Astronomy

70 ASTRONOMY • APRIL 2018

I

n writing this column,

I try to keep things fresh

by avoiding previously

covered topics. That’s why

I maintain an ongoing

record of my articles, both

chronological and by subject

matter. Nevertheless, some

topics bear repeating now and

then. Such is the case with

Astronomy Day.

This outreach event began in

1973 as a way to acquaint the

general public with the joys of

stargazing. The day marks the

culmination of Astronomy

Week, which is observed twice a

year, in spring and in fall. This

spring, Astronomy Week runs

April 16–22 with Astronomy

Day on Saturday, April 21. The

autumn counterpart will take

place October 8–14 with

Saturday, October 13, being

Astronomy Day.

A public star party typically

highlights Astronomy Day. It

can be an organized and publi-

cized event or simply a sidewalk

happening. In either case, you

can’t show up unprepared.

Here’s a brief list of things to

consider for your star party,

whether it’s on Astronomy Day

or at some other time of year.

Plan ahead

If you’ve been asked to host a

star party for a local school or

library, make sure that they

have an open site that’s relative-

ly free of bright lights (or they

can turn off any lights on their

property). If you’re organizing

your own star party or sidewalk

event, be sure it’s in a safe area

and that you have permission

from the property owner.

Next, prepare a list of objects

OBSERVINGBASICS

BY GLENN CHAPLE

Entice the

masses

Astronomy Day

offers a perfect

opportunity

to introduce

newbies to our

wonderful hobby.

telescopic wonders are acces-

sible through modest, inexpen-

sive telescopes that don’t

magnify a gazillion times.

Choose appropriate

sky targets

There’s a reason Astronomy

Day coincides with a First

Quarter Moon. Neophytes,

especially youngsters, often

struggle to place their eye at the

sweet spot of the eyepiece. The

Moon lights up the eyepiece,

guiding the viewer to the target.

A gasp of “That’s awesome”

leaves no doubt that your guest

has made visual contact.

The Moon is a tough act to

follow. Jupiter and Saturn are

crowd-pleasers, but neither will

be available in the early evening

hours of April 21. On my list are

the Beehive star cluster (M44)

in Cancer and a few showpiece

double stars like Mizar (Zeta [ζ]

Ursae Majoris), Castor (Alpha

[α] Geminorum), and Algieba

(Ga mma [γ] Leonis). I generally

avoid galaxies because faint

fuzzies rarely impress uniniti-

ated viewers, but if the site is

dark enough, I might tack on

a low-power view of M81 and

M82. A star party bonus is a

f lyby of the International Space

Station (ISS). A website like

heavens-above.com will alert

you to potential ISS passages.

Don’t lecture!

Let the telescope do the talking.

Limit your dialogue to brief

anecdotes or “wow” facts. When

showing schoolchildren the

Moon, I point out that they may

be up there some day — if they

keep up with their math and

science. High school seniors are

taken aback when I explain that

the light they see from Sirius,

8 light-years distant, left when

they were in 4th grade.

Plan for any follow-up

If I’m able to present an intro-

ductory session, I provide my

email address for anyone who

might want to contact me in the

future. Members of astronomy

clubs or those holding sidewalk

sessions can hand out f liers that

supply appropriate contact info

and list useful resources. Make

sure Astronomy magazine is on

the list!

Questions, comments, or

suggestions? Email me at

[email protected]. Next

month: Hey kids, what time

is it? Clear skies!

to observe. (More on that later.)

Make a checklist of gear to

bring along that includes a tele-

scope and accessories, as well as

a step stool for any children

who might be present.

Hold a brief

introductory session

Many people have never looked

through a telescope. Nothing is

more frustrating than to have

someone grab the scope by the

eyepiece and move it completely

off target. With a small ref lect-

ing telescope as a prop (I use

a 4½-inch Dobsonian), I show

them how to approach the eye-

piece and, without touching the

scope, peer in.

If a fair number of young-

sters are present, I suggest that

they move around slowly, for

their safety and the safety of

the equipment. I end with a

rundown of the night’s targets.

Wow your audience

with heavenly splendors,

not your telescope’s

magnificence

My telescope of choice for

public star parties is a 10-inch,

no-frills, Dobsonian-mounted

ref lector. It’s ready to go in

minutes, and there are no wires

or cables to trip over. I also set

up the aforementioned 4½-inch

Dob with a low-power (usu-

ally 60x) eyepiece. The smaller

scope is easy to use, so I put it in

the hands of a volunteer whom I

prompt to view the same objects

I target through the big scope.

My goal is to leave the

participants with two impres-

sions. First, the night sky is

pretty awesome. Second, and

just as important, many

BROWSE THE “OBSERVING BASICS” ARCHIVE AT http://www.Astronomy.com/Chaple.

You can get your Astronomy Day gathering off to an early start with some solar

viewing, as this snapshot from the 2013 Tucson Star Party shows. MICHAEL E. BAKICH

Astronomy Day typically coincides with

a waxing crescent or a First Quarter

Moon — a lovely sight through any size

telescope. MIGUEL CLARO

Glenn Chaple has been an

avid observer since a friend

showed him Saturn through a

small backyard scope in 1963.