Post by Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe on Mar 22, 2013 8:04:13 GMT -6
Adler After Dark
21 March 2013
21 March 2013
Adler crew: Linda, Fred, Steve, Joe, Zoran and Larry
Clear skies were in store for the Adler Telescope crew for this month's edition of the Adler After Dark activities...although a very cold session...
Plenty of objects to target this evening, including: Jupiter, the Moon, M42, M45 and Comet Pan-STARRS...
Using the Adler's 10x50's binoculars, I scanned the western skies for any sign of the comet...and after about 20 minutes, I spotted it. Very dim - even in the binos, but the the fuzzy tail set it apart from the rest...
Not very good pics, and surprised I could pick it out from this location - glare/haze and all. A scope locked in on it, but really...not much to see. Just the novelty of being able to say they saw a comet was good enough for our visitors. This will probably be the last decent public observation of the comet and now a curiosity of the past.
We go on and start picking out our targets for the night. I did not man a scope for the session, as we had a Dob, Refractor and SCT out already.....and I just didn't feel like lugging out the 10" Meade. Too cold...
...Instead, I mingled and lent assistance to the other crew members, using the iPAd, laser and the skills of an Astronomer... ;D
A new Adler staffer stopped by me and asked if I was Joe. "Yep" I said. She has been following the Chicago Astronomer since she was 16 and very excited to be part of the Adler and finally meet me she said...
Righteous!
Here, I show her the new and really quite cool iPad Astro app "Luminosity". (A review coming soon)....
As the evening progressed, I noticed that candles were placed all around the Galaxy stones just south of the Adler Building...
It was some mushy romantic thing going on with a couple...
And about 9:45 pm, we ended the session for another successful Adler After Dark event.