Impromptu Star Party (Alpha Ridge) 4/07/2026
Seven HAL members enjoyed a crisp, clear evening of observing and imaging at Alpha Ridge Park last night. It was chilly and a little breezy at times, but the transparency was better than average (SQM-L reading 19.18 mpas) and seeing also seemed to be pretty good.
James was working through some issues with his recently-acquired 12″ Newtonian reflector. He was having some issues with guiding. He was simultaneously imaging the Orion Nebula with a 120mm refractor.
Jeff was making visual observations with an 8″ Celestron SCT. He visited Rigel, Betelgeuse, open cluster M67 in Cancer and the Double Cluster in Perseus.
Mike intended to image the Flame Nebula in Orion with an 80mm Orion refractor, but he experienced issues with his control software demanding a firmware update for the mount before it would consent to moving the telescope in small increments for guiding. He was forced to pack up early, but plans to resolve that issue ASAP.
Mike & Dan were imaging with a pair of Svbony refractors of 122mm and 80mm, respectively. Mike was imaging M51 in blue, green and luminance, adding to red exposures that he obtained on a prior night. Dan imaged the Sliced Onion Galaxy in Leo Minor and the Beehive Cluster (M44) in Cancer.
Wayne was imaging spiral galaxy M81 (the Discord group’s object of the month) in Ursa Major with his 8″ RC reflector.
I spent a lot of time setting up for an attempt to sketch the double star eta Persei with my Celestron 8″ Starsense Explorer Dob, followed by about 15 minutes on the actual sketch. I used a new Orion illuminated reticle eyepiece and an angular measurement card that I made to fit around the focuser barrel to help with estimating the angle of west in the eyepiece and the double’s position angle. The sketch was a decent effort, but I’m still learning. I also used the new eyepiece for alignment of the Starsense Explorer app and briefly observed open clusters M35, M37 and M67. I continued imaging NGC 2264 (Christmas Tree Cluster and Cone Nebula) with my Vespera II EAA scope.
I locked the gate and left around 12:15 while Wayne stayed to continue his imaging. He finished up at 3:30, locked up HALO and the park gates and departed at 4:40 AM.
Ernie
Past Monthly Meeting: April 9, 2026 – Dark Sky Experiences
Presenters: Victor Sanchez, Chris Todd, Bill Vanderlinde, and Mike Miller
Dark Skies!
Artifacts: YouTube Video of Meeting
The meeting took place on April 9, 2026 at 7 PM on Zoom and at the Robinson Nature Center.
Speakers: Victor Sanchez, Chris Todd, Bill Vanderlinde, and Mike Miller
Brief description of the Discussion: These active members have travelled the world and found some excellent dark skies. Right down to Bortle 1. They will discuss their travels and experiences. You can expect the best imaginable travelogues and images.
Public Star Party (Alpha Ridge) 3/28/2026
I had the pleasure of hosting the first Public Star Party of the year last night, March 28, alongside Ken Everheart and Richard Ren.
The event was a success, with over 200 attendees and 28 member telescopes on-site. I arrived at 6:30 PM to find several members and guests already checking HALO and setting up. We began the observatory session by viewing the moon during the twilight hours. Once it was dark, we observed M81 and M82. At 8:30 PM, we attempted to view the ISS passing through Jupiter’s field of view; while we couldn’t get them in the same frame, the ISS was clearly visible to the naked eye and through binoculars.
We also received a visit from the Park Rangers, who expressed their interest in attending future events. Throughout the evening, I noticed a high level of interest regarding the distances of the objects we were observing. While I didn’t always have immediate answers, this has provided me with a great research focus for my next event as CTO. We concluded the night with views of the Orion and Horsehead nebulae.
I officially closed HALO at 11:00 PM, though a few members remained with Ernie, who took over as the key holder in charge.
This was a wonderful experience and my first time being fully in charge of HALO and guest entertainment. Although I can be nervous speaking to crowds, the guests were very respectful and shared that they had a great time.
Best regards,
Jose Urias
Impromptu Star Party (Alpha Ridge) 3/19/2026
Last night I opened Alpha Ridge for an impromptu star party. I arrived around 7:45 pm and had 5 guests in total. Unfortunately, the sky did not stay as clear as we were hoping. I was still able to image M42 and NGC 869/864 between breaks in the clouds.
We packed things up and locked the gate by 11:30 pm.
I hope to see everyone at the public star party scheduled for March 28th!
-Krystal Rolon
Impromptu Star Party (Alpha Ridge) 3/10/2026
The night was pretty nice with wonderful weather and nice temperatures. We had a few clouds rolling for like 20 minutes at some point but after that it was all clear and nice.
We had a total of 8 members coming, mostly imaging or troubleshooting their gear, but we also had Ernie observing and sketching a double star for the first time!
Bianca spent some time observing Jupiter, Orion and the Pleiades through the 10” dob. Federico used his Seestar S30 in EQ mode of the first time.
Danielle was imaging the Rosette nebula, and I believe the rest of the people were imaging galaxies.
Danielle and I were the last ones at the park and we closed it at 11:45.
Jose Urias
Our Meetings
HAL General Meetings (Open to the Public) are held from 7:00PM to approximately 9:00 on the 3rd Thursday of every month via Zoom (until further notice).
HAL Planning Meetings (Open to all Members) to discuss future club direction, events, meeting topics, outreach, etc. are open to all members. They are usually held from 7:00 to 8:00PM on the 1st Monday of every month via Zoom (until further notice).
Star Parties
HAL’s public star parties at Alpha Ridge Park (normally held from March through October or early November) feature a relaxed, casual atmosphere where club members, other amateur astronomers from the area, and the public are all welcome to come and enjoy the wonders of the night sky.
Astroschool
Astroschool is usually held on the 2nd Thursday of most months at the Robinson Nature Center. Start and end times vary, but are approximately 6:30 to 8:30pm.