Starry Nights @ SFU: Warm Summer's Eve 2009

We held a star party on this warm summer's eve, with over 50 guests in attendance despite very hazy skies and an uncertain forecast.

As with all "Starry Nights @ SFU" events, this evening counted towards the attendance at four SFU star parties which earns a free telescope for families whose children have also attended an SFU astronomy workshop!

Telescopes were in fact presented this evening to three "workshop" families who made their 4th star party: Tom Syvenky and his boys; Maral Tatanova and her son; and Nicole Deranleau and her son and daughter (see pictures of the new telescope owners in the gallery to the right).

Extra special thanks as always go to our volunteers who brought telescopes and shared their gear and passion for the night sky with our guests: Gwen Eadie (President of the SFU Student Astronomy Club), Aaron Springford (who took all the images in the gallery to the right), Teresa Cheung and her daughter, Leigh Cummings, Leigh Cummings, Isaac Seo, and Dave Lee.

The picture gallery to the right starts with an image from one of my favourite moments this evening - presenting new telescopes to their owners!

The celestial highlight through hazy skies this evening was brilliant Jupiter, just days past opposition (closest approach to the Earth), and a gorgeous sight in those new 60mm telescopes! Jupiter looked like a nearby airplane with brilliant headlights approaching for a landing, but in reality the giant planet was an amazing 600 million km distant!

Starry Nights @ SFU: Blogs & Pics

Warm Summer's Eve Star Party,
Wednesday August 19 2009!

Starry-eyed
@ SFU since Nov. 2007