Vekol Stargazing
![[observatories_17.jpg]](observatories_17.jpg)
Vekol Road is one of many remote locations in the Arizona desert where amateur astronomers gather to stargaze. Here we see Rick at his 8-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain; to his upper left is the out-of-focus bright planet Venus; the telescope seems to be pointed at the twin stars Pollux and Castor, also out of focus.
This photograph appeared on the cover of Tammy Plotner's book The Night Sky Companion: A Yearly Guide to Sky-Watching 2008 - 2009.
Date: June 11, 1999
Time: 8:28 p.m. MST
Location: Vekol Road, Arizona
Camera: Olympus OM-1 35mm SLR on fixed tripod.
Film: Fuji Provia 100F slide
Focal length: 50 mm
Aperture: f/4
Exposure time: 10 seconds
Scanner: Nikon Coolscan LS-2000
