astropicnic

RASC members checking the weather at sunset,
hoping for clear skies.


(Hey, I'm on Fark.com again, this time with an ostrich. See the entry dated "2004-05-13 04:16:07 PM". Thanks to Leslie Ambedian and EricTheMage for the heads-up.)

So I admit I wasn't overly thrilled when Jeff suggested we attend a picnic hosted by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada near Collingwood on the way home from the cottage, even though I knew our friend Andy would be there, mainly because I figured I'd be waaaay out of my element.

I pictured a whole bunch of grizzled astronomers sitting around comparing telescopes and talking astrotechtalk while ignorant types like me sat in the corner pretending to be fascinated by the latest issue of Sky and Telescope, a paper plate of atrophied cheese cubes by my side. Not exactly the way I wanted our cottage week to end, really.

But Jeff was very keen on attending, and I did enjoy our cottage skywatching evening earlier in the week, so I agreed to go.





Anyway ... I enjoyed myself *much* more than I expected. :-)

For one thing, the gathering was held on a scenic hilltop in a house that had been generously donated to the RASC, and established as the RASC Toronto Centre E.C. Carr Astronomical Observatory in 1998. Gorgeous scenery, comfortable house, great spread of munchables.



Biggest bbq I've ever seen.


For another thing, the astronomers were much more friendly and patient with newbies than I expected. They generously allowed anyone (even inexperienced types like me) to look through their telescopes, were more than willing to answer questions.

And they were fun to hang out with; I can much better understand why Jeff and Andy are so keen about these gatherings...not only is there lots of interesting astronomystuff, but this is a great group of people as well.



Another picnic activity: rockets!


I got a huge kick out of seeing people so enthusiastic about their hobby, and I have to admit that their enthusiasm is infectious. The atmosphere reminded me a lot of a good filk gathering, except people had telescopes instead of guitars, and were a lot more anxious about the weather. :-) Newcomers were encouraged; you didn't have to be an avid astronomer to feel welcome.



Taking a photo of the sun through a polarizing filter.


I got to see the sun through a telescope for the first time! VERY cool. I could even see the sunspots! A mylar covering on the lens made it possible to view the sun without damage to one's eyes.



I got to see the sun through a telescope for the first time
through the telescope above. Many thanks to Katrina for letting
me use her scope. (Katrina not in photo)


The observatory had a cool sliding roof that could be moved, Skydome-like, when you wanted to do some observing. I was immensely curious, but wasn't sure who was allowed inside. I figured you needed some kind of special permission.



Jeff and Andy. Jeff is trying out someone's HUGE pair
of binoculars.


When I saw someone coming out, however, I couldn't help myself and asked if it was possible to take a peek. Surprised, he said, "Of course! Everyone's welcome; come in and take a look around." So I went in and was immediately intimidated by the telescopes set up in the observatory area, which were bigger than any others I've seen up close.



Part of an inverted arc! Not exactly sure what it is, but apparently
it's rare. It appeared above the sun yesterday afternoon.
Not the same thing as a rainbow, but related to sundogs somehow, I think.


Two guys were obviously still doing setting up stuff, so I sat quietly in a corner (wrapped in two blankets...it was getting cold) and watched. A few minutes later, I got to look through this 16" telescope as well as some other scopes:





After dusk, everyone went to red light mode to preserve night vision and to permit astrophotography. The house itself had been fixed up with red lights as well as regular lightbulbs. I knew it was important to ONLY use the red lights when moving around the house, else the formerly friendly astronomers would likely not be so friendly anymore. :-)

At "star parties", attendees are encouraged to bring red flashlights instead of regular ones, or cover the lens of a normal light with a red filter. When parking near the viewing field, you're supposed to disconnect the overhead light in your car or cover it with red tape.



Trillium I saw on a walk I took during the picnic.


My nightwatching stamina isn't as long as Jeff's and I had been up since 6:30 a.m., so after a while I opted to go inside and see what videos were showing. They were watching THE TWO TOWERS!!! (As some of you already know, I'm somewhat of a fan :-) ). So I curled up on the couch and happily settled into Middle Earth, dozed off a couple of times, woke in time for the battle at Helm's Deep.

Fun evening, though getting back to Toronto around 2:30 a.m. wasn't fun. Astronomy is definitely a hobby for nighthawks, not morning people like me. Still, I enjoyed myself more than I expected and have to admit that I've become more interested in astronomy recently because of Jeff and the enthusiasm of the RASC-types...who knows?

If you're interested in finding out more about the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, check out the following links:

RASC main page: includes lots of interesting resource links, including educational links.

RASC Toronto Center



Someone lit a bonfire as darkness fell.

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