[Friends_of_SSASTROS] Notes From The Field - A Fine Outreach Event

[Patricia Bogan]

Hi all - 

It sounds like a fantastic night and a great turnout - members and nonmembers!!  I’m so glad the sky was clear for the event!!  I know all enjoyed the show!!  

Patty 


Sent from my iPhone

> On Oct 22, 2022, at 10:30 AM, Mike McCabe <cartech2000 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> 
> 
> Members and Friends of the SSAStros,
> 
> If you couldn't make our event last night with the Mass Medical Society at Centennial Field, here's what you missed;
> 
> We had a great turnout with about thirty patrons in attendance and a club showing of at least ten members with at least eight telescopes set up.
> It was a beautiful night with a decent sky for Centennial Field - cool but not cold, no wind, little dew, a seeing rating of maybe 2.5/5 and a transparency rating of 2/5.
> The Mass Medical Folks had a food table set up. I heard that the apple cider donuts were to die for, but someone at them all. I made due with carrot pieces and celery sticks in a little dip.
> They were an interesting group that had a better than usual grasp on some of the topics near and dear to us, like light pollution and satellite proliferation. Of course when one of your past Grand Poobah's was none other than Mario Motta, you've likely been exposed to some stuff.
> They were genuinely interested in what we had to offer in the eyepieces and on the screens. In fact, one doctor was so much into the stars that her and her husband named their children after them. Their firstborn they named Deneb, after the alpha star in Cygnus, but the second - and I am not making this up - they named Zubenelgenubi (which is perhaps my favorite star name in the entire sky). Yes, you read that correct. Zubenelgenubi and Zubenschamali are stars in the constellation Libra. She said that they call him Zuben, but that his full name is indeed the whole word. She also recounted that the folks in the maternity ward weren't exactly enthusiastic when she told them what she wanted on the birth certificate. For me, this was a very interesting conversation.
> People got to see all manner of objects in the sky - literally - from open clusters to globular clusters, double stars to planetary nebulae, and planets to galaxies. It was nice to see so many scopes pointed in all different directions. 
> They were a patient group, taking the time to really see what was on offer and have discussions about the objects. Several asked that we line out the visible constellations with a laser for them.
> The sky was rife with Orionids throughout the event. I think most people saw at least one meteor slice across the sky, if you were looking up you probably saw several.
> The organizer from MMS was attentive to the issues that we deal with at outreach events, especially the headlight strikes from cars coming and going. I overheard her saying that if we do it again she's going to have her people park with their lights pointing away from the scopes. Now that would be cool!
> All in all we had a very lovely evening, met some great folks, saw some cool stuff, and by 9:30pm everyone was either home or headed there. I love this time of year when we can started viewing at humane hours, put on a good show, and hardly see another car on the drive home.
> 
> Keep Looking Up!
> 
> Mike McCabe
> Vice-President, SSAS
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