Driveway Astronomy Moment

I've been using the "driveway astronomy" expression only because our
neighborhood has no sidewalks...

A family came down the street and noticed me slewing around in the twilight
with the LX-90. I of course asked them to come and have a look, so the mom,
dad, and 2.99 children (mom was due this month) walked down the drive. The
oldest child was a little girl of 4, so I figured the obvious targets were
best: Moon and Mars. We lifted her onto the chair, and she grabbed the 30mm
Teleview barrel. "Woooo... the Moon has dots and bumps!" she noted. She went
on to describe the terminator - Oreo sandwich cookie analogy - and then
stated she wished to keep the view for herself. But, she agreed to let her
little sister, a toddler not quite 3 years old, have a look.

As they looked at Mars - really a bit past his hoopla-opposition prime - I
figured there wasn't much they would appreciate. But, here again, kids will
surprise you. The littlest one said: "It's like the Moon." Now, perhaps I'm
reading too much into this, but this very young child explained to me that
it is a bright circle that is far away. Wow - some level of solar system
understanding and still in pre-school?

So, after the first look through a telescope in their young lives, the 3
year old tapped me on the knee and spoke the only compliment expression she
knew: "I love you!" Quite impressed by the heavens, indeed. I smiled and
told her the same, and thanked her for coming to look If that ain't a
heart-melting first astronomy experience, I don't know what is...

JW




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