March Flash Mob at Brower Observatory

That Friday night when Colin opened the dome in celebration of exceptional seeing was among the most memorable in my years of observing. Among other treats, we toured the dense fields of galaxies in and around Leo. Objects that would have been too faint to see well popped in the eyepiece. Most notable was a galaxy with a star-like core. I asked Colin how he knew that that “star-like core” was not just a coincidentally placed, foreground star. Throwing more power at it, surely enough, all the stars remained points of light, but the core enlarged into a disk! It is amazing how deeply that telescope can see on one of Maine’s rare nights of fine seeing. Our skies are dark, yet not as steady as, for example, those over the deserts of Arizona or New Mexico. The pleasure in these flash mobs comes partly from seeing the objects per se, and partly from knowing that one is observing something that conditions in our skies only rarely allow. CMASians who have not yet attended a flash mob ought to be enticed to join us. Other than to gather on short notice, we have no other way to observe on the unpredictable best nights, but can promise the sights are well worth the sometimes awkward, often weeknight hours of these star parties.

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