SF Sidewalk Observing (kinda long).

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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Awesome report Uncle Bob!

My family did a night of Sidewalk Astronomy with John before and had a
blast. My husband, daughter and I had dropped John off at his apartment
earlier that day and had decided to bum around SF for a while. It was
getting dark but we didn't want to go home yet so Cary said, "I wonder if
John is out." I replied, "Let's look!" We know that John liked Haight and
Ashbury as a place to set up so we drove there and sure enough, there was
that van of his.

He was happy to see us as he was all alone with a crowd of folks so he had
our daughter (six at the time) hand out fliers while my husband and I manned
scopes. On the corner of Haight and Ashbury you get all kinds. Families,
folks in high fashion, business suits, Goths, transients (one of which I met
who was a highly educated man and a great conversationalist!), etc. My
daughter struck up a lovely conversation with a biker who looked like he ate
Hell's Angels riders for breakfast. I was a little nervous about that but
you should have seen this guy melt into a little kid when he looked at
Saturn, I had tears in my eyes. (I still have not decided if that was
because I was touched at the profound transformative effect of the tableau
or if it was just so darned funny seeing this tough guy go "Ooooohhhh!" like
a third grade boy.)

John will be at Scope City this Sunday, so if you plan to go you might see
if John is going to set up tonight and join him. This is truly seeing the
man in his element. My personal opinion is, I think it is what sustains his
life.

--
Dawn Baird-Chleborad
www.astronerds.com


"Uncle Bob" wrote in message
...
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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Sounds like it was an awesome night, I'll be getting ready today to set up
at my corner of the world tonight.


--


The Forgotten
http://home.inreach.com/starlord/forgotten.htm
SIAR
www.starlords.org
Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord
Car Fund Page Update
http://www.bishopcarfund.netfirms.com/

"Uncle Bob" wrote in message
...
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.



---
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Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.809 / Virus Database: 551 - Release Date: 12/9/04

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

__________________________________________________ _____________________________
Posted Via Uncensored-News.Com - Accounts Starting At $6.95 - http://www.uncensored-news.com
The Worlds Uncensored News Source

Somebody ought to do a newspaper feature on him. Funny S&T
hasnt, but they are up to bigger things like forging spikes on
stars! The guy really is great.
Jerry




Dawn Baird-Chleborad wrote:

Awesome report Uncle Bob!

My family did a night of Sidewalk Astronomy with John before and had a
blast. My husband, daughter and I had dropped John off at his apartment
earlier that day and had decided to bum around SF for a while. It was
getting dark but we didn't want to go home yet so Cary said, "I wonder if
John is out." I replied, "Let's look!" We know that John liked Haight and
Ashbury as a place to set up so we drove there and sure enough, there was
that van of his.

He was happy to see us as he was all alone with a crowd of folks so he had
our daughter (six at the time) hand out fliers while my husband and I manned
scopes. On the corner of Haight and Ashbury you get all kinds. Families,
folks in high fashion, business suits, Goths, transients (one of which I met
who was a highly educated man and a great conversationalist!), etc. My
daughter struck up a lovely conversation with a biker who looked like he ate
Hell's Angels riders for breakfast. I was a little nervous about that but
you should have seen this guy melt into a little kid when he looked at
Saturn, I had tears in my eyes. (I still have not decided if that was
because I was touched at the profound transformative effect of the tableau
or if it was just so darned funny seeing this tough guy go "Ooooohhhh!" like
a third grade boy.)

John will be at Scope City this Sunday, so if you plan to go you might see
if John is going to set up tonight and join him. This is truly seeing the
man in his element. My personal opinion is, I think it is what sustains his
life.

--
Dawn Baird-Chleborad
www.astronerds.com

"Uncle Bob" wrote in message
...
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


__________________________________________________ __________________________
___
Posted Via Uncensored-News.Com - Accounts Starting At $6.95 -
http://www.uncensored-news.com
The Worlds Uncensored News Source

jerry warner wrote:
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


Thank you Jerry, but it was only two nights and I had more fun than
anyone, I think. I do see this sidewalk astronomy as a powerful
outreach tool to educate people in a gentle, entertaining way about the
cosmos, light pollution (especially!) and community.
I think it is good for us (amateur astronomers) to connect with the
public in an intimate (face-to-face), friendly and entertaining way.
A few hundred sidewalk astronomers can have a tremendous impact on the
public consciousness. Three people can help open the eyes of hundreds
in a couple of evenings, and have a lot of fun doing it. People want
you to come back. They want to know when they can look again.
Take simple telescopes downtown at night and set them up. Invite
participation. Everyone benefits in the transaction.

There is a website that may be helpful:
http://www.sidewalkastronomers.com

Thanks,
Uncle Bob


__________________________________________________ _____________________________
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