Favorites (Slightly OT)

Hello Everyone:

For those in the group who do outreach, I am trying to make a list of cool
stuff to look at during star parties, and I'm looking for ideas. If you
have a favorite visual object, would you please tell me about it?

I know that most visitors like to look at the moon and the planets, but I
want to introduce them to other objects, too. The Ring Nebula, M25, M13,
etc etc etc.

What do YOU like to show off?

TIA,
Mike

Mike wrote:

Hello Everyone:

For those in the group who do outreach, I am trying to make a list of cool
stuff to look at during star parties, and I'm looking for ideas. If you
have a favorite visual object, would you please tell me about it?

I know that most visitors like to look at the moon and the planets, but I
want to introduce them to other objects, too. The Ring Nebula, M25, M13,
etc etc etc.

What do YOU like to show off?

TIA,
Mike

Kids, most adults are kids when it comes to astronomy, seem to respond
best to things they already know about so moon and planets (especially
Saturn which is about gone) top the list. After that I was surprised
that a bright star like Vega is always a hit. They really like the idea
of being blinded by a star. Dads seem to want to hold kids up to an
eyepiece rather than let them climb a one or two step ladder no matter
how steady. The result is they often hold the kid so the eyepiece is
pointed between their eyes and they can't see a thing. With a bright
object you can see it's image on their face and guide them to the right
position or convince them to let the kid do it herself.

Nebula and galaxies often cause a, "I see only a smudge" response
meaning they are less than impressed. Only if they know something about
the object before looking and know what to expect can they appreciate
what they are looking at. So while they are waiting explain what they
will see and why it will be "only a smudge". Actually you need to do
this for all objects, even the moon. The more they know before stepping
up to the eyepiece the better. Star clusters, both globular and open
impress more than nebula. The more compressed the cluster the better,
especially in large scopes. Of course bright clusters like M44 and 45
also impress even if not tightly compressed.

Don't forget colorful double stars. Alberio is good in the summer, Iota
Cancer is good in the winter.

M31 is almost always a dud. No matter what you say they expect it too
look like the photos. Nebula and galaxies that visually resemble photos
are best. M20 and M42 make good nebula for this reason as do M57 and 27
for planetaries and M104 and M51 for galaxies. M17 is good even if it
doesn't look like the photos, it still has detail and a well defined
shape visually that make it more than "only a smudge". But M8 often is
a dud, being too big and diffuse, though is on our list of objects anyway.

It's too long for here but I can send you the list of objects we use at
Hyde Memorial Observatory and the months they are featured, just drop me
an email if you want them. See below for the correct email address. I
see that is no longer on the website. http://www.hydeobservatory.info/
I didn't realize it was removed. We publish the monthly list with a
short description in the paper so they know what they will be looking at
before they arrive. Those that read it seem to get a lot more out of
the experience than those that get the talk at the eyepiece who in turn
get more than those that just look and run.

Rick

--
Correct domain name is arvig and it is net not com. Prefix is correct.
Third character is a zero rather than a capital "Oh".

On 06 Jul 2007 17:30:28 GMT, Mike wrote:

For those in the group who do outreach, I am trying to make a list of cool
stuff to look at during star parties, and I'm looking for ideas. If you
have a favorite visual object, would you please tell me about it?

I know that most visitors like to look at the moon and the planets, but I
want to introduce them to other objects, too. The Ring Nebula, M25, M13,
etc etc etc.

M3 and M13 are bright and showy. The Double Cluster, The Fishmouth
region of the Orion Nebula. Colored double stars like Albireo.

Bud
--
The night is just the shadow of the Earth.

"Rick Johnson" wrote


....
Don't forget colorful double stars. Alberio is good in the summer, Iota
Cancer is good in the winter.

Hard to beat Alberio for a public target!

..... M20 and M42 make good nebula for this reason as do M57 and 27 for
planetaries and M104 and M51 for galaxies. M17 is good even if it doesn't
look like the photos, it still has detail and a well defined shape
visually that make it more than "only a smudge". But M8 often is a dud,
being too big and diffuse, though is on our list of objects anyway.

M-8 looks nice in a refractor with a UHC or OIII filter, and M-20 looks
great in the 20-inch with a filter.

Any of the big, bright globulars are OK, as are a few open clusters, like
M-11. We often save the galaxies, veil, etc, for the folks who hang in there
after 11:30 PM or so. By then, they're 'hooked' and you can show 'um
anything...... and usually get a new membership too!

George N