Farm V with Doug Biernacki November 4-5, 2022.

Between personal schedules and adverse weather forecasts, Doug and I did not make it to the Farm for DSO imaging and observing over the last new Moon period.

We were looking for an opportunity to try out some gear that would support colder weather trips, and this night was the first that came up. There was a bright gibbous Moon in the sky, and Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were well-placed for obsering and photographing, so we brought our planetary imaging equipment.

The sky was clear from well before dark and until scattered high thin clouds rolled in at 0100, and we ended our observing sessions well after midnight. There was minimal dew until after midight.

A highlight of this trip was the use of the camper’s furnace. At a low setting it was able to keep the inside of the camper in the high-50s with ease. In order to be sure that we could run the furnace (the fan part of it) all night, we brought a small, quiet, portable generator. As a bonus, were were able to poer our astronomical equipment with wall power. I can see that having the furnace and wall power for astronomy camping can be addicting.

The trip with was succeful from both an astronomical perspective, and from a new gear perspective. We are definitely able to make trips in colder weather than before.

© James R. Johnson, 2022.
jim@jrjohnson.et