ORMSKIRK ASTRONOMY EVENING - THU 21 FEB 2002

ORMSKIRK

ASTRONOMY EVENING

THURSDAY 21 FEBRUARY 2002 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM

Members of the Liverpool Astronomical Society, (founded in 1881), will display several telescopes for viewing the Moon, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, if clear. There will also be an illustrated talk on astronomy.

This event is free, and is open to all members of the public.

For more information contact:-

Liverpool Astronomical Society

Geoff Regan, Observatory Director - 0151 292 7165

Dave Owen, LAS Sidewalk Astronomers - 07778 454524

EVENT REPORT by DAVE OWEN

Persistent rain and overcast skies confined this event to the interior of Edge Hill College. I used the Liverpool Astronomical Society slides to give two talks on objects within the solar system. Despite the bad weather, I brought along my 6 inch f4 reflector which proved useful in illustrating some of the ideas I tried to get across in the talk. Such as the enormous size of the telescope needed to discover the fifth satellite of Jupiter. Jim Stacey operated the College projector. The first group was about a dozen but the second group, starting at almost 21:00, was only 4 strong. Overall visitor numbers were about 40. Clear weather, as on the previous evening, could probably have doubled this figure. We will never know.

Steve Southern and Geoff Regan used Steve's laptop PC and PC projector to display images from the Red Shift planetarium program. There was also an inflatable planetarium, bigger than the one there last year. More hot air?

Matt Chesher, the event organiser, as well as bringing his own 10 inch reflector, was also able to display a home made 6 inch reflector as well as a fine 4 inch refractor, made by Armstrong Bros in Manchester. He also organised plenty of hot drinks and biscuits to keep us going from 19:00, when we arrived, until just after 22:00 when we left.

Hopefully, our next visit will bring better weather so we can use our telescopes, instead of just talking about them.