Oh those wonderful power blackouts!

March 9, 2008 - 4-6 am- T4S2

Most people in Westport probably weren't up at 4 am this morning and if they were, they were probably cursing the high winds which apparently brought some branches down across powerlines, I wasn't. After I got a candle lit I realised this was my lucky day! I could see some lights on across the river, but on Drift Road - and everywhere else I could see - the power was out. This meant the neighborhood was dark and silent in wways that it rarely is and I had a field day with the 12X36 IS binoculars,

I visited the old and familiarm and a lot of new tsuff as well - well, new to me and the 12X36 glasses. I ducked in and out of the house several times, checking books - and making notes - by candlelight. (Yes, I have a portable computer, but I couldn't see the keyboard and I'm not a touch typist.) Here's a list of themorning's delights with details to follow:

Double Stars: Double Double, Albireo, Nu Draconis, Nu Scorpii

Globular Clusters: M13, M92, M3, M5, M10, M12, M4, M92

Open clusters: Coma Berenice, M6, M7, M11

Galaxies: M81, M82, M65, M66, M94, M51, M101

Nebulae: Dumbell (M27), Lagoon (M8) , Triffid (M20)

Planets: Jupiter - Plus Io, Europa, and Ganymede. I thought I glimpsed Callisto, which it turns out was between Europa and Ganymede, but I wasn't sure enough to make note of it.

Now that's a delight full morning!