Inside Lick Observatory

Not sure where to put this image, but figured this would be the best, if not perfect home for it. Had a chance to visit and view through Lick Observatory recently. Great evening viewing through an old piece of history.

WOW ! Bet you had a wonderful night of checking this out . Did you look through the scope and if so what did you get to see ? Those adventures are a lifetime memory !

Great pic, and I bet that was a fun evening!

Yea, we got to look at a total of 5 objects during the night. Started with the Moon, moved to a double star, a couple galaxies and finished with Jupiter. Sorry, I just don't remember which double star or galaxies they were. I went to the observatory when I was 10, my first interaction with astronomy. I took my 15 year old daughter to this one and she actually seemed to enjoy it. I hope it is around in 30 years so she can take her children as well, but I am a bit hesitant to assume it will still be open in 30+ years.

mjcarson wrote in post #18355499
Yea, we got to look at a total of 5 objects during the night. Started with the Moon, moved to a double star, a couple galaxies and finished with Jupiter. Sorry, I just don't remember which double star or galaxies they were. I went to the observatory when I was 10, my first interaction with astronomy. I took my 15 year old daughter to this one and she actually seemed to enjoy it. I hope it is around in 30 years so she can take her children as well, but I am a bit hesitant to assume it will still be open in 30+ years.

Sounds like you two had a great time and that's great ! This is why I have been trying to encourage newcomers to get a scope and take time to observe what is out there in space . As long as I have been in this hobby I still get blown away from views of any planets or star clusters which are my favorite but finding that special little galaxie and realizing just how far out there in space that thing is.. is just mind blowing . I remember the first time I spotted the Ring Neb M57 in my scope . Fantastic ! Smoke ring , just like everyone said ! And Saturn with it's rings ..... , just unbelieveable ! The first time I saw Europe transit Jupiter and I could see the shadow on the face of Jupiter . I thought a bug landed on my scope corrector plate so I got up , shined a flash light on it and no bug . Then it dawned on me it was the shadow of a Jupiter moon . Went in the house and looked on my planetary program and it was Europe . Fantastic ! The hardest part was spotting Europe . I barely found it just before it finished crossing Jupiter . Experiences like those i'll never forget !