07-18-2020, 04:35 PM
The plan, yesterday, was for LCF to bike down to Midas in Sunnyvale, get the Prius, and then for us to drive someplace with less light pollution for skyviewing. But when almost there she learned there was a payment glitch between State Farm and Midas, so she had to bike home empty-handed.
Once more we hiked up Permanente Creek Trail to the hills edging Shoreline Amphitheater. This time we went later (thanks, Greg), and we remembered the flashlight -- though we used it sparingly, preferring to stumble about in the dark. The Big Dipper was just barely visible. We took turns with the big binoculars, and finally, after 30 minutes, I spotted it. Ever try to let someone else look through binoculars while keeping them trained on something? Doesn't work. LCF was getting frustrated, looking on her own. But then, maybe 30 minutes later, bingo. She saw it. When you see it, it's unmistakable, just a faintly glowing smear with the tail wider up to the right.
A couple Asian girls, late teens, came up and asked where they should look. We gave them directions, but told them it wasn't visible to the naked eye. Not here, not on this night. It would have been nice to let them have a gander through our binoculars, but feared Fauci might report us to someone who gives a damn.
LCF photo of comet, once removed.
![[Image: uc?export=view&id=1DltAI9f7jO6HnBlyBnj2mQqBkrzpKtjk]](https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1DltAI9f7jO6HnBlyBnj2mQqBkrzpKtjk)
Which is to say, it's a photo of me looking at the comet.
Once more we hiked up Permanente Creek Trail to the hills edging Shoreline Amphitheater. This time we went later (thanks, Greg), and we remembered the flashlight -- though we used it sparingly, preferring to stumble about in the dark. The Big Dipper was just barely visible. We took turns with the big binoculars, and finally, after 30 minutes, I spotted it. Ever try to let someone else look through binoculars while keeping them trained on something? Doesn't work. LCF was getting frustrated, looking on her own. But then, maybe 30 minutes later, bingo. She saw it. When you see it, it's unmistakable, just a faintly glowing smear with the tail wider up to the right.
A couple Asian girls, late teens, came up and asked where they should look. We gave them directions, but told them it wasn't visible to the naked eye. Not here, not on this night. It would have been nice to let them have a gander through our binoculars, but feared Fauci might report us to someone who gives a damn.
LCF photo of comet, once removed.
Which is to say, it's a photo of me looking at the comet.