Friday, October 7, was the first day of the premier Discover the Universe (DtU) public star party event held at Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) in Florida. Sponsors of DtU included the Astronomy Foundation, Astronomy magazine, Explore Scientific, Meade Instruments, Hospitality Inn of Jacksonville, the Upsilon Eta chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the STEM Club, Starbucks Coffee on Roosevelt Boulevard in Jacksonville, the Brian Gooding Planetarium, OpticsPlanet.com, and the Northeast Florida Astronomical Society (NEFAS).
The day was full of activities. Friday’s early speakers included actor Robert Dawson, who portrayed Galileo Galilei in Galileo — Quest for Truth. This show presented the triumphs and setbacks of the great Italian astronomer, complete with many props Dawson had built. Dr. Barbara Harris, M.D. and a local amateur astronomer, gave the talk “Collecting Astronomical Data,” which addressed many points amateurs who watch transient events found fascinating. In February 2010, Harris discovered the decadal flare-up of the nova U Scorpii in the constellation Scorpius. I represented Astronomy magazine by giving a talk to FSCJ students about writing and editing for a science magazine. The audience included a nice mix of students interested in editorial careers and astronomy, along with some fans of the magazine who just came to hear me.
During a dinner (good barbeque) sponsored by NEFAS, I talked to many dedicated amateur astronomers. In Wisconsin, observers like me who head for dark observing sites have to deal with ultra-cold weather. In Florida, dangers include alligators and water moccasins, and several club members have had run-ins with these creatures. Now that’s dedication!
In the evening, Scott Roberts of Explore Scientific presented “Telescopes for Today’s Astronomy.” This session lasted nearly 3 hours and involved a bit of lecture, a bit of question and answer, and lots of show and tell. Roberts brought numerous telescopes, eyepieces, and accessories manufactured by Explore Scientific.
The first night ended with a long door-prize session followed by a raffle drawing, which raised several thousand dollars for NEFAS, a group dedicated to outreach. The prize was a wonderful 6-inch refractor donated by Roberts and Explore Scientific.
Stay tuned for my more blogs about the rest of the weekend soon.