Spruce Knob for a spectacular 3 nights. Well…2.5 nights. Some cloud cover on the third night. Spruce Knob is the highest point in West Virginia at over 4,800’. It is one of the darkest skies in the east. I had never imaged from the summit, which is known for steady winds. But, the forecast was great and I decided to head up 2 nights before the Almost Heaven Star Party began at the Experience Learning Center about 800’ below the summit. I was so fortunate to meet another astronomer on these two nights. Alone at the summit could be quite eerie. So, Ivan from Buffalo brought his beautiful 20” scope to observe from Spruce. That’s right, serious astronomers drive all day to observe from the highest point in WV. There are challenging visual objects that require the best dark conditions possible. Here are two images of my setup. The first at the summit and the second from Experience Learning. I am so happy with the images to come. Stay tuned. It will take me a while to process.
First light on Spruce Knob.