OR: Eine Kleine Nachtfun!
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Mark Wagner
Jul 12, 2026, 1:56:31 PM (2 days ago) Jul 12
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Its always exciting slipping the car seat along with my Arrow (the
10" f/5.7) strapped in the passenger side for the ride, fully packed
with gear and thoughts of adventure... and we're off! Leaving the
grids of streets and boxy houses behind, off East Dunner and to the
seductively curving mountain roads to. Pulse quickens, pupils
dilate, exciting escapades ahead!
At Henry Coe State Park we found a stiff westerly wind and warm temps with clear skies at the overflow lot. The breeze persisted most of the night to varying degrees, but was never an impediment. It was pleasant, quiet and productive, with the only distraction the occasional dark animal shapes silently through - we didn't bother them, they not us. While not t-shirt temps, I never became chilly with a warm hat, warm drink, and an extra layer. Pleasant conditions.
An amuse-bouche just after sunset? The Double Double (its not just an In and Out). Who can resist the name! Epsilon Lyrae is such a great pair pair of two close doubles at skewed angles in one high mag field of view, with a pleasingly wide major component separation. Testing the steadiness, one pair slightly tighter than the other, setting expectations. Its always a beautiful view with which to begin.
Dark enough, I disappear into the deep as the second movement opens. I find sights loved for decades, and others previously unknown (to me). Hand on Arrow, easily pointing skyward hitting targets. Bullseye!
I compiled Astronomical League Observing Programs on Excel, paring it down to only RA 15.5 to 19.5, with a wide range of object types, limited to mag 13.5 (matching Coe and my scope).
One thing I was surprised at with the AL observing programs were some of more esoteric and challenging objects. Terzan globs! Planetary nebulae I've never heard of. While some targets are certainly beyond my 10" I'd hardly call it lacking: the four hour sky window I'd chosen contained 195 potential targets at or under my mag limit. Literally so much to choose from, so little time.
It happens whenever I look through telescopes, I fall in love again! In this case it was the ease and quickness of the 10" - what a partner! Nimble and responsive to the touch, comfortable standing eyepiece height, no ladder, easy set up and tear down. Views in the 10" were spec-tac-ular!. This Arrow performs like a De Tomaso Panetera (and with new suspension and steering).
Targets? A mix mostly of double stars varying from wide to tight enough to make you smile. Variables, where I'd compare magnitudes of nearby stars. Carbons. Deep sky globs, planetary nebulae, and of course various galaxies off the Seyfert and Arp lists. I found the dim glob NGC 6229 and Green Turtle (NGC 6210) both in Hercules, most pleasurable. The glob appeared with 7mm as a round change in the background brightness in an area close to an adjacent pair of equal mag stars, with a separation that closely described the diameter of the faint "suggestion". It was an averted object for sure. The planetary on the other hand was easy. Bright a blue, slightly elongated - no central star visible, next to mag 6 and 7 stars.
The doubles were well worth the trip. Colors, separations, some simply dazzling. I loved Delta Serpentis and Alpha Herculis, for their differing magnitudes and color contrasts. 16/17 Draconis was fun too - a wide equal white pair and a three arc-second split of 17 to boot. Varied targets made the night interesting - I recall times on the 18" hunting no-seeums all night. I can hunt no-seeums in a 10 too, if I want - those are endless. My list was F U N.
Waking at dawn I found the south bay and entire Coyote Valley hidden by a full blanket of fog. Its was serene, as if there was nothing but nature far as the eye could see.
I was packed with Arrow strapped in and off to the fog by 6, nicely beating the work commute.
Here's just what I recall, its an incomplete recounting of the targets - I had saved my observing log/notes differently than usual, and inadvertently overwrote them. I don't mind doing them again.
NGC 5985
V Coronae Borealis
Zeta Corona Borealis
NGC 5953
Delta Serpentis
NGC 5990
16/17 Draconis
RR Herculis
NGC 6229
NGC 6205
Sigma Corona Borealis
NGC 6210
Alpha Herculis
Hoping for more Coe this week. We'll see (its what we do).
