Training report (observing report)

A colleague and I were asked to train about 8 or 10 camp counselors on
the use of their six 70 mm refractors. Nice instruments, f/10 with
something like 35 and 10 mm eyepieces, 1x finder with the little
battery-powered red dot, alt-az mount. We set up on a turnout on
Angeles Crest Hwy (north of Los Angeles) at about 4900 ft elevation.

The counselors were all high school students -- one was already quite
knowledgeable about astronomy but I don't think had ever used a
telescope (all book learning) -- they all were very excited to be there.

Most of them dutifully installed their right-angle prism. Not I. And I
had a chance to teach one of the kids how to point the telescope with
both eyes open -- you know the trick, how to center the object as seen
by your "off" eye in the field of view of the telescope that you're
seeing with your "on" eye, and how as you got close the magnified
version would appear in the telescope. It took some explaining, but she
finally got it -- and the "oh wow!" when Saturn appeared made the whole
trip worthwhile. That, and just spending time under the Milky Way
pointing out the constellations and telling their stories.

We stayed until about 10:30, looked the crescent moon, Mars and Saturn,
Albireo (my colleague called it "the UCLA star" to the dismay of the USC
fans present), epsilon Lyrae ... M31 was a good target although it was
still low in the NE ... don't know if any of them found M57 although we
mentioned it.

I love doing this sort of thing. Not only is it fun to spread the joy
and wonder of the night sky, it also helps me stay in touch with my roots.

-- Bill Owen