Log, Sep 28, 2007
At least 45 people (see below). I arrived at Frosty Drew Observatory with a hammer and a can full of small nails. Bang, bang, bang; tap, tap, tap and I managed to get a whole bunch of things back where they were supposed to be. The lighted cord which illuminates the platform was tacked back in place where it had come loose and might have tripped someone. For the first time in four years, the 'South East' sign was actually nailed solidly against the dome rather than hanging loosely. It is amazing the number of tiny problems which arise in a building even when no one is in it. For example, where does sand come from? Yet surely enough, sand gets tracked in and accumulates in places where no one’s feet have ever been.I got the scope and computers up and running, swung the dome to the south south western sky and had Jupiter in view while the Sun had yet to set. My first visitors were a Marine and his lady. We were chatting happily when a Brownie Troop arrived en mass. The girls giggled when I said that they didn’t look much like chocolate cookies. They responded "No we are Brownies!" and I said "But isn’t that what I said? Aren’t brownies just big chocolate cookies?" Lots more giggles and raised eyebrows from Moms and Dads but fun all around. Well we soon had the girls (and brothers, sisters, Moms and Dads) looking at Jupiter. No sooner had the girls nearly completed their viewing when lots of other folks arrived. I don’t think we got anywhere near a complete count of everyone because the Brownie Troop wasn’t even listed and I think they had at least 15-20 people. By the time I had the new folks through with Jupiter, the Brownies had left. I wish that they had stayed just a few minutes more because I do a Star Identification (a.k.a. a star party) that kids always seem to love. And what is any kind of a party without ice cream, or soda or at least a few Brownies?During the evening we viewed the Moon (with a 96% dense filter to cut the glare), the Lagoon and Saturn Nebulae, various open clusters which are bright enough to see in the nearly Full Moon’s glare and a few pairs of double stars. I have rarely seen a night which was relatively dry and very cloud free so bright. The sky cast a shadow if you were out of the glare of the Moon!-Les Coleman
