I went to a public observing event tonight on the flight deck of the Intrepid Sea Air and Space Museum.
I hadn't planned to go this month but got a reservation in by accident as the reservation form was placed next to the description of next month's event which I was more interested in attending. But since I had a reservation and it was supposed to be clear out I went on over.
I didn't know how scripted the event was going to be so didn't take any equipment but it turns out it was pretty much of a free for all. There were loads of scopes lined up down the port side of the flight deck waiting for Mars and Saturn to appear in the S-SW. Most of the scopes were Schmidt-Cassagrains or Maksutov-Cassigrains. There was a small contingent of refractors, a couple of dobsonians and one binocular telescope.
I saw Peter Lipschutz and Mile Peoples from Adorama (who set up on opposite ends of the ship), Mike O'Gara, and Jordan. Other than them I didn't know anyone. Al Nagler was there next to Peter.
It was partly cloudy when I arrived, but the clouds cleared out after twilight. After the event I observed a mad -4 Iridium flare that had a bit disk of glowing atmosphere around it so it never got really clear.
I had my binocular with me so spent part of the night searching for things that might be seen but were not. I made some suggestions of possible targets to Jordan and to the kids on the other side of me who had a First scope that gave a nice view of Alberio.
And I made a pinhole photograph of a plane and the carrier's island.
