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[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

The Chicago Astronomer at the Women's Park and Gardens

24 June 2016

8:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Join the Chicago Astronomer crew at the Women's Park and Gardens - 1801 S. Indiana Ave.... Friday evening, (24 June 2016)... and share three planets with our fans and guests.  We are back at a great park from our last visit in October 2015 and had a wonderful time...

We were scheduled to set-up telescopes here back in May 2016, but poor weather cancelled our time with friends, rescheduled for the 24th of June.

Weather looks great and clear for tonight's Star Party.....be there...!

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

An incredible time with sky lovers at the Women's Park with the Chicago Astronomer crew...

We were scheduled to commence our Chicago Astronomer Star Party at 8:30 pm, but arriving early to set-up gear...we had Chicago Astronomers Jose and Dave already on-scene.  We also had Bob & Claire share the evening with us, bringing their ETX along for the experience.  We would have three planets to share with our visitors this evening.

I set up the C11 decked out in safety night glow red lights and extended dew shield.  We had two refractors, three SCTs, and large binoculars for the evening.  Also, park visitors brought along their own small telescopes and shared views throughout the evening session...

Lines were heavy at all scopes, but especially so at my station.  Fortunately, newest C.A. member John, took control of the scope, guiding people and preventing grabbers while I took pics and attended to our crew...

Joining us soon after, C.A. crew member Brian 

Bob was having some issues with his ETX...

We all wanted to start the evening with Jupiter, as it would be the first object we all would target for the younger children, before they got sleepy...

The crowds were building and it looked like this session was going to be very popular..

Throughout the evening, the lines at my C11 station were pretty long...

Jose, one of our newer Chicago Astronomer crew members, brought along his long tube refractor and had his daughter assist in locating planets for our park visitors...

With John manning my  station and the C11, I was able to roam around and document the evening via pics and answer question from our park guests.  Topics ranging from optics, orbital mechanics to extra-terrestrial life, pulled in one direction while others waiting to ask tugged in the next.  It was a very busy session for the entire C.A. crew...and what it is all about.

With three planets for oyr session, we all jumped from Jupiter, to Mars and the highlight of the evening...Saturn.  We were catching nice satellites around Jupiter and Saturn...and one observer could swear, she was spotting Demos around Mars!   Brian was also showing the Albiro Blue & Gold double star system...

I lent John my iPad Mini, loaded with the Jupiter Satellite app, demonstrating the position of the Jovian Satellites for our C11 viewers...

Many friends and fans of the Chicago Astronomer stopped on by to share the evening with me and say hi...

This was an expected crowd of hundreds...an we loved it!


A lot of children, with great questions and their very first view through a telescope.  If I worked this event solo, I would have been swamped, but the Chicago Astronomer crew attended to our many fans, friends and guests with knowledge and skill, creating a memorable evening for all involved.  


We continued until 10:30 pm, then packed away our gear, satisfied on a job well done.  The park crew enjoyed it so much, that they are planning on having us return in fall.

Shout out to this evening's Chicago Astronomer crew:

David, Jose, Bob & Clair, Brian, Maria and John

And to the Women's Park staff and Advisory Board...!

It's what Chicago Astronomers do....