From Thomas R CAVE
@. . .
. . . First, I wish to thank you for all of the Communications of the OAA Mars
Section which you so generously have been sending to me over these many months.
I have finally recovered my health and strength since my open heart surgery
which I had close to three years ago.
We here
only a few short blocks from the ocean have had the worst weather that I can
remember in the last 66 years of observing at the Long Beach Location. During
the last year I have had my observatory very well worked over and in the autumn
of 2000 I enjoyed some truly excellent gseeingh@on both
Jupiter and Saturn. On Saturn, for the only time in my life, one night in
November, I saw spokes radiating across Ring B & A, I know the history of
the ring spokes goes way back for considerably more than one hundred years and
an NASA's Spacecraft has shown some magnificent views of the
phenomena.
I had
fully expected and hoped to begin observing Mars in the hours prior to dawn,
however we have not had one clear night since the beginning of this year. Long
Beach has had a very rainy winter and early spring. On many nights this year, a
high fog marine layer made visibility impossible both day and night. Normally
June is the month we are troubled by fog. It may be clear at sunset but by 8:00
PM to 11:00 PM the entire sky is overcast. I have yet to have a view of Mars
with my 12.8" reflector. I also now have a Maksutov 8" F/20 with a very small
secondary which I intend to use when I no longer can catch the Planet in the
12". I have a small area on the west side of the house with which I will use the
Portable Max for Mars.
Last
year I invited Dr R. McKim to come for a while with his bride to Long Beach,
thus placing Mars 20 degrees higher in the sky, but thus far no
reply.
With my
very best wishes to you and all the OAA Mars Section
observers.
(6
April 2001)