Backyard Astronomy And Other

“Some deep-sky objects offer beautiful, breathtaking visual experiences. NGC 55 is one such object.” Walter Scott Houston

On November 9, 2012, while reviewing my deep-sky observing list, I was surprised to discover that NGC 55 was missing. My backyard offered a very poor view of the southern sky, so I packed up my 10-inch telescope and set out in search of a better observing site. I had my eye on a grassy field just a couple of miles from home, where light pollution was minimal. From the field, I could easily spot my starting star, Alpha Phoenicis, shining just above the tree line. After a quick polar alignment, I moved the telescope to the expected position of NGC 55, centered the scope, and looked into the eyepiece. But there no galaxy.

Wide-field image from:

www.wikisky.org

I started at low power and gradually increased to medium, but still, no galaxy. I spent nearly two hours trying without success, thanks to the sky glow along the horizon. At my latitude of 35º N, the galaxy reaches only 16º above the southern horizon. As a point of reference, a fist held at arm’s length spans approximately 10º of sky.

My second attempt was December 13, 2012:

I had originally planned to observe from a truly dark-sky site, somewhat remote, with an excellent view to the south. The only drawback was that it was about 45 minutes away and had no cellphone service.

I wanted my wife, Debbie, to come along, especially since I was still recovering from being hit while riding my bicycle a couple of weeks earlier, in November 2012. However, we got a late start and decided to choose a site a little closer to home.

The alternate site was reasonably good, although there was some skyglow extending about 10° above the horizon. I started with low power, then moved up to medium power, but still no galaxy. Everything seemed to be just right, yet there was a faint glow lingering just above the treetops. After more than an hour of searching without success, I finally gave up.

I’m hopeful to attempt again this year in November/December 2026:

From Skiff & Luginbuhl “The Observing Handbook and Catalog…” and observing from Arizona. “….6 cm at 25x although at higher powers the view rapidly deteriorates.”

November 2012 Bicycle Accident: While riding my bicycle, I was struck by a Ford F-150 pickup truck. I was extremely fortunate to escape with only a few hairline rib fractures, along with numerous contusions and bruises.

NGC 55 image by Mario Motta, taken from Florida. Celestron C14:

Sue French first saw the galaxy from the Little Cayman Island in November 2005 using a 4.25-inch f/4 reflector. The following pencil sketch was made using a 10-inch reflector.

Don Brooks saw it from the mountains of North Carolina using a 10-inch SC telescope. Photo of his observatory as following:

Jaakko Saloranta saw the galaxy and made the following pencil sketch from the Canary Islands, using a 4.7-inch refractor.

Fred Rayworth saw it from Furnace Creek in Death Valley (+36º N latitude)

About three years ago, Debbie, Sophie, and I were riding through Lawndale when we passed what was once the Lawndale Snack Shop. As we went by, it occurred to me that someday this little building, along with the stories and memories associated with it, might simply be lost to time. We stopped to take a photograph, and I began putting together the story as I remembered it.

I’ve been writing about local history and sharing personal memories on my blog for almost 10 years now. I feel it’s important to preserve these stories, because once they’re forgotten, a small but meaningful part of our local history disappears with them.

In our small town of Lawndale, one of the local favorites was the Lawndale Snack Shop, a place that brings back many fond memories. Yes, I was young in those days, but the memories remain surprisingly good, even after all these years.

The Lawndale Snack Shop, which operated from about the mid-1950’s through ~1965.

During a bicycle ride this morning, October 31 (2026) there was a mention of the 1973 movie American Graffiti. I shared how our local area resembled the setting of the movie in so many ways, when I was really young.

There was curbside-service restaurants, high-performance cars, drive-in movie theaters, and many other familiar sights of that era.

In our small town of Lawndale, one of the local favorites was the Lawndale Snack shop:

This was a popular gathering spot for local teenagers. The parking area out front was pretty rough, with washed-out ditches and mostly red dirt. There was no gravel—just plain dirt. The Snack Shop was best known for its hamburgers and french fries. However, since writing this, I’ve learned that livermush sandwiches were also a local favorite and quite popular also.

Orders would be taken at a small window. And curb service was available, for those that chose not to get out of their car. A server would then bring the food out via a tray, that would attach to a partially rolled down window.

I remember going to the Snack Shop occasionally with my mom and dad. One thing that has always stuck in my memory is the exterior, which I recall being painted mostly yellow, with yellow lights glowing beneath the overhang.

