Recently I had from a nice trip to Pasadena in California, where I used to work in astronomy. While there, I was treated to a tour of the Mount Wilson Observatory, and I had the great fortune to use the newly installed eyepiece on the 100-inch (2.5m) Hooker telescope to view a number of bright astronomical objects. This included Saturn and the visually stunning Blue Snowball planetary nebula. The 100-inch telescope, pictured here, was completed way back in 1917, but it remains an impressive mechanical marvel with excellent optics, so it is well worth the time to visit.
For anyone who is interested, Mount Wilson Observatory offers both free and paid tours of the telescopes. The 60-inch or 100-inch telescopes can also be rented for stargazing by groups of up to 20 people.
While in Pasadena, I continued to work on book two of the Planet Moss Saga. I have now revised three quarters of its chapters, so I am expecting to publish it early next year.