Re: SF Sidewalk Observing (kinda long).

From: jerry warner (jwarner_at_zee.net)
Date: 12/19/04 

Date: Sun, 19 Dec 2004 00:07:35 -0600

I really admire what you're doing. There's going to be a special
place in the cosmos for you!
Jerry

Uncle Bob wrote:

> I was fortunate this evening to be able to set up with JD, at the corner
> of 9th and Irving in San Francisco. High pressure sodium lamps aside, we
> had a fantastic time.
> We started out on the moon, and seeing was as good as light pollution
> was bad, and it was bad, which is to say, "good". JD gave away all 200
> of his "Watchers of the Skies" fliers, and was using an 8" sidewalk
> scope he's had for the last 35 years. It gave very good views of the
> moon, perhaps as good as one would expect from a fine 8" RF Royce,
> though I can't be sure of that, lacking a Royce example.
> Doing sidewalk astronomy is a transformational experience. You're not
> dealing with other amateurs, as we do at star parties. Most of the
> people who stopped to look had zero eyepiece time. The questions came
> fast and furiously, as did the exclamations--you know, the "Oh My God!!"
> and "Wow!" that we hear when the public is getting a good show. These
> are just regular, normal city dwellers who were whisked off to the moon
> for a few moments on the way to dinner, or hauling the laundry, or
> shopping for groceries, or dropping off a video at the video store.
> You get the "Oops, I moved it!" when the 65 year old woman steps up to
> the eyepiece and uses a truss tube to steady herself. You respond with
> "That's OK, let me help you.." and find the object again. You do this a
> lot.
> My dear friend Ken Swagerty arrived with his grand-daughter and their 13
> inch dob. They managed to locate M42, and shortly thereafter I acquired
> Saturn. When word of Saturn got out, it was like we were giving away
> money or something. Dozens of people stopped and fell in lines--long
> lines. JD came back across the street and advised me to crank up the
> power to 212X, and set up next to me at about 100X. The joint was
> jumping, as they say. For the next two hours, we "processed" viewers.
> Hundreds of them. They were appreciative, saying "Thanks for coming
> out!" and holding their children up to see something they'd never
> imagined they'd see on the way to the movies.
> Saturn, Titan, Rhea, Dione, Tethys (Mimas, at mag 14 or something like
> that, wasn't visible) were nicely arranged, and when folks realized they
> were looking at the MOONS of Saturn, they nearly fell over.
> So JD is showing Saturn wide-field, then sending them over to me for
> a tighter view, and Ken is siphoning them off for M42.
> JD went non-stop for five hours (and this was his second night in a
> row doing it), and since MY feet were beginning to hurt around 10pm, I
> can imagine how JD, at 89(!) years old was feeling. He does all his
> sidewalk astronomy standing up or kneeling at the eyepiece. Amazing.
> We ran the line down to the last viewers, plucked the eyepieces and
> started shutting down, just as another group of 8-10 folks arrived--they
> had gone home after viewing the moon, and returned for Saturn. So we
> let them have their EP time, and finally shut down about 10:30. I could
> see JD was getting cold and uncomfortable. I bet we each had between
> 200-300 people look through our scopes.
> So if you ever get the idea that people aren't interested in
> astronomy, or telescope making, or cosmology, take your scope out and
> set it up on a busy street some night when the seeing is good, and you
> will arrive at a different conclusion.
> I know the sodium lights and the mercury lights are abhorrent, but
> if they ain't seen nothin' through a telescope, just the moon or a
> bright planet will transform them. It will totally blow their minds.
> And mixed in with them will be other amatuers, or opticians, or PhD
> physicists, and a couple of drunks, and they'll ALL be grateful to you
> for sharing your scope with them. You will not regret it. I promise.
>
> Clear Skies! and "How many power is that scope, anyway?" ;-)
> Uncle Bob
>
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