Clear skies greeted 30 visitors, including 25 youth (ages 12—16) and 5 counsellors from the Indigenous Services Mini-University Summer Camp at Western to the Cronyn Observatory, Wednesday, August 1st, 8:30 p.m. Professor Jan Cami began his digital slide presentation shortly after 8:30 p.m. He spoke briefly about Astronomy at Western and then about current space missions exploring the solar system. Undergraduate student Neil Bhatt assisted in the lecture room and later opened Starry Night PRO, with Saturn, on the computer in the dome.
RASC London Centre members Bob Duff and Ryan Fraser set up the London Centre’s 25.4cm Dobsonian and the Observatory’s Meade 8-inch (203mm) LX3 Schmidt-Cassegrain on the roof patio. Ryan also set up his 80mm Stellarvue refractor. They were soon joined by Dave McCarter, Mike Roffey, who brought the London Centre’s 20.3cm Dobsonian, and by Peter Jedicke.
Dave McCarter introduced the 5 RASC London Centre members on the roof patio and explained the 4 amateur telescopes. He then brought the group indoors and explained the big 25.4cm refractor in the dome. Jan soon had the big refractor directed at Saturn and Dave assisted with showing the visitors the ringed planet through the 28mm Meade Super Wide Angle eyepiece (157X).
Ryan alternated between showing visitors the full Moon (and briefly, Saturn) through the Schmidt-Cassegrain and views of Saturn, the Moon, Antares and Mizar and Alcor through his own 80mm Stellarvue refractor. Mike showed them the Moon in the 20.3cm Dobsonian. Bob showed them the Moon in the 25.4cm Dobsonian, using the 17mmNagler eyepiece (67X) and later Saturn, using the 6mm Ortho eyepiece (190.5X). Peter showed several visitors the double star Cor Caroli in the 25.4cm Dobsonian. Bob also tried his Meade ND96 Neutral Density filter in the Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope to reduce the full Moon’s brightness to more comfortable levels.
They were a lively group and thanked everybody before leaving around 10:30 p.m. after an enjoyable evening of astronomy. The Observatory was closed down shortly before 11:00 p.m.
Bob Duff
Higher Education Liaison
RASC London Centre