I write this Thursday morning, March 3. Festivities are in their fourth day at the 2011 Winter Star Party (WSP) in Marathon, Florida. Monday night’s sky was terrific. Tuesday night it rained, and last night brought a mix of mostly clouds with some occasional clearing — and some wind. I carefully aligned my mount, an Orion Atlas EQ-G GPS, so I could image through the Officina Stellare 130mm APO telescope I’m testing for Astronomy magazine. Unfortunately, as soon as my careful mount-alignment session was complete, it clouded up. But forecasters expect clear skies tomorrow.
Welcome to the 2011 Winter Star Party! Hundreds of observers and imagers converged on the Florida Keys for a week of astronomical fun. Mike D. Reynolds photo
Tuesday morning as we were about to call it a night (or morning, in this case), a beautiful celestial pair appeared — the Moon and Venus. The Moon was a 9-percent-illuminated waning crescent with earthshine easily visible. A coconut tree in the foreground and the Moon and Venus in the background made for quite a sight.
One of the highlights of WSP is catching up with friends and making new ones. People seem so relaxed (except when someone shines a white light while others are observing or imaging). It’s great to have conversations about telescopes, observing techniques, or even family.
WSP always features a variety of excellent talks. On Tuesday afternoon, Alan Friedman provided an overview of high-resolution solar imaging, Sheldon Faworski talked about amateur astronomy through the “prism of Sky & Telescope,” and Keith Venables spoke on preserving dark adaption — an issue of concern for all of us.
Yesterday’s speakers happened to be a trio that often appears together at events. I led the way, talking about some of my astronomy adventures around the world, from Antarctica to Asia, and some of the crazies I have met along the way. Don Parker gave an excellent presentation on gas giants Jupiter and Saturn. And finally, Tippy D’Auria talked about the frustrations and rewards of amateur astronomy — something many of us can associate with.
It’s not a true star party unless vendors are present, and this year’s Winter Star Party had plenty. Mike D. Reynolds photo
This morning, my son Jeremy and I are going deep-sea fishing on a charter boat. I’m hoping to catch a starfish, or at least a sunfish.
Keep looking up!
Related blog:
The Winter Star Party begins, by Mike D. Reynolds
White and silver reflective blankets protect telescopes from the Sun’s heat. Keeping these instruments cool throughout the day is a key factor in them producing great images at night. Mike D. Reynolds photo
Winter Star Party 2011 has more than its share of large telescopes, but even small ones will give great views under the steady sky in south Florida — if it’s clear. Mike D. Reynolds photo