SJAA Houge Park Public Star Party 4/19/02

by Julius Szakacs


It's been over a month, last time I went to a Star Party and all these things happening in the sky(Comet IZ, Planetary alignment etc...) I took some time off from work and headed to Houge at 8:30pm. I had my TV Pronto and the upswing mount with me, they been sitting in my car the last few days, any way.

When I got to the park, there were lot of people, it look like bazaar in the dark. So, first I just walked around, see if there is any place to set-up. There were a few DOB's, large and small, AP refractor, Takahasi CAS?, NextStar 11, an old Questar and I heard there was a C-14.

I set-up, next to the NextStar 11, which only took a minute with the Pronto. I had my recently modified bino-viewer with me (microscope head), so I set this combination up on the up-swing mount.

Shortly, there was a line in front of my scope and I was showing the Planets (Moon,Saturn, Jupiter) and Double stars(Castor, Mizar), to every one. Mizar was the favorite to most. Pronto showed M3 and M13 very nice, but I didn't want to chase DSO's, because the seeing (Moon, light pollution) . I was looking for Comet IZ, but it was to low on the horizon, in the light pollution, couldn't find it.

My no name, bino-viewer got lot of compliment, even neighbor astronomers came over to see and look through it. Yes, it is very pleasing to see the Planets with two eyes, at much higher magnification than a standard binocular can offer. I heard comments, like "How come this small telescope is so nice to look in, than the big one over there? The big telescope is kind of fuzzy, but this is sharp, very easy to see." . I said,- I don't know, maybe didn't cool down yet. Big scopes takes hours to come to equilibrium to the outside temperature.

Seems to me, kids were attracted to the small telescope, maybe, it's not that threatening in the dark.

Some were so young, had to be lifted up to the eyepiece, some were to tall and had to band down to the scope, over all it was fun.

By midnight every one was packing up and leaving, so I headed home also. It was a very pleasant evening.