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[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Chicago Astronomer Mini Public Star Party

Sunday - 15 August 2010

Just because I can, I'm scheduling a easy mini star party for Sunday evening at 8:00 pm till 10:00 pm.

We will have two Chicago Astronomers, maybe more...and will set up by the Adler parking lot area...

There are no concerts scheduled at Northerly Island and a car show at Soldier's Field will be over by then.

We will take this opportunity to catch the last chances to observe Saturn before we lose her to the Sun's glare and it becomes a morning star in the fall/winter. We will also catch the waxing Moon...throwing in Mars and Venus at no extra charge.

The temps will be cooler and the humidity lower than the past few hot days....good for observing, but not too sure on the mosquitoes.

If in the area and free, stop by, say hi and share in the planetary & lunar conjunction this evening.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

A very nice time with new friends...

I arrived on site at 8:00 pm, parking at my usual spot and setting up when fellow Yelper Dan introduced himself and presented me with a nice bottle of wine and a cigar...

Excellent!

Chicago Astronomers John & Steve joined in, with Steve bringing his brand new iPad loaded with astro apps, (Very cool), and John bringing his trusty C5 SCT.

We targeted several objects this evening, Including: Venus, Saturn, M57, M13, the double-double, Mizar/Alcor, the Andromeda Galaxy and Jupiter.

The skies were a bit hazy and not the best, but even so, all enjoyed the views we shared.

We had several curious stop by, peer at the cosmos and take a pic with us...

Thomas from Heidelberg Germany, joined and stayed with us for a long time. He works at Argon National laboratory in electron microscopy...and very cool that I look outwards into the Universe and he look inwards towards particles...and we meet halfway here by the Adler.

Here he is in the white t-shirt, enjoying himself greatly.

John took a brief time sprawled on the pavement, gazing up...

...while I manipulated the C11...

I attempted to take some images of M57, but my view finder on the Canon Powershot S3 won't pick it up and it was more-or-less just guesswork...

But still, one can make out the ring and the start of color fringes of the object.

We have had bigger crowds in prior sessions, but this was a nice easy time out under the stars of Chicago.

Our crew for the evening: Steve, Myself, John and new friend, Dan.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

A nice comment from Dan:

Wow! I probably said that 50 times last night after looking through Joe's telescope - and it wasn't even pointed at a hotel window. Saturn's rings, Jupiter and her 3 moons, Venus in a crescent shape and Mars were incredible (actually Mars was boring).

Joe is one of the nicest and most benevolent people I have ever met. He shared his knowledge, enthusiasm and very expensive equipment with anyone walking by. It made me proud to be a Chicagoan as a German tourist stopped by and spent an hour enjoying all the neat things Joe set up for us. He will certainly go back to Heidelburg with great things to say about our city and people.

Joe, you rock!

Thanks Dan!