Imagine my excitement. Not only stars in November, but also a comet I've wanted to see which is visible to the naked eye. This comet had recently 'exploded' and was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Lights were extinguished quickly, clothes hurriedly thrown on, vest and scarf found, pockets crammed with batteries, lense cloth, kleenex, mittens, etc. The dog, who is totally confused by my behaviour, is now beside herself because we're going outside at NIGHT! whoo-whoo
So I drag and maneuver my telescope outside from the sunroom. Locate the comet with my eyes and then with binoculars. Wow, this is going to be GREAT!
Start to adjust my telescope when I hear a 'tunk' sound. In the dark, this is not a good. I slowly look down (using my red gel flashlight) and can't see any objects. Slowly scan the telescope and my heart sank.
The spotter scope had lost one of it's nut and the other is loose.....it has tilted out of place. To non-telescope users...this means I'm going to fly blind tonight. The spotter scope must be aligned with the telescope in order to find anything in the sky. The only way to align the scope and telescope is during the day. groan.
Saturday morning, I aligned my scope and am ready for the next clear night..........in Michigan, that could in two days or two months!
This is a picture of the comet (17P / Holmes) which I hope to one day see clearly in my telescope.
