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[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Far Out Friday Public Observing Session
02 June 2006

The day was a rather long one for astronomically speaking. Earilier in the day, I was at an outside sculpter recognition ceremony representing the Adler Planetarium - with my trusty Nikon refractor along for the celebrations. During that event, I attempted some solar observing, but the solar disk was devoid of any sunspot activity. Pretty boring, but even so, the people who stopped by were amazed that it was indeed the solar disk that was projected onto the screen. I then decided to target the Moon, which was much more interesting and kept it in the eyepiece for the remainder of the event. After which I headed out to the Adler.

(This was the first time the Classic Nikon Scope was introduced back into action since my restification of the scope, mount and legs, but the detailed account will be coming soon with nice before and after pics... )

I arrived at the Adler about 7:00 pm and the crack Adler crew was already set up and ready for some observing. It had started to cloud over by the time I arrived and the prospect of good viewing seemed distant. But I still set up the Nikon just in case.

Me, the Mighty Nikon and Ron

To the west the clouds were spotty and many sucker holes temped some solar viewing. I attached the new solar projection set up on the Nikon, and started to catch some very good displays.

Fellow TelOp Fred found the inspiration to view the Sun in H-Alpha and caught some good promenances. Here I think he's doing his best Jimmy Cagney impersonation.

It's always fun to watch the sun sink behind the buildings and talk to the public as the final solar rays shine thru the windows and watch it quicky "pop" out of sight.

Here TelOp Linda worked the grab & go SCT and prepared for a nights observation session.

On this FOF we had a LOT of people. They kept coming to our scopes and the action really never let up. About the only respite came when the sky shows were about to start.

The Moon was a good target to start with and some of focused to it, while others targeted the skyline while waiting for darkness to arrive. Here I took a quick rocky hand shot of the Moon thru the Nikon. I like the "Porthole" view I took here, and shows a nice low contrast daytime capture.

TelOp Ron was the first to focus on Saturn while others picked out Jupiter in their eypeieces, while I stayed on the Moon. We jumped around on different targets with each of our scopes, but mostly kept to one object. Lines were long at each scope with many return observers, and questions. I had one young boy about 7 asking to see the Moon and rattled off terms a much older person would be familiar with. Good thing I'll be long retired when he comes of age!...

TelOp Steve brought along his new 100mm Orion Refractor for it's first real maiden voyage. He put it together from different new parts and adapted a photographers sturdy tripod for it's legs. It proved to be a nice scope and easy to use. I couldn't give it a good test, as people were all about us, but we agreed to a quiet session soon to put it thru it's paces.

I was kept in the far corner of the Observation Terrace most of the night, and that was cool, but I couldn't wander to the other side too often and chat with my fellow TelOpers. Jupiter, Saturn and the Moon made great telescopic targets this eveing, but no one trained a scope on Mars. It is quite dissapointing, never one of my favorites anyway!...

It was a very nice night of public observation, met nice people and worked with a great bunch of lfellow astronomers. It was the first full session with the new and improved Nikon, and people were impressed by it, but I still need to work on some details more. I need to construct a eyepiece accessory tray, rework the solar projection tubing and find some sort of carrier for the heavy mount/legs. (More on the restoration in a soon to come post!)

- The crack Adler Planetarium Telescope Operators -
Oran, John. Ron, Fred, Me, Steve, Linda & Bill