CN3y Sharing the Sky web log 19
The fall of Fall
The Summer of 2010 concluded on Wednesday, September 22. Its final three weeks were pretty clear, offering many mornings during which I was able to take search photographs for comets with all but one of my 7 telescopes. The missing one, Obadiah, awaits a refurbished main board and drive motor.
Now we are in the middle of Fall. After a storm went through southern Arizona a week ago, cumulus clouds have often blocked parts of the night sky; in fact we have not had a perfectly clear night in almost a week. However, enough of the sky has been available so that I can enjoy Jupiter as it climbs higher into the southern sky each evening.
In an important way, the Autumn season and Scott Roberts are the reasons we have a National Sharing the Sky Foundation. Scott’s wisdom and suggestions have been more than helpful. Usually, Autumn is the best time for observing. The heat and humidity of summer have passed, leaving a clearer and drier atmosphere. At Sharing the Sky we are busy with “Uncle Guy,” the 14-inch reflector Sharing the Sky, thanks also to the efforts of Scott Roberts, donated to the Vail School District three years ago.. As his new company, Explore Scientific, continues to grow, we watch more people falling in love with the night sky. Our big 14-inch performs very well and we look forward to spying on mighty Jupiter tomorrow evening, and taking a reading on the planet’s big zones and moons. The format for the two-hour evening remains the same: we will gather at 6 pm, and then I will present an introduction to the night sky – that peculiar night sky from southern Arizona that appears so inviting for so many people. After my talk we will set up the telescope, turn it towards Jupiter, and begin an enjoyable stargazing evening. Meanwhile, other telescopes, brought by students, teachers, or guests, will be set up nearby.
This photograph was taken early in the morning of April 13, 2010. It shows Flaire, a telescope with the same dimenions as "Uncle Guy." Photograph by David H. Levy.
The great thing about this stargazing session is that it happens almost every month, allowing the experience to sink in and be repeated and not forgotten. Students who attend more than one event often get really attracted to the sky. As they progress from Corona Foothills Middle School, the site of the event, through high school and hopefully on to a university, the sky remains above them, ever so gently calling to them, beckoning, and promising a joy to last a lifetime.