Graduate student Robin Wing made the digital slide presentation, The Scout / Guide Astronomy Badge, before 28 visitors from the 74th London Scouts, including 19 children and 9 adults, at the Cronyn Observatory for Exploring the Stars, Wednesday, March 7th, beginning around 6:45 p.m.
Upstairs in the dome RASC London Centre member Bob Duff gave a brief explanation of the big 25.4cm refractor and, since it was cloudy, Robin directed the telescope towards the red lights on the communications tower in south London. Outside on the roof patio Bob showed them views of the weathervane on the Engineering building through the 25.4cm Dobsonian, with the 17mm Nagler eyepiece (67X).
Most of the Scouts left after 8:00 p.m. but some clearing in the clouds allowed several children and adults to view Venus, Jupiter and the full Moon through the Dobsonian, using the 17mm Nagler (67X) and 6mm Orthoscopic (190.5X) eyepieces. Robin also showed them Jupiter through the 25.4cm refractor with the 32mm Erfle eyepiece (137X). It was a particularly satisfying evening for the few Scouts and leaders who remained behind to view these celestial objects. Everybody was gone by 8:30 p.m.