Quickie Sunday Night Outreach

Weather cleared so I got out Sunday night for a fast couple of hours with Luna and Jupiter to show off to the public. My usual haunt was on the quiet side when I first arrived but people started to show up right after I had everything set up - imagine that!

Amanda with her daughters Kayla, Karla were some of the first to stop. Dad was busy securing dogs (large) while these ladies had some fun at the scope. 3day moon views with Crisium sunrise started the juices flowing and at last Jupiter was within grasp to marvel at. Cell phone calls going out to friends and family soon followed as Amanda & Kayla successfully conquered the SUG Jupiter Challenge - not hard at all with reasonable skies, well aligned scope, and the Sidewalk Guy nearby with atlas in hand to guide you on your way! What was really fun was watching and listening to the reactions of others waiting their turn as these two got down to some serious observing! 36 visitors this fine evening out.

Friday Night Street Astro

I had a really fun program this past Friday and here's some of the happenings:

Allison and dad Paul decided to do the Sidewalk Universe Guy's "Jupiter Challenge" after a short 5 minute presentation of this Solar System giant. Both made the observations with ease along Allison's older brother who was able to pick up on the subtle colors of Jupiter's swirling atmosphere! They were pretty stoked about it all.



Robert came by with his family troop to take in some astro fun and by the smile on his face you would have thought he found some buried treasure. What he did find was the treasure of discovery and a real personal experience with our moon's rugged surface. "I feel like I'm holding it in my hand!" was his response to his first time experience viewing through a scope. Enough said!




Emilee stopped by with Jared and baby Oliver upon the recommendation of Jared's encounter with the SUG a few months back. She was taking in all that the sky was offering her. After nailing the Jupiter Challenge on to Uranus and then the moon. She made quality observations with minimal coaching and was getting hooked very quickly! Can the astronomy bug be contained? NO!






Bundled up and cozy there was hardly a peep from baby Oliver. I wonder if this young family will have a telescope in their future? Based on this evenings exposure to the sky I believe so!

International Observe The Moon Night(s) 2010

With our nice late summer weather showing signs of fall I thought I would get my butt out the door and start the IOMN event early.

Tuesday was showing a wonderful just before first quarter moon with Aristoteles and Eudoxus craters right on the lunar terminator along with Mare Serenitatis western wrinkle ridges in a fine display. Wonderful sight to kick off this weeks lunar fest !

Elyse came by early on while still light and said "I have been looking for you forever! Where have you been?" She had heard about the SUG from other walkers around the park and just happens to be a good friend of my son's girlfriend. And it was very recently that she was able to connect these two astro guys as the same. Well she was really enjoying the early evening lunar excursion and came back later with pal Andy and lots of questions. These two made nice astro music together at the scope sharing questions and enjoying the whole Lunar and Jupiter experience. I had 32 visitors and that was really good for a Tuesday night.

9/15/10 Wednesday evening started out on the windy side so my plans to put out my resource table went by the wayside. But I got C8 up and running quickly and people started to gather. With so many lunar delights to show off it was hard to stay on just one. But this familiar crater trio bought wows to the masses with lunar day break showing up on central peaks with pitch black crater floors! The pictured family stayed glued to the scope and enjoyed astro presentations for a good hour with the kids being like sponges absorbing everything ! Dad and mom along with grandmother were heartily involved with this outdoor school experience. Mom really was shocked and delighted with the stark beauty of the lunar surface and dad enjoyed Jupiter's moons and Red Spot show. I had 41 visitors and many want to come back later in the week to experience more of the unfolding show.














9/18/10 Well its finally here - the night of nights so we're official now with our outreach to the public concerning the moon. I wanted to get out on Thursday evening but was prevented due to some allergy symptoms. So here I am anticipating a fun evening out and the park looks a little quieter than expected and sure enough it is. I really thought that with the fine weather we have been having that the place would be bustling with activity but no. I can't leave now for I have had several hits on my Night Sky Network address so I am committed to the cause right here. I am glad that the folks that were aware of the InOMN and inquired did saw up and their interest level was indeed high. Early on the Bay of Rainbows and the Jura Mtn light show held top billing much to the delight of the budding Selenographers but later on the sunrise on the Gassendi/Letronne crater complex was stirring the minds of the viewers. Tiffany and son Hunter enjoyed a bit of Lunar exploration with oohs and wows following every new discovery.







All totaled over the course of three outings during the week I had around 100 visitors. I estimate about 25-30 walked off not wanting to wait for others in the line to the scope before them. But those that stayed and participated got to enjoy old moon a bit. Fun conversation filled the air, space science was taught, some pseudo science debunked, new friendships made, and some imaginations ignited!

A Sunday Evening Under the Sky

I had a really fun outing this past Sunday of the holiday weekend. I was invited out to a volunteers BBQ for Manna Cafe which is a outreach of various services to the poor and struggling of Carson City NV. This turned out to be a really awesome time as we had excellent skies and a wonderful group of people which kept me hopping over my 3 hours out under the sky. The time went so fast it felt like I had hardly started. Lots of good interaction, questions, and everyone loved the views and constellation tour toward the end of the evening. What was really fun about this time out was the simplicity of heart and attitude my crowd (no science geeks or scholars here) and the enjoyment that the sky gave to everyone. A joy just to watch the group just take it in and enjoy each others company.

This young lady was totally enraptured by the views through the scope. It is always fun to see how expending gas shells from dying stars ignites the imagination !

