Thin hazy clouds partially obscuring a 2-day-past-first quarter Moon greeted 31 visitors (21 children and 10 adults) from the 31st B Cubs of London for Exploring the Stars at the Cronyn Observatory, Thursday, January 9th, 2014, 6:30 p.m. Since seeing conditions were doubtful, graduate student Shannon Hicks immediately brought everybody upstairs into the dome where Everett Clark, representing the RASC London Centre, had the big 25.4cm refractor tracking the Moon. Shannon and Everett showed the visitors craters visible on the bright hazy Moon through the 32mm Erfle eyepiece (137X). RASC London Centre member Bob Duff arrived around 6:40 p.m. and immediately joined the group in the dome.
Bringing everybody back downstairs, Shannon made the digital slide presentation, “The Cub Astronomy Badge,” and then answered numerous questions which were deferred until the end of her presentation. She then brought the group back upstairs again where Everett had shovelled some of the snow off the roof patio and Bob has set up the London Centre’s 25.4cm Dobsonian. Everett installed the Meade 28mm Super Wide Angle eyepiece (157X) in the big 25.4cm refractor and he and Shannon showed the visitors the Moon. Bob showed them the weathervane on the Engineering building and then the Moon through the 25.4cm Dobsonian, using the 17mm Nagler eyepiece (66X). The Cubs, parents and leaders were delighted, despite the hazy views of the Moon in the telescopes.
One parent arrived at the end of the evening to pick up her son and Bob showed her the Moon through the 25.4cm Dobsonian. (She was not included in the total of 31 visitors.)
Everett gave a RASC London Centre brochure and Cronyn Observatory information card to one interested adult. Everybody was gone by around 8:30 p.m., after a very enjoyable evening of astronomy, despite the hazy clouds.