Observing Night

We had an observing session last Wednesday night on the planetarium grounds.  We had broken clouds for the first two hours, but we could do observing between the clouds for a while.  Then the clouds cleared and we had skies completely open.  This is a special telescope being used with a "night vision device." A night-vision device is an optoelectronic device that allows visualization of images in low levels of light, improving the user's night vision. The device enhances ambient visible light and converts near-infrared light into visible light which can be seen by the user; this is known as image intensification.  Light amplification with these devices is improved to around 30,000–50,000 times.  We could see nebulae so faint looking through this device that you would have to make hour-long exposures in a camera to see them! It was a spectacular way to view the universe through that device!