When driving up the hill from Lawndale at night, you could see the Snack Shop from a distance. That little burger joint seemed to shine like a welcoming beacon. It’s a fond memory that has stayed with me over the years, as well as so many others.

I remember seeing a pink and black 1956 Ford parked out front with fender skirts, which I can see in my mind even to this day. If only I had a photograph of the parking lot in the late 50’s or early 60’s, especially on a Sunday afternoon. It might have been possible to see a 1960 Chevrolet 409, a Ford Fairlane with a 406 engine, a Studebaker Hawk, both a 1957 and 1958 Plymouth Fury and there were always plenty of 57 Chevrolets.

Guys would often stand outside their cars, talking and socializing, while the sound of “Sherry” by The Four Seasons played in the background from a car radio. It was a scene that captured the spirit of another time.

If you’ve ever watched the movie American Graffiti, you might recognize a similar atmosphere. The Lawndale Snack Shop represented that same kind of gathering place, with many of the same experiences and memories—not in California, where the movie was set, but right here in our own small town of Lawndale, North Carolina.

In my opinion, this little building is more than just an old building. It’s a landmark that represents a special era when a guy’s car was more than just a means of transportation—it was an extension of his personality, a source of pride, and often a reflection of their identity.

All the while during the heyday of the Lawndale Snack Shop, the world was changing, and not for the better:

During my fourth-grade class in 1963, the Cuban Missile Crisis was happening, and even as kids we were afraid. We were being taught what to do in the event of a nuclear attack. If a missile struck near our school, we were instructed to get under our desks. At home, we were told to take cover under a table and, if possible, place a blanket over it for added protection. These were the precautions we were taught to take in a world where the threat of nuclear war was frighteningly real. Many families would build fallout shelters.

There would be magazine articles for those interested in building an underground fallout shelter. There was even a display model at the Cleveland County Fairground, just beside the waterwheel.

Many buildings throughout the area were designated as public fallout shelters in the event of a nuclear attack, and signs like the one shown below would be displayed to identify them. I specifically remember one posted on the side of the Roses Department Store in Shelby. It remained there until just a few years ago, and although the sign is now gone, the mounting bolts are still visible on the side of the building.

We were also learning about the dangers of socialism and communism:

I can still remember Mrs. Warlick talking about Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev and his widely repeated warning that the United States would eventually become a communist nation without a single shot being fired.

Meanwhile, the Vietnam War was escalating, the use of illegal and psychedelic drugs was spreading in other parts of the country, in particular California. Yes…America was on the brink of extraordinary change. The events that followed would shape an entire generation and become one of the most defining chapters in our nation’s history. And the rest, as they say, is history.

I took this cellphone photo last night at 10:30 p.m. on October 14th.

When I was about 12 years old, I first noticed this small cluster of stars rising in the eastern sky on October evenings. Years later, I learned its name: the Pleiades. At that time, little did I know I was seeing my first deep-sky object. Even today, after a long, hot summer, I still look forward to seeing this beautiful little cluster return to the autumn sky.

The Pleiades was also Leslie Peltier’s first deep-sky object.

“My mother, who also remembered, came to my assistance as I stood at once. She got me the glass of water, there drinking it in the shadowy dark of the room, I could see the stars shinning brightly through the east window before me. About halfway up the sky I noticed a little group of stars and pointing to it I said to Mother, “What’s that? ” Her eye followed along my outstretched arm; “Oh,” she replied, “Those are the Seven Sisters, sometimes they are called the Pleiades.” This was my first meeting with the stars.” Leslie Peltier “Starlight Nights”

This little cluster of stars has been admired for thousands of years and is even mentioned in the Bible.

In Japan, the cluster is known as Subaru—the same name represented by the star emblem on Subaru automobiles.

So, the next time you step outside on a clear October or November night, take a look toward the east. You might just spot this beautiful little cluster for yourself. However, the cluster can be seen all through the winter months, only getting higher in the sky. A telescope or binoculars are not needed, but seeing the cluster with binoculars is an incredible sight!

The Pleiades appears in three primary passages in the Old Testament:

• Job 9:9: “He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, who created the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.” — Job lists the cluster to acknowledge God as the ultimate architect of the cosmos.

• Job 38:31: “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loosen the belt of Orion?” — God speaks to Job out of a whirlwind to highlight human limitations compared to divine omnipotence, challenging Job to control the movements or seasons of the stars.

• Amos 5:8: “Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion…” — The prophet Amos invokes the Pleiades to call the nation of Israel away from idolatry and back to the Creator who governs both the heavens and the weather cycles.