I Saw It!

A funny thing happened on the way to the farm... After getting home from volleyball tonight, I was heading over to the Pumpkin Shed – yes, in the dark – to take pictures of their lighted inflatable Halloween decorations since I had nothing good to blog about.

I saw a dark figure around the bend and sure enough it was good neighbor Mike. With a binoculars and a telescope. Basically, he just needed to point me to the two stars above the neighbor's tree then a little to the right and up and I saw the infamous A3 (Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)! Not really with the naked eye but with my phone camera. 

I texted hubby to come look through the binoculars at least since neither of us will be around in 80,000 years unless we're haunting this sacred piece of land on Bluejay Drive!

Got a few more pictures of that big ol' Hunters' Moon, too, on my short walk back home.

The photographer in me thought it might look more striking with some of the trees in yard as the foreground.

I could almost see ET riding his bicycle through the sky on this one! Love me some sky images!

Now I can quit talking about what I am missing and hopefully focus on what I DO see! 

Happy viewing, everyone!

Night Watch

We've been so blessed with stunning – and visible – Northern Lights this year, plus many gorgeous sunrises and sunsets. So I was hoping for the trifecta with comet viewing. Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas, also known as comet A3, is allegedly visible across the U.S. tonight through Oct. 24. 

I must have missed the best viewing opportunity while I was at choir practice because the only Comet I found was under the kitchen sink. Oh c'mon. Someone appreciate my attempt at pun humor!!

I did see an unusual moon though. My camera picked up a ring of light around it. Cool.

But then when I zoomed in, there was nothing unusual about it. Oh well. I still enjoy watching the night sky for the beauty – and the unusual.

If I remember tomorrow, I might see if I can time my viewing to the suggested "just after sunset" time. 

Did any of you see A3? Would love to see what you captured!  📸

Girls Weekend

Since hubby's having a guys' weekend at a cabin with some high school classmates, I'm having a girls weekend. With the cat. And well, anyone else who wants to social distance with me.

Started the weekend with my kind of happy hour – golf! Spontaneous plans about 3 p.m. that led to a 5:20 p.m. tee time at Tri-City for my neighbor Marigene and me.

Par dance after success on the second hole – a par 4. Yay!

Second par dance (yes, TWO in nine holes!) came at the par 3 8th hole. Pretty happy about that.

And this is right before our hole in one! Well our attempts. No luck. We both bogeyed the par 3. Still... it's TGIF and we're golfing!!  Plus we rounded out our outing with King Cone. The birthday gift certificates from Jim are the gift that keeps on giving!

After sunset tonight I headed a bit further out in the country to get away from light pollution. Had camera equipment in hopes of seeing the comet  known as C/2020 NEOWISE. This weekend, about an hour after sunset, Comet Neowise will appear near the northwestern horizon. I wanted to take pictures but my camera did not cooperate. Thankfully, some friendly star-gazers at my spot had binoculars and a telescope with them so I got to see it! Very cool! And you can see it with the naked eye after that once you know the basic coordinates. (I probably should use the word "naked" while hubby's out of town.)

Anyway, worth seeing it since it won’t appear again in our solar system for another 6,800 years.

I'm gonna start the slumber party now. Sylvester's way ahead of me! G'nite.