Hello Friend,

    As I always say, when it comes to star parties, you can never be sure of what to expect when you go
and Starfest, held in Mount Forest, Ontario this year was no different.

   Some folks wait till the last minute, and decide to show up depending on how the weather goes.

But you just can't count on the weather these days, can you?

    Late Thursday night, it poured buckets, and there was thunder and lightning. 

Some of my colleagues did not get a lick of sleep, with such a racket going on.

Friday, we set up our vendor display and while it was overcast most of the day, no more rain though
and eventually it cleared up past midnight for some fair to middlin' observing.

   We made the best of it by going out for dinner, having a nosh down and some good old socializing
with our friends from Celestron, Gary Stephey and his lovely wife.

On Saturday, the best was saved for last!

    The skies opened up and we were able to get in some fantastic observing.

Our buddy, Greg Bragg  from Explore Scientific,  had  the
Explore Scientific ED152 f/8 Air-Spaced Triplet Refractor - Carbon Fiber [TED15208-CF]
telescope set up, on a disc mount with digital setting circles and he observed a whole slew of
messier and NGC objects with this most impressive instrument.

   What eyepiece and diagonal did we use for the most part?

Two inch?   You would think....

But dang, no!

Greg know's his onions, and this boy had the NEW Explore Scientific 3 inch Diagonal
along with the whoop ass, jaw dropping 100 degree field, 30mm 3 inch eyepiece.

   Now there was another "secret eyepiece" we used, but I can't tell you a thing about it
yet, being sworn to secrecy and all.

Even Al Nagler might be made redundant over this one.

(Ok, just kidding on that one Al, take it easy brother.....)

But you can bet it's a killer!

     Well, that's all for now folks.

Another Starfest, another year.

Clear Skies,

Ray Khan

PS It was great to see many of you there, and thanks for dropping by to say Hello.