Two nights at ITT and Glockner site

From Thursday, Oct 3, till Saturday, Oct 5, 2013. Due to poor forecasts I took along only the 120 mm refractor.

At ITT star party at Emberger Alm (alt. 1770 m)

Ghostly Sattlegger Alm

A 20" in the fog

When I arrived Thursday afternoon it was foggy and remained so the whole night. The nights before had reportedly not been much better.

Dealer Wolfgang Ransburg

Munich club colleague Julian observes the sun ...

... and I did likewise, and these few sun spots prevented my first "Zero-ITT", so that also my 26th ITT participation provided me at least with
one telescopic object. If the ITT weather prospects are bad, Haley and I usually try to secure that object rather soon. Club colleague "Haley"
(Christoph Ries) has not missed a single ITT since 1985 (all others have, including all organizers), and is somehow always "obliged" to visit
the ITT to keep that record ;-)

In our cabin: from left Guenter, Gabi and Haley

And before: Haley, Gabi and Ben

At Glockner site

I decided to drive to the Glockner High Alpine road for the next night (Friday to Saturday), although the forecast was also very uncertain.
But its on the way home anyway, yet not by the most direct and easiest route. The observing site is the Edelweiss-Spitze, a high alpine
location highly esteemed among amateurs - not least because of the often good seeing conditions due to the position on top of a summit.
And with a mountain cabin on top, providing food, drink and a bed.

15:50 CEST: All clouded on the Glockner High Alpine Road

Edelweiss-Spitze (2570 m, center) viewed from South

On the left the road to the South, on the right down to the North

A rainbow, and the Hocharn (alt. 3254 m) in the East

I met some first-class Deep Sky observers here: Uwe Glahn and Frank Richardsen had been
invited to Jimi Lowrey, the owner of the 48" telescope - the world's largest amateur instrument -
at the time of the Texas Star Party in 2013. Now Jimi and his wife Connie were in turn invited to
one of the Alps best sites, the Edelweiss-Spitze. When I arrived they had already observed for
two clear nights, and fortunately the southern Foehn wind shoved the clouds away and it got
clear in the evening.

20:01 CEST: At Edelweisshuette, from left Jimi, Connie, Frank and Uwe

21:18 CEST: from left Frank (at his 20"), Uwe and Jimi (at Uwe's 27")

21:59 CEST: Uwe observes Vy 1-2

An only 5" small, V mag = 11.4 planetary in Hercules. With high magnification
the ring was evident, and the central star discernible.

Frank observes Taffy2 (UGC 813 and 816)

An interacting galaxy pair in Andromeda, mags 14.2p and 14.8p,
start of connecting arc discernible

23:17 CEST: Jimi at the 127 mm-Bino

Ben at the 120 mm refractor

0:35 CEST: Frank at his Bino, to the left Jimi

Northern horizon

The Foehn-wind gradually got stronger at this exposed site close to the central Alpine ridge,
and Uwe eventually moved his 27" to a more protected site 200m lower.

1:56 CEST: Eastern sky

1:58 CEST: Western sky

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