by rene-gedaly » Thu Dec 05, 2013 11:03 am
Funny you mention Achernar. The first time someone mentioned seeing Achernar at the site, I immediately discounted it as impossible. I'm not usually so cynical but according to my planisphere it would've landed within the tree tops. But then I decided to look for it anyway. Sure enough, it's quite bright among the trees. If you tend to the analytical, it helps to channel your ditzy side so you don't second guess whether to look up or not and miss out on some good observing. This last Nov 3rd, Achernar crossed through a nice little sweet spot due south. Made for a nice find while I decided whether to car camp and get up in time for Comet ISON. Thanks to a member with a 12 inch aperture go-to scope, I did get a few good, long looks and we even saw movement across the star field.

Rene Scandone Gedaly, Membership Chairperson
WSIG, Observatory Trainer, Texas 45-Visual, President 2015-2017