-Lighting at the start, the Horsehead Nebula at the end-

I arrived at the observing site with my trailer and 30-inch telescope shortly after 9 p.m. Mike, Michel D., Daniel, Hannes, Dennis, Uli K., Steffen, and Markus were already there; they had set up their gear and were watching—with waning enthusiasm—a farmer on a massive tractor plowing his field just a few hundred meters away, his vehicle equipped with blindingly bright headlights.

Micha and Gerard arrived shortly after me. We watched the tractor driver’s activity with a certain sense of tension; he, too, was likely wondering what kind of characters were up to something on the farm track at night with eight cars and a trailer.

From a legal standpoint, he was in the right and we were in the wrong. At the start of the track, there was a sign reading "No Entry – Agricultural and Forestry Vehicles Excepted." I decided not to set up just yet, choosing instead to wait and see how the situation unfolded.

I’m now aiming Dennis’s 14.5-inch Dobsonian at Comet Garradd.

After about an hour, the tractor driver finishes his work in the field and drives toward us; I flag him down and try to explain in a friendly way what we are doing.

The driver is a friendly, smiling man in his mid-forties, and we are relieved that the situation was resolved with a brief, pleasant conversation. He drives around our convoy without complaint, and we wish each other a pleasant evening.

The 30-inch telescope is then quickly set up; with plenty of helping hands, it is ready for use by 10:30 PM—taking barely ten minutes—and after a brief adjustment, those present want to see the supernova in M101. The object's low position within the light dome of the small town nestled deep in the valley makes it difficult to enjoyably discern details of the galaxy, yet the center and several knots are clearly visible, and the spiral arms can be made out faintly.

Meanwhile, I am setting up my wide-field equipment, consisting of an FH 120/600 and an 80/324.

Cygnus is culminating, and the Veil Nebula complex is next on the list. Detailed filaments of the Witch's Broom and Pickering's Triangle are visible in the 30-inch; nearby, there is a wide-field view of the entire complex in the FH 120/600, and another view—capturing a vast expanse of sky—in the 80/324. My fellow observers happily move from one eyepiece to the next.

Using the comet seekers, the North America and Pelican Nebulae and the nebulae surrounding Gamma Cygni—including the Crescent Nebula—are observed; the latter can be viewed in greater detail nearby using the 30-inch telescope.

Messier31 is the next object on our fellow observers' wish list.

Two dark lanes below the galaxy's center are clearly visible in the 30-inch telescope, with a third one discernible when panning.

One can spend time traversing the galaxy, which spans more than four fields of view in the 30-inch instrument. From the star grouping NGC 226 to the satellite galaxies, this is an object one could enjoy exploring for a long time.

In the FH 120, M31 barely fits into the 4.3° field of view; only in the small 80mm scope does it appear fully detached within the 7.5° visible expanse.

The next celestial highlight is centered in the 30-inch telescope. At 170x magnification with the 17mm Ethos eyepiece, Messier33 reveals two beautiful spiral arms; the bright NGC 604 is unmistakable, along with numerous other bright patches within the spiral arms. The object fills the entire field of view.

The longer one lingers at the eyepiece, the more detail becomes visible—but the next observer is already waiting.

Next comes a fainter object. The planetary nebula Jones 1 is visible only with the help of an OIII filter, and I need a little time for my pampered eyes to locate the faint nebula. 100x and 170x.

One challenging target amidst the otherwise favorable conditions in the Swabian Forest is the planetary nebula Abell 72 in Delphinus, which requires an extended search to locate. Eventually, using a magnification of 170x and an OIII filter, I spot a faint, slightly elongated bubble of nebulosity situated right next to a brighter star. This object will be easier to find under the superior conditions of the High Alps.

NGC 7293, the Helix Nebula, is easily located with the FH 120/600; once sighted using the Telrad, it is quickly centered in the 30mm eyepiece. At 170x magnification, it nearly fills the field of view. The huge ring appears flattened and significantly brighter at its northern and southern sections. The view is particularly impressive with a UHC filter.

