Category: Club News

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Seeing in the Dark and Star Party at the Aerospace Education Center

CAAS joined the nice people at the AEC tonight (9/19/2007) for a special viewing of the new PBS special “Seeing in the Dark” by Timothy Ferris.  It appeared that about 40 members of the public joined us. Kind of disappointing turn out but these people did seem to be more interested than average.  The show was very entertaining with high production values.

After the showing, we had seven or eight scopes set up for a public star party. I have to say that next to the airport is not the best place for a star party but we could see all the first magnitude stars up there and many of the second magnitude stars.  While swatting mosquitoes, we showed the visitors the Moon and Jupiter and Albireo and a few other bright objects.

Jim Dixon

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Pinnacle Mountain Star Party

We had a most excellent star party last Saturday, the 15th of September. There was some concern over clouds but they dissipated early. The temperature was nice there were no bugs and best of all there was eager crowd of visitors yearning for astronomical knowledge.

I forgot to take a roll call but we had a dozen or so CAAS members there and probably 8 scopes set up. The park people estimated 140 members of the public attended. We had three separate school groups attending.

It is hard to say what they saw but I know Carl greeted the early visitors at the entrance with a view of the Moon and farther up the mountain we saw Jupiter, M13, M31, M7, M27, M57, Mizar and Alcor and who knows what else.

After some disappointingly cloudy star parties this summer this final PMSPSP of the season turned out to be a fine one.

Jim Dixon

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Seeing in the Dark — Aerospace Epi-Sphere & CAAS

The Aerospace Education Center has invited CAAS to be a part of the premier showing of the EpiSphere feature, “Seeing in the Dark” by Timothy Ferris, next Wednesday evening, September 19th, at 7:00 p.m. (Please click HERE to download the flyer.)

CAAS members will provide telescopes for astronomical viewing after the show. The viewing/star party is free! (Please contact the Aerospace Education Center (http://www.aerospaced.org) for details about the presentation.)