On the evening of October 5th, 2008, the Catalina Sky Survey's 1.5-m (60 inch) telescope on top of Mt. Lemmon discovered 2008 TC3. This asteroid was the first one ever discovered before entering the Earth's atmosphere.

The dome is illuminated by thick crescent moon after sunset, making it look like daylight shining on the dome. Watch for the change of color as the moon sets, just like a sunset. As with any night, many aircraft and satellites are visible. At the beginning, as the sky gets dark, you will see a bright streak coming from behind the dome. It is quick, so you have to watch carefully to see it. This streak was made by the International Space Station before it disappears into the Earth's shadow.

As you watch the stars rotate over the dome, notice the one relatively brighter star that doesn't seem to be moving. That is Polaris, or the North Star. Just before sunrise, for a short time, the lens fogs over. Thus was because of dropping temperatures and rapidly rising humidity.