Clear skies greeted 37 visitors (including 20 children and 17 adults) from Centennial Central Public School Grade-6 class to the Cronyn Observatory for Exploring the Stars, Thursday, November 8th, 7:00 p.m. Graduate student Allison Hill made the digital slide presentation, “Alien Life in the Universe.”
Bringing the group upstairs into the dome, Allison showed them Jupiter and later the yellow and blue double star Albireo through the big 25.4cm refractor, using the 32mm Erfle eyepiece (137X). Outside on the roof patio, RASC London Centre member Bob Duff showed them Jupiter through the London Centre’s 25.4cm Dobsonian, using the 12.5mm Ortho eyepiece (89X). Bob later showed them the Andromeda Galaxy M31, with its companion galaxy M32 in the field of view, through the 25.4cm Dobsonian, using the 17mm Nagler eyepiece (66X). Towards the end of the evening Bob also showed a few of the visitors the Ring Nebula (M57) through the 25.4cm Dobsonian, using the 17mmNagler eyepiece (66X) together with the Orion Light-Pollution filter to enhance contrast.
People thanked us and everybody was gone by around 8:50 p.m. after an enjoyable evening under the stars.
Bob Duff
Higher Education Liaison
RASC London Centre