Staff [docent] training is highly specialized for those members who would like to become part of our "teaching" staff. The term docent (from a Greek word for teacher) applies to persons who teach in non traditional ways such as visiting lecturers at universities and staff at museums, zoos, aquariums and, oh yes, observatories. This course will be taught in two 2-hour classroom sessions.

The scheduling of the "lab" requires the student to come on some NON-FRIDAY clear night to be arranged with the instructor. Following this session, we will have you serve an "apprenticeship" where you will run the show on a Friday Night with the instructor as your assistant. Any and all goofs [except of course any safety issues] will be handled in private so there is no need to feel self conscious.

After this point, you will be ready to run the show yourself!!

You will need to print:

You may wish to try our Docent Training Exercises which reinforce your understanding. These are NOT tests and are not scored. If you have problems with them your instructor will try to help you understand.

What is a Docent?

• Apprenticeship program
• Classroom program
• Passing the buck - a honorable and practical tradition
• Docent access to LX200 16"
• Members who aren't docents
• Teaching responsibilities (semi-regular to regular attendance)
• Rewards
• Too few, other than joy of teaching.
• Private viewing/photography
• Frosty Drew
• Who was Ed Frosty Drew
• Frosty Drew Memorial Fund (FDMF)
• Our relationship to FDMF
• George Bliven (President)
• Nature Center (FDNC)
• Our relationship to FDNC
• Jane White (Director )
• Summer Program Teaching Staff
• Paid for summer day school
• Responsible for children
• Observatory (FDO)
• Public Education versus Private Club
• Visitors
• Private equipment
• Members
• Classes (like this docent training)
• In the loop
• Docents
• Directors
• FDMF meetings
• Keys to Ninigret Park
• Major irritation
• Maintain telescope, web site, new membership role, get funding, coordinate FDNC etc.
• Funding and Support
• Drew Family endowment
• Collection box (very crucial)
• Blue Sky Grants (very few and far between, but very much appreciated).

Questions we are often asked

• Who is/was Frosty Drew?
• Where is
• my zodiacal sign?
• planet xxx?
• star xxx ?
• galaxy xxx ?
• constellation xxx?
• M##?
• NGC####?
• ... etc.
• What telescope should I buy?
• Where can I get a good telescope for under $200?
• How do I join the FDO Club?
• Can I use the Meade 16" LX200? for my own project?
• How about using the LX200 16" for photography?
• Can I set up my own telescope with/without sharing it?
• Why don't you open on other nights?
• What planets are up?
• Why are stars colored?
• Can you help me with my astronomy school assignment?
• Why are stars of various brightness?
• Why doesn't your science match my religious teachings?
• FDO is a waste of taxes, aren't you ashamed?
• Couldn't this money be put to a better purpose?
• How much are you paid?

Topics to Spur Interest

• Would you be interested to see the birth, mid-life and death of stars?
• (M42..., open star clusters (Pleiadies...)
• mainline stars
• red giants (Betelgeuse)
• planetary nebula (M54...)
• SN remnants (M1...))
• Would you like to see the collision of Milky Way and Sagittarius galaxy
• M54
• Would you like to see:
• galaxy xxx (and why)?
• nebula xxx (and why)?
• planet xxx (and what to look for)
• moons of Jupiter (Saturn, Uranus and Neptune)
• the Moon up close?
• storm bands on Jupiter?
• rings of Saturn?
• double stars?
• … well you get the idea.
• How to star hop for yourself?

Crowd control

• Kid groups
• 1 adult per 8 kids (or fraction)
• Curiosity broke the scope
• Candy coated fingers and our poor eyepieces
• Adult groups
• Special programs
• Profit sharing
• Egads, there is a line out to the parking lot
• Special activities
• Star hopping
• Yaketty yakking
• Multiple stations and mutual coordination

Our Dome

• Ash Dome
• Standard operations - rotating, opening, zenith trap
• Derailed rotating motor
• Odd extension cord
• Emergencies,

Meade LX200 16" Operations

• Complete command set, do's and don'ts
• Text book
• Maintenance
• Meade filters, diagonals, eyepieces, dew shield, balancing weights
• Meade Derotator, focuser, modified Telrad, finder scope
• JMI focuser
• Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS)
• 12 volt and 18 volt DC power supplies
• Auxiliary equipment - Meade 6", binoculars, clocks, etc.
• Accessories cabinet secrets

Computer Operations

• SkyChart III
• DC3 Dreams
• FireCracker (virtual and real)
• My own Folder
• Creating CD-ROMs for home use
• Printing - off-line
• Internet access - no modem or telephone connection

CCD Imaging

• What we know to date
• CCD and CCD link to PC
• Autoguiders
• Color Wheel
• Meade ip2000 Image Processing Software

• Hands on one on one session in Dome and on LX200 16"'

• Instructor acts as your dome flunky