Graduate student Shannon Hicks made the digital slide presentation “The Scout / Guide Astronomy Badge” before 21 visitors (16 children and 5 adults) from the 2nd Lambeth Girl Guides at the Cronyn Observatory for Exploring the Stars, Tuesday, January 14, 2014, 6:30 p.m.
RASC London Centre was represented by Everett Clark and Bob Duff. Jupiter was side by side with and to the left of the one-day-prior-to-full Moon in the slightly hazy eastern sky. Everett directed the big 25.4cm refractor (32mm Erfle eyepiece, 137X) in the dome towards Jupiter. He also set up the London Centre’s 25.4cm Dobsonian (17mm Nagler eyepiece, 66X) on the observatory’s roof patio, directing it towards the Moon. Since clouds threatened to obscure Jupiter and the Moon Everett advised Shannon to bring the group upstairs prior to ending her slide talk.
Everett and Shannon operated the big 25.4cm refractor while Bob took charge of the 25.4cm Dobsonian on the roof patio. The children and adults were thrilled to see Jupiter with cloud belts on its surface and 3 moons visible to the left of the planet in the 25.4cm refractor. They also delighted in the bright nearly full disk of the Moon in the 25.4cm Dobsonian. The sky was slightly hazy but craters were visible along the right edge (terminator) of the nearly full disk of the Moon, emerging occasionally through clouds. Clouds also obscured Jupiter but it was an amazing site when visible. Everett moved the 25.4cm refractor towards the Moon for some spectacular views of craters at 137X. Bob showed several visitors Jupiter at 66X in the 25.4cm Dobsonian.
The observing session ended at 7:30 p.m. when Shannon brought everybody back downstairs where the evening ended with a lively question and answer session. Needless to say, the Guides and their leaders were very pleased with the outcome of the entire evening. It was all over by 8:00 p.m. and everybody was gone by 8:12 p.m.