Our next object is the planetary nebula NGC 7027 in Cygnus, known as the Magic Carpet Nebula; compared to the faint Abell nebulae, it is a veritable beacon. I spot an elongated planetary nebula of a vivid green hue, featuring an off-center central star. At 300x magnification using a 10mm Ethos eyepiece, I observe a dark band dividing the nebula—which now appears somewhat rectangular, with a 2:1 aspect ratio. There also appears to be another rounded bubble of nebulosity surrounding the central star.

The next object is NGC 7008, a planetary nebula located between Cygnus and Cepheus. It is shaped like an auricle floating freely in space. I can see five stars within the nebula and two stars immediately adjacent to it. 30" f/4 – 170x.

NGC 7023, the Iris Nebula in Cepheus, is brought into view. 100x and 170x. A bluish reflection nebula with three dark zones is visible around the illuminating star; the largest dark zone is triangular in shape and extends almost to the star.

NGC 5907, an edge-on galaxy in Draco, appears as a thin spindle with a dust lane along its side, revealing a mottled structure. It looks best—showing plenty of detail—at 170x, while filling the field of view at 300x.

NGC 2403 is a spiral galaxy located between Ursa Major and Lynx, viewed from an oblique angle; I can see four spiral arms winding around the galactic core. Bright knots are visible within the arms.

I search for Jones Emberson 1 in the constellation Lynx. I test the others' patience a bit until I finally find it. Sometimes I curse star-poor fields and dismiss faint constellations like Camelopardalis as mere "clutter," but in Lynx, I am lost without my glasses and a star chart.

Using an OIII filter at 170x magnification, a ring-shaped nebula is visible, featuring two knot-like thickenings positioned 180° apart. The structure reminds me of a pair of headphones—hence the nickname "Galactic Headphones."

At the same time, the open star clusters Messier36, M37, and M38 appear together in the field of view of the 80/324mm telescope. Then, the view shifts up to "Kemble's Cascade" and NGC 1502.

In the 30-inch telescope, Messier1 (the Crab Nebula) appears like a squat "S"; by cycling through the filter slide—using UHC, OIII, and H-beta filters—one can discern structures within the nebula's interior when using the OIII filter.

At 4 a.m., it is time for the objects in Orion. Messier42: The dark Huygens Region is visible even in an 80mm scope, while its filamentary structures appear to have depth and layering when viewed through a 30-inch telescope. The central region glows a ghostly, bright green, whereas the upper "wing" displays a reddish tint. When observing at 170x magnification, components E and F of the Trapezium flash into view intermittently.

NGC 2024—the Flame Nebula near the westernmost star of Orion's Belt—is briefly taken in on the way to the Horsehead Nebula, which everyone wants to see. The H-beta emission is clearly visible, as are the broad structure and dark rifts seen through the UHC filter, from which the nebular masses lick outwards like flames.

A quick sweep to the south with the Dobsonian, and I spot a star with a compact reflection nebula; then, moving a bit further southeast and sliding in the H-beta filter, IC 434 comes into view, with the dark nebula B33 projecting into it. By lingering at the eyepiece for a while, the horse's muzzle can be clearly made out.

NGC 1999—the Keyhole Nebula, located south of the great Orion Nebula—is another object. The reflection nebula is clearly visible, but I can only locate the dark region—the keyhole itself—with difficulty, and only at 300x magnification.

Several times during the night, we dazzled our eyes observing Jupiter with the 30-inch telescope and witnessed an incredible wealth of detail in the cloud bands. The large aperture revealed the finest color nuances and a clearly prominent Great Red Spot, delivering images that were razor-sharp and rich in detail. Observations were mostly conducted at 170x magnification, though 300x offered fleeting moments of "revelatory" views.

At 5 a.m., we started packing up and headed home to the Rems Valley, where the sky was already brightening. Shortly after 6 a.m., I was back home with a bag of fresh bread rolls from the bakery—very tired, but also very satisfied.[:)]