Ballycullen Public Night

Two visitors enjoy the Moon





Simon and Saturn

When the sky cleared we charged outside and set up in double quick time.
Simon in the photo came along to use a 4 inch Celestron NextStar for public outreach. He got to show the moon to a few visitors, a first taste of sharing the sky with people.

In this photo he got to see Saturn for the first time in my 8 inch dob.
Because of an almost 100% cloudy sky at 8:30, as John said we missed out on the family element. However the visitors who did arrive between 9;30 and 11:30 got a lot of attention. We had plenty of time to talk to people and explain things.

The moon was very clear, now it was windy, but it did not really bother my dob to much for lunar viewing.

Copernicus and its terraces were touchable; the Carpathian Mountains were dramatic so close to the terminator. The series of craters within the walls of complex Clavius were pin point sharp. The dark lake of Plato stood out beautifully and bright Proclus rays streaked across Crisium.

Even though Saturn was rising in the muck of the atmosphere, in low hazy cloud and light pollution the people who came to look were delighted.

Thanks for the tea John we were freezing

Deirdre Kelleghan
Irish Astronomical Society
www.deirdrekelleghan.com/
Oscail do Shuile D'iontas na Cruinne
Open Your Eyes to the Wonder of the Universe

Looking good guys! It was clear but quite hazy here from around 10pm onwards. I'd say limiting magnitude was around +4. Still, even at that, I'll bet your visitors had a great time spotting the Moon, Mars, and Saturn as well as the brighter clusters and nebulae.

Just looked at the IR Satellite image here :
www.metoffice.gov.uk/satpics/latest_uk_ir.html

Not looking too good for tonight, if it does clear up I'll be along with a 10" LX200R

ARRGGHH!! 11.30 :roll: I knew I should have headed out regardless!
I swapped early shifts in work for tonight so don't finish till 9pm tomorrow night. Do you think tomorrow night might be an extended session like tonight till 11.30. Was that extension only on account of the weather.

IF the skies clear well stay out as long as possible.

Couple more pics from last night:

Cloud, wind and rain put paid to Friday nights endeavours.
I still had people turning up at my door asking if they could look through the telescopes and I ended up handing leaflets out to a few persistent parents and kids. Just goes to show the interest there actually is out there.

This recipe works (even if the weather doesn't). Target all the houses around a green open space and drop in leaflets of your intentions. Set up your scopes and people will flock. Try it you'll have fun. As long as the weather co-operates. One of the things I learned this year is the earlier you can get started the better. Parents will bring their kids out for a look provided its not too late. After 9:30 your only likely to get the dedicated few - they may be many but still not as plentiful as the pre 9:30 crowd.

I would have been there tonight but as you say the earlier the better for kids.

My 4 yr old niece is staying with me for the weekend and i had planned to bring her along cuz she is fasinated by my scope and the one time i showed her the moon....................but the wind was CRUEL here and i wouldnt drag a kid out into it.

So earlier on this evening we both had a star party of our own indoors and i showed her the moon using my new EP's and filters.

She loved it.