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[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

1st Chicago Astronomer 2024 Session at the 606 Bloomingdale Trail
- All Solar Session -
Saturday 16 March 2024

Join the Chicago Astronomer as we kick off our 2024 Public Observational season with a Pre-Eclipse Solar session at our monthly visit to the 606 Trail (1801 W. Ridgeway)this Saturday afternoon, from 12:00 PM TO 3:00 PM.

We will concentrate on all things solar at this session, targeting the Sun safely with properly filtered telescopes in both Hydrogen-Alpha and White Light wavelengths. We will display the solar disk and discuss how to proper view the Solar Eclipse next month on 08 April 2024. (NOTE: The Chicago Astronomer will NOT be in the city for this event, as Chicago will only experience a 94% partial eclipse and it's all in at 100% for me in the path). Details for me Chicago fans as the date approaches.

The weather looks good and partly cloudy for our session.   Bring your telescope and we will guide you in the best use and advise on how to use it for the upcoming solar eclipse event.



Astro Joe 

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

All Solar All the Time

Chicago Astronomer's 1st Public Session of the 2024 Astro Season at the 606 Bloomingdale Trail

Saturday 16 March 2024

We took advantage of the warmer temps and conducted our first 606 Trail event for this astronomical season . I had back up dates, but the Sun looked like it would play with us for a bit, despite a gale front coming in from the Northwest later in the day.

Started out at 12:00 pm...I set-up the 152mm Refractor and anxious to test out the newly constructed Baader Solar filter, but a bit concerned on the gusty winds. More on this later. I also brought the 60mm Coronado solar scope, but forgot the ADM clamp that enables it to ride on top of the 152. Damn.  But the Refractor performed very well and the crafted filter displayed the white light solar disk in nice sharpness.


Fellow Astronomer David joined us and brought his Coronado to test out a part, using the diagonal of mine with a 15mm blocking filter and it seemed to verify that his diagonal needed work.

  [img src="

i.ibb.co/xHDP73V/IMG-9667.jpg" style="max-width:100%;" src="https://i.ibb.co/R3GJKPP/IMG-9646.jpg"]

Chicago Astronomer Brian arrived and set-up his 8" SCT for some solar view...

And long overdue, his tube now sports a Chicago Astronomer sticker.

Righteous!

New member to the crew, is David Lee, who first joined us last year, made his way for his first solar session with us with his 8" Dobsonian scope...

      




Getting decent solar pics with his cell phone adapter...prepping for the Total Solar event next month.

We were visited by Chicago Astronomer fans throughout the day, talked about the eclipse and all things space...

         



And especially this young man, who loves all things space...and we had a lengthy talk together...



  

Dave also brought along his Seestar to capture some solar images.  He just sets it up and it does the rest, producing some nice images.

 

May get one.

We also had some who brought their own scope for practice...

  


These dedicated solar binoculars are great.  I brought them with me for the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse in Nebraska, but with everything goin' on...forgot to use them.  This time around, I won't forget.

  



And the time just flew by, as it always does at Chicago Astronomer events....and time to pack up

  


But back to the 152mm Refractor solar filter...



It performed very well, exceeding my expectations in build and security - staying on firmly even with the gale-like win ds that started to lash our site..

    

Full description on the Homemade Solar filter build here:
astronomer.proboards.com/post/23685/thread

This first build was intended to be a prototype, but it worked so well, staying on with the gusts, that I just may keep it as it and dedicated for the 152 and utilize for the upcoming Total solar event.

A session well done with solid gear, and skilled Astronomers having a great time sharing the skies with sky lovers.

   

Stay tuned for our full schedule of events soon.  We have a whole bunch of public observation session to share with our fans and still in negotiations with more dates to squeeze into our season of events.

Ain't Astronomy a blast or what?

Urban Astronomy done right......

Astro Joe