Saturday, February 7, 2009

The World of the Winter Sky

After being robbed of the opportunity to do star gazing last week due to light pollution, we found success tonight over at Peck Farm Park. The Fox Valley Astronomical Society was having their monthly Star Party and we headed over to look through their many different telescopes set up for public viewing.

The club members were fantastic- welcoming us and pointing out stars and constellations in the night sky. It was a beautiful clear night and we were able to see the moon with its craters, the planet Venus, the constellation Orion, and many other stars. Due to the brightness of the moon, it was hard to see some of the stars located near the moon but we didn't mind. We had a few of Ryan's friends in tow and the kids loved looking through the telescopes and seeing everything up close. What a great experience. We will be sure to head out there again next month. If anyone has any suggestions for a good guide to the night sky for beginners, I would appreciate hearing about it. Thanks.

3 comments:

Melinda said...

Darcy,
I would recommend going to American Science and Surplus - east of Geneva on Rt. 38 (about 1/2 mile). They have a nice selection of telescopes, astronomy books, sky charts, etc. I'm sure you will find something there that will be useful to you and your family!
Melinda

Darcy said...

Melinda,

Thanks for the great suggestion! I love Science and Surplus and can get lost in there for hours.

Darcy

Shannon said...

Hey Darcy,
"Our" possum went on it's merry way after making sure we were long gone! I'm glad it wasn't hurt.
Shannon