I was so looking forward to this Meetup event! The Full Moon Illusion is a fun topic and a really easy observation. When I have had the opportunity in the past to do this for the general public it got a good response and it should be even better for the Meetup Reno Suburban Sky Explorers!
These are my educational aids I use to help explain the Moon Illusion. The chart on the right shows us both of the Illusions - Luna large on the horizon and Luna small when over head but it is the same size moon all the time!
John and Michelle joined me for this outing. They are some of my more active participants with this Meetup Group and they enjoy all this Suburban Sky stuff. Here is John and I with our plastic viewing tubes waiting for Luna to show from behind the cloud cover. The idea here is to view the rising full moon with both your "naked" eye and through the tube - one is normal the other large! The tube dispels the illusion and your naked eye sees a large moon! Michelle in her world travels has seen both the large and the overhead mini moon illusions!
Here is the view through the tube! Puts things into perspective.
Unfortunately we were clouded out :(
How should we deal with our disappointment? In & Out Burger is calling! We can chow on some really good burgers and share in our mutual love of the universe. Even with our activity being clouded out we can still do this Suburban Astronomy thing via the internet with John's Droid phone and SUG's outreach binder and table atlas. It was really nice to hang with Michelle & John sharing astronomy web sites, personal stories and getting to know one another with astronomy being the catalyst. This is what Meetup groups are all about.
Here's the Sidewalk Guy with his double stack, animal style, extra vege's burger!
Here we are doing some internet astronomy. When we left this Reno spot we spied Luna peaking through the clouds - all 7 seconds of it! But what a surreal 7 seconds it was!
Thanks Michelle and John for sharing in a fun evening out!
7 comments:
I wish at was there! That veggie burger looks so good right now!!! Yummy!!! :)
You know it was a nice time even though we missed Luna. You would fit in very nicely with this group Johany - many are sci-fi fans and I have a few UFO watchers too. But everyone who has come out wants to learn some astronomy and meet others.
The burger was beef with a lot of veggies on it. I had a avocado vege burg for lunch but I went all out that evening! No self control at all!!!!
Ah man....these are my kind of people! Sci-fi fans and UFO watchers? That's it! I'm moving to Reno!!!
In all seriousness, it's nice to see how a love for all things astronomy can bring so many different people together of all different "beliefs." That's the beauty of Astronomy! :)
Looks like it was a good time. I had the scope out in Tonopah a few days. The evenings were clouding over but I squeezed in a few good nights. Luna was nearly full and very bright but I checked out some of the peaks near the southern pole. Good times.
That's some good lunar viewing Webby! Luna always offers something and her curves will always provide a show to the careful eye!
Here is a SSE'r doing the stuff!!!!!
Just had to post a comment...
I'm posting this from West Wales UK...
I only found your blog a couple of days ago..
You have such enthusiasm,, thanks for all the posts you make.
It's much appreciated here in West Wales, in the county of Pembrokeshire...
Your in my blog list... :0)
Regards
Mark...
Thanks Mark! Chime in anytime!!!! We do fun astro here - no stuffy stuff!
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