From 25 June 2019)

This is me on a Saturday morning. This is me on a Saturday morning nearly three months into the longest vacation of my life. This is me still in my robe and slippers surfing YouTube and Fb on a Saturday morning nearly three months into the longest vacation of my life. This is me still in my robe and slippers surfing YouTube and Fb on a Saturday morning nearly three months into the longest vacation of my life while the list of errands and jobs around the house that I want to get done today (Saturday) sits un-touched on the dining room table. This is me on a Saturday morning.

Screw this. I'm gonna go mow the grass.