Hi all, My friend Cory Maylett and I camped at the Wedge Overlook Friday night, and I have to say, for the first part of the night the smoke from the distant forest fire was extremely bothersome. All the way there it was awful, graying out bluffs near U-10. Around sunset as I drove along the no-longer-exciting dirt road (rotten graders!), I could see a horrendous streak of smoke stretching all the way back to Heber or thereabouts, just this dark pall, and I was going right under it. Really makes me admire the Forest Service. The LX200 worked amazingly well. I put in the coordinates and it came up with the object quickly. I'm spoiled now. We looked at Mars (too bright for many details even with a red filter) galaxies including M31 & M32 & M110, M33; the Swan Nebula, the Ring, the Dumbbell; beautiful globulars like M13 and M92. Unfortunately, in the hours before midnight the smoke was so bad that it badly dimmed everything, except that Mars could have used a little more dimming. M33 was particularly vague. I could barely make out the Helix Nebula, also. But we were able to see dust lanes in M31, not only the big sharp lane that's so visible but a sort of mottling of less distinct dust. When I used my nebula filter on the Swan, it really popped out, a lacy appearance. I could not even see M51 because of the smoke and M81 was disappointingly faint. We hit the sack, Cory in his truck, myself on a foam mattress on the ground. A breeze sprang up, rustling the sagebrush and blowing the smoke away. With my glasses on I stared up at the firmament, watching it in time-lapse motion as I drifted into and out of sleep. I actually saw Cygnus the swan fly westward, in jerks punctuated by dozing. The stars were beautiful, hard gems. I could see the Andromeda galaxy and make out its shape without the telescope, and I noticed another galaxy-like thing almost straight up in the Milky Way -- anyone know what it was? Probably a star cloud or a globular. When Orion was high enough, I do believe I could discern the shape of the great nebula there. Also, and maybe it was only my mind playing tricks on me because I knew what it was, I thought I could glimpse Saturn's shape. I wouldn't swear to it. I dragged myself out into the fairly cold night around 2:15 and had some of my best telescopic views ever. Without the haze, M33 was a huge Christmas cookie sprinkled with candy sparkles -- those were the knots of gasses and bright spots of star clusters. Saturn was lovely but a little disappointing as it was swimming around. I don't think I saw it any better than the stacked photo I took of it the other day. (Anyone who wants a copy of the photo, let me know.) M31 was stunning, looking somewhat gritty or grainy. But the most amazing sight was the Orion Nebula, with its vast folds of drapery and the four bright stars of the Trapezium. It was spooky and swooping and grand, and it extended beyond the field of my least powerful eyepiece. Anyway, if the smoke had not interfered we would have had an even better time. But as it was, it was wonderful. -- Best wishes, Joe Joe Bauman science & military reporter Deseret News bau@desnews.com (801) 237-2169