At Henry Coe State Park we found a stiff westerly wind and warm temps with clear skies at the overflow lot. The breeze persisted most of the night to varying degrees, but was never an impediment. It was pleasant, quiet and productive, with the only distraction the occasional dark animal shapes silently through - we didn't bother them, they not us. While not t-shirt temps, I never became chilly with a warm hat, warm drink, and an extra layer. Pleasant conditions.
An amuse-bouche just after sunset? The Double Double (its not just an In and Out). Who can resist the name! Epsilon Lyrae is such a great pair pair of two close doubles at skewed angles in one high mag field of view, with a pleasingly wide major component separation. Testing the steadiness, one pair slightly tighter than the other, setting expectations. Its always a beautiful view with which to begin.
Dark enough, I disappear into the deep as the second movement opens. I find sights loved for decades, and others previously unknown (to me). Hand on Arrow, easily pointing skyward hitting targets. Bullseye!
I compiled Astronomical League Observing Programs on Excel, paring it down to only RA 15.5 to 19.5, with a wide range of object types, limited to mag 13.5 (matching Coe and my scope).
One thing I was surprised at with the AL observing programs were some of more esoteric and challenging objects. Terzan globs! Planetary nebulae I've never heard of. While some targets are certainly beyond my 10" I'd hardly call it lacking: the four hour sky window I'd chosen contained 195 potential targets at or under my mag limit. Literally so much to choose from, so little time.
It happens whenever I look through telescopes, I fall in love again! In this case it was the ease and quickness of the 10" - what a partner! Nimble and responsive to the touch, comfortable standing eyepiece height, no ladder, easy set up and tear down. Views in the 10" were spec-tac-ular!. This Arrow performs like a De Tomaso Panetera (and with new suspension and steering).
Targets? A mix mostly of double stars varying from wide to tight enough to make you smile. Variables, where I'd compare magnitudes of nearby stars. Carbons. Deep sky globs, planetary nebulae, and of course various galaxies off the Seyfert and Arp lists. I found the dim glob NGC 6229 and Green Turtle (NGC 6210) both in Hercules, most pleasurable. The glob appeared with 7mm as a round change in the background brightness in an area close to an adjacent pair of equal mag stars, with a separation that closely described the diameter of the faint "suggestion". It was an averted object for sure. The planetary on the other hand was easy. Bright a blue, slightly elongated - no central star visible, next to mag 6 and 7 stars.
The doubles were well worth the trip. Colors, separations, some simply dazzling. I loved Delta Serpentis and Alpha Herculis, for their differing magnitudes and color contrasts. 16/17 Draconis was fun too - a wide equal white pair and a three arc-second split of 17 to boot. Varied targets made the night interesting - I recall times on the 18" hunting no-seeums all night. I can hunt no-seeums in a 10 too, if I want - those are endless. My list was F U N.
Waking at dawn I found the south bay and entire Coyote Valley hidden by a full blanket of fog. Its was serene, as if there was nothing but nature far as the eye could see.
I was packed with Arrow strapped in and off to the fog by 6, nicely beating the work commute.
Here's just what I recall, its an incomplete recounting of the targets - I had saved my observing log/notes differently than usual, and inadvertently overwrote them. I don't mind doing them again.
NGC 5985
V Coronae Borealis
Zeta Corona Borealis
NGC 5953
Delta Serpentis
NGC 5990
16/17 Draconis
RR Herculis
NGC 6229
NGC 6205
Sigma Corona Borealis
NGC 6210
Alpha Herculis
Hoping for more Coe this week. We'll see (its what we do).
-- Mark
Richard Navarrete
Jul 12, 2026, 4:31:15 PM (2 days ago) Jul 12
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Excellent observing report! It’s fun that you gave your scope a moniker, although I’d suggest calling it the Silver Arrow in honor of its aluminum construction. Coe is certainly not the darkest site available to us, but it is certainly convenient and welcoming, along with cell service and an outhouse. Hmm, I think I’ll start calling observing at Coe glamserving because of all the amenities. ;-)
Richard
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Mark Wagner
Jul 12, 2026, 4:37:54 PM (2 days ago) Jul 12
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Thanks Richard. It'll stay me and my Arrow. I'm also happy calling it Sagitta.
Coe is indeed a gem.
Coe is indeed a gem.
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