Tom's Big Chunky Astro Adventure

I met Tom several months back at the Marina during a Sun Earth Moon Saturday morning program. His interest level was keen and he was actively involved with all I was doing this day with a expressed interest in getting started in astronomy. I meet many folks who share a interest in getting started in astronomy but I tend to never hear from them again. Maybe they forget or get sidetracked (did they get overwhelmed by the SUG?) but this was not the case with Tom. Sure enough several weeks later my phone rings and its Tom asking about my whereabouts and program times along with questions concerning a certain pair of large binoculars he has acquired. Sure enough Tom meets me at my next outing and is totally into it and now has become a regular at my programs just soaking it all in. He also pulls out these beefy binoculars so lets get out the credit card and order a snazzy mount (that can also hold other small telescopes and one that the SUG can barrow from time to time) to get his hobby rolling.

Two weeks later in early July the mount arrives and so does Tom and in my backyard we are like 2 youngsters at play tearing open boxes and thinking about some fun binocular views. My mind is racing thinking about getting Tom trained on his new toy when oh no! Missing mounting post. Here's Tom holding some steroid binoculars with a stoutly built mount and we can not use either. Yes we where sad and heart broken. Tom would be leaving for several weeks the next day so no binocular fun for us till August.



Here we are now with the finished product. Our wait is over and Tom is digging on the Lunar views this evening. Nice gibbous moon details and comfortable viewing from almost any angle. But there is more. Yes this guy has gotten infected with the astro bug and of course I am going to egg it on whenever possible. Over the weeks Tom has kept his eye on my C8 OJ and has expressed a interest in having one. Sure enough I saw one for sale locally and Tom went out and bought it while I was at home still thinking about it and wondering when I could break free to check it out for him!

How can you go wrong with one of these? Yes it is old but in nice condition. Built like Fort Knox, light weight, easy to set up with good optics. So in between binocular views we start to tinker with this black beauty and it will only require minor repair to the altitude adjuster, finder bracket and a fresh mirror alignment. The drives hum along nicely and it is tracking like a champ. Tom already had a power supply and inverter - cool. I quickly make out a minor shopping list to get this scope ready for some fun beginner astronomy and outreach. Yes outreach ! Tom not only has acquired the astronomy infection but also the outreach passion. He has experienced first hand the joy in sharing the universe with others. No Tom is not a seasoned observer and has much to learn but he wants to give out of what he knows now and share what he has acquired. This so cool to watch and be part of this process so expect to see another scope and outreach guy in the pics on this blog. Tom is in no hurry to learn everything or master the sky but I expect his patient and quiet demeanor to be a great assist to a whole other segment of people that the SUG bowls over with his energy, excitement, and observing challenges! Not everyone needs a SUG but some will need a Tom with his binoculars and black C8 to lead them on a simple heavenly viewing quest.

Welcome aboard Tom!

Marta's Moon

"Why do you do this?" is a question I am frequently asked. My answer is generally that I love astronomy and I am a people person. These two things energize my life and why not do both at the same time! Astronomy has opened new and wonderful experiences in my life, brought comfort, satisfaction, a knowledge and understanding of nature. Why not share these things. Someone once said "share out of what you possess not what you do not". Midlife has away of bringing reality to one so I quit trying to be what I was not and be what I am. Part of my adult growth has been connecting with the truth of who I am and living my life out of this without a second thought. My outreach is a reflection of what I am and what is important to me. Which brings us to this encounter on Monday evening which may explain my passion with all of this astronomy outreach activity.

I had a crowd of 15 or so surrounding my outreach post anticipating a view of a early evening Luna. The air was buzzing with conversation as folks researched the moon posters on my table with questions and comments already filling the gathering like a important press conference. And there in the midst of this small crowd was Marta waiting patiently for the astro guy to get his scope prepared for the evening activity. What stood out about her was the mile wide smile on her face and with a quiet voice asking with a childlike quality " Oh I want to see the moon!" If only more adults could be kids once in a while! Sometimes folks will approach my gig with a great deal of seriousness and some are disappointed that I am not doing something serious like research, or photography - no this is fun astronomy here people! Astronomy to capture your imagination, wonder and bring the kid out in you!

What was really funny about all this was Marta's demeanor seemed to infect the rest of the crowd! Walls were coming down and folks started to loosen up!

Marta approached the scope with a reverence like she knew something special was about to occur. Yes she was transported to a world only dreamed about or seen on the television set or in a book. As she looked I encouraged her to "Take your time and ignore the line in back of you this is your time and your moon to explore " and soon I heard "This is so beautiful so wonderful " " I can not believe I am seeing this " " The mountain tops look like they are covered in silver!" More she viewed the bigger the smile and " This is so wonderful I feel like I'm there!" As she stepped away a tear rolled down her cheek and than another and another as she was obviously moved by the whole experience. She then went straight to the back of the line to await another opportunity! The folks waiting behind her watched all this unfold and soon the whole line was buzzing with anticipation with the next 30 minutes being filled with laughter and excited folks at the scope.

What will happen when she sees Saturn?

International Observe The Moon Night

September 18th millions? world wide will be exposed to the wonders of our nearest neighbor in space. I plan on being a part of it. Sometimes I think it is always Observe the Moon Night! But I am glad that this effort was organized and with it another opportunity to do some fun community service.









And this will be my view of the moon on this date by the time my home world spins around enough for me to see her! I can hear my visitors questions and wows already! I will more than likely do a 2 scope setup with one being a nice wide field low power view and another for those who will take up on the SUG Lunar Challenge! I will be encouraging folks to navigate this orb and get to know her treats for the eye!