The primary purpose of Astronomy magazine’s Discover the Universe program is to bring the heavens to the masses, whether that’s at a busy downtown street corner or a crowded neighborhood festival. Carol Ogden, president of the Island County Astronomical Society, took the latter route and found much success, as she explains:
Members of Washington state’s Island County Astronomical Society set up a few telescopes, and won over more than a few stargazing converts, during a neighborhood festival on August 2. // Carol Ogden photo
We finally had some clear skies to enjoy in Oak Harbor, Washington, during a festival called National Night Out on Tuesday, August 2. The city police, county sheriff, and most organizations in Oak Harbor typically attend the program, which is meant to get neighbors to better know one another and to reduce crime. It was a wonderful day for an outdoor get together, featuring tons of food, a climbing wall, and a little astronomy! The Island County Astronomical Society first set up three telescopes with white Sun filters and a mounted Personal Solar Telescope (PST), allowing everyone to observe our star through different filters.
We had about 70 people come through between 3 and 8 p.m. Most of them had never looked at the Sun through a telescope before. They picked a great time to start, though, with three large sunspots sitting across the stellar equator, a sight we had never seen before either! The PST also showed some flares around the Sun’s perimeter. Only one or two people were hesitant to put eye to scope, so I think people are becoming better informed about the safety of viewing the Sun with proper filters.
As part of Astronomy magazine’s Discover the Universe program, the event had a wealth of literature and other materials to hand out, ensuring the crowds didn’t leave empty-handed. // Carol Ogden photo
When the clouds started obscuring our solar views around 7 p.m., we turned a scope to the 2-day-old Moon. People were amazed they could see so much through a telescope during the daylight hours. We also handed out brochures furnished by
Astronomy magazine, as well as materials we’d printed so children could make a planisphere to take home with them.
Our members spoke to several people who own a telescope but don’t know what to do with it, and we encouraged them to come to our monthly meetings and star parties. The northwestern weather might not always cooperate on “star party planned nights,” but our meetings are fun and educational, and it’s always a treat to “talk telescopes” with fellow members. For many years, we have been trying to educate the public to learn about the sky and attend star parties before they purchase a telescope, so they can look through a variety of scopes first and make sure they purchase the one best for them.
My thanks to the other members of the Island County Astronomical Society who attended: Harold Ogden, Dan and Janet Pullen, Bob and Marali Woessner, Richard Everett, and Andy and Ruth Nielson.
And my thanks to you all! It sounds like a great day of fun and astronomy, and we’re happy we could help. If you want to know how Astronomy magazine’s Discover the Universe program can assist your club, please email me at bandrews@astronomy.com.