After months of clouds, the sky briefly cleared in early February, 2000 with just barely enough time to get a quick snapshot in from my light-polluted back yard.

Orange County Astronomers who attend club meetings will recognize the constellation as the "surfer" due to artist Chris Butler's* corrupting influence, but more conventionally, it's Canis Major (the large dog). The bright star is Sirius.

* see his gallery of art at http://www.sciencecenter.net/butlerart/