TED'S ASTROPIX: THE WINTER STAR PARTY PAGE

© 2011 Ted Saker, Jr. All rights reserved.

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Remember, I sue people professionally. Besides astronomy, it's what I live for.

March 10, 2011. I have often been asked why I have several pages devoted to the Texas Star Party and none to the Winter Star Party. I have attended WSP annually since 2005. It is one of the highlights of the calendar as it kicks off the observing year in style. WSP is one of my favorite events. I recently returned from my seventh one. The reason I have not written a WSP Page before now is relatively simple: a lack of images to post. A synopsis of my WSP appearances tells the tale:

• 2005: Windy, cold, cloudy, and rainy. No imaging.

• 2006: The best conditions I have seen wasted because of equipment problems. RIP Cookbook 245. No imaging.

• 2007: Windy, cold, cloudy, and rainy. No imaging.

• 2008: Decent conditions, equipment problems. No imaging.

• 2009: Somewhat decent conditions allowed for imaging. Not much in the way of results.

• 2010: W I N D Y. One-half of a night of imaging. Slightly hampered by equipment problems.

• 2011: W I N D Y. One and a fraction of a night of imaging—autoguiding during lengthy integrations was difficult if not impossible.

My imaging experience at all the WSPs is one of ongoing frustration. Either the weather refused to cooperate or equipment problems prevented or limited my opportunities. Consequently, I have not had much in the way of results to post. The people having consistent success imaging at WSP use short focal length refractors and/or huge, beefy mounts. My C-11/G-11 combination does not track well in windy conditions.

That being said, nobody should get the impression that I'm dumping on WSP. On the contrary, I return year after year precisely because this event is a party first and stars second. The folks at the Southern Cross Astronomical Society and attendees who travel from near and far make up a wonderful group. In 2008, three years of disappointment with my C-11 ended when Steve Keene (a fellow CAS member) taught me how to collimate the telescope properly. I observed Saturn as I have never seen it before-the planet filled a high power eyepiece's field of view and I could even see the inner crepe ring.

It's a formula for success: February + Florida Keys = A Real Latitude Adjustment. When conditions are right, it's a great site to image from. Plus, there's the opportunity to observe (and possibly image) objects located deep in the southern hemisphere that never get above the horizon in northern latitudes, as well as old favorites that never looked better. For example, in 2006, conditions were so good that we could see all four stars of Crux reflecting in the water of the Florida Straits. The Keyhole Nebula was easily seen with the eyes, and in a telescope—unbelievable. Since these objects attain just seven degrees of altitude at culmination, it was unusually good. In my experience, Cuban weather tends to affect transparency and seeing in that direction. Also, in 2006, the planets put on quite a show. At the zenith, Saturn sat just to the west of the Beehive Cluster and, in the western sky, Mars's location just east of the Pleiades added to the astronomical riches strewn across the heavens.

Only in the last couple of years have I been able to get my equipment to cooperate when the weather does. Below are images taken at WSP 2009, 2010 and 2011. Even though I have taken a very few number of images at WSP, I felt it was time to create a page dedicated to one of the finest events of its kind. One of these years, my equipment will work properly when conditions are right. I expect to add to my image collection at a WSP with 2006 conditions.

Regardless of the weather, the camaraderie at WSP is excellent. In the final analysis, it is the people that make a star party great. I don't want to miss WSP regardless of the weather, equipment or any other pedestrian concern.

For more information (and images), go to the WSP home page at http://www.scas.org/wsp.html.

IMAGES FROM WSP

Clear (and Dark) Skies!

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