Weather-permitting, it looks like some of us will be setting up our telescopes this Saturday, from around 5:30pm - 8:30pm. This'll be at our regular location, at the corner of Myrtle and Lime.
It's been a pretty busy week. I did outreach events at local elementary schools both yesterday and Wednesday. Yesterday's was cool 'cause I got a free In-N-Out Burger for my troubles. :D
Two very different events. Yesterday was at McKinley Elementary School in Pasadena. Huge turnout, with the aforementioned In-N-Out Burger truck. I think the PTA had to spring for that. It seemed like about 200 parents, teachers, students and friends, with viewing from about 5:30pm until a little after 7pm. It was on a playground, so it was convenient for folks to get to and be around. However, the bright playground lights (and high clouds) limited us to just Jupiter and the moon. We also had a flyover of the International Space Station.
Thursday was not quite as boisterous. About 100 students, teachers and parents, on the relatively dark field of Palm Crest Elementary School in La Canada. The darker skies there increase the number of possible targets, but I had no breaks in the line, so I really couldn't re-target my telescope until pretty much everyone was gone.
I was fixed on Jupiter pretty much all night there, too. Near the very end, I moved on over to Uranus (which is currently very close to Jupiter) for a few moments, the Orion Nebula (which looks pretty nice from even a suburban location, once you get away from the immediate shine of lights), and the "ET Cluster," which is a nice littel open cluster in Cassiopeia. It gets its nickname because it has two brighter components that look a little bit like eyes, at the top of a smattering of other stars that sort of outline a skinny, long-limbed creature.
It had been a year or so since the last time I saw it, so I was looking forward to showing it to the kids yesterday at McKinley. But the clouds and lights made that impossible. Oh, well.
Both nights were still very enjoyable. It's nice to share the sky, and the expressions of pleasure and gratitude from telescope viewers is what makes doing this seem so worthwhile.
From the 210 freeway, take the Myrtle exit north about one mile, into "Old Town Monrovia." We'll be at the northwest corner of Myrtle and Lime, which is also the southeast corner of Library Park. Parking is usually plentiful in the public lots east of Myrtle, or along either Lime or Palm.
We'll mostly be viewing the moon and Jupiter, again. However, if there are enough telescopes and viewers, we may move over briefly to see the Pleiades star cluster, and possibly the Orion Nebula. You never know. And if you ask and we, we can also try to find other things.
Friday, January 14, 2011
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