Public Outreach Events
By Al Washburn
Astronomy Event at Wethersfield Public Library
On Thursday, July 25, 2024, ASNH members Al Washburn, Jim Mazur, and Laurie Averill assembled at the Wethersfield Public Library for an evening of astronomical pursuits. At 6 pm Laurie discussed daytime meteorological phenomenon that can be seen in the atmosphere such as sun dogs and the Earth’s shadow at sunset, plus some nighttime objects such as the Perseids, Venus, and Saturn. This was followed by a presentation by Jim, who discussed how to use the star charts he provided to locate naked eye deep-sky objects. These included the summertime items: M6, M7, M8, Mizar and Alcor, and maybe… the “Blaze Star” T Coronae Borealis! The evening concluded with Al’s Powerpoint presentation on meteorites, after which attendees were able to handle the meteorites and ask questions about the club’s collection which was set out on display tables. This event ended at 7:30 pm.
Stargazing at Hammonasset
On the evening of August 10, 2024, members of the ASNH and other area clubs assembled their telescopes at Megs Point Nature Center, at Hammonasset Beach State Park around 8 pm, for an evening of looking at the stars. A crescent Moon was off to the west and a beautiful sunset was there for all to see! The skies were less than desirable but all were determined to show and see something. Red giant stars were the main staple early on as Antares, Arcturus and others were easy targets. As the evening progressed more skies opened up and some double stars and other bright targets could be found. Saturn with its narrowing rings was visible low in the east. Things began to wind down around 10 pm as attendees began to head home and scopes were being packed away. Park Ranger Russ Miller estimated that there were about 250 people in attendance and 24 scopes set up to look through.
