It was Chritsmas, 1960. I was fifteen years old and absolutely obsessed with astronomy, ever since I had seen the moon through a friend's home-built 8" Newt the previous summer. I didn't own a "real" telescope at the time. (My mother had bought me a Gilbert 80X scope from Brown's Toys in Garden Grove, CA.) Some how, I managed to persuade my biology teacher to entrust me with the school's 6" Cave Newt.

Viewing Mars with the 6" Cave from my backyard in Stanton, CA (near Garden Grove), a few days after Christmas at about 9:30 PM, I was enjoying already good seeing when, suddenly, the seeing got VERY steady. I looked up and saw a light fog rolling in. Immediately, I connected the fog with the steady seeing and rushed back to the eyepiece. I was using about 150X. For the next 45 seconds, I enjoyed the best view of Mars I have seen in my whole life. Gray blotches sprang to life with color. I saw "continents" clearly outlined. (Forgive my description. This is a 41 year-old recollection.) The polar cap shown as if bleached by the sun. It was magnificent.

As I watched, Mars began to dim. I knew the fog was thickening, so I didn't bother looking up. I watched as long as I could when Mars became too dim to see any detail at all. I looked up and Mars was completely hidden by the fog.

The following week, I checked out every book on Mars I could find in the So.Cal area, and I recall thinking, at the time, that the detail I saw on Mars that night was, at least, equal to the best land-based photographs I could find. Actually, I think I saw more color with the scope than was in the photographs.

After that night, I promised myself I'd own a Cave some day, and, in 1971, I bought a 10" F5.6 Standard Newt, directly from the Long Beach plant. I even got to meet Mr. Cave and shake his hand.

I don't have the 10" any longer, but I do own two Deluxe Cave Astrolas. A 12 1/2" F6 Newt and an 8" F8 Newt. I love'm and will never part with them.

I am really looking forward to the 2003 opposition.