Nov 13, 2016 - Super Moon party* 6:30 pm
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My club is setting up for a Super Moon event Monday Night at one of the state parks where you need a permit to be there after dark.* I have that permit but**I won't be attending.**
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I organized my own super moon event Sunday night at a park close to my house*and invited my newbie friends as well as the astronomy club.** Two of the club members came but 6 newbies showed up too.**
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First*we set up a snack table.* After all this was a Lunatic party.* Dipsy Doodles, Lime Tostidos, Potato chips, pringles, salsa, spinich dip, cookies, pretzels, soda.** No one went hungry.
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2 guys brought 8X40s and one 10X50.**
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I handed out 2 10X50s a 7x35 and people were sharing my 15X70 on a monopod.
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Everyone looked at the moon but, as we all know, full moon is not the best time to view the moon.* And, it was so bright that looking at it with binoculars, especially*the 15X70s, was hard.* So lunar viewing was reserved for later on the telescope.
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We spent most of the time going through my star hopping exercises for new binocular users.** For some this was the first time they had done this and for some this was a chance to reinforce what they had done but did not remember.** Everyone seemed to enjoy finding the Summer Triangle, the Northern Cross, the coat hanger, splitting Mizar and Alcor, the Pleiades, Mel 20, and the Hyades cluster.** M31 was too washed out to find and Orion did not rise till we are packing up.
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My ETX 80 was the only telescope that was set-up.**We went to the scope around*7:45 pm.*When I set up the telescope we split Albireo, then went to the moon.**Everyone tried it at 16X and then zoomed to 50X.* Then I added a 3X barlow and we had 48 to 150X with the zoom.** A 25% moon filter had to be used as it was way too bright without.
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I then added my Revolution Imager R2 to the scope and we viewed the video screen.* I was experimenting with a focal reducer but could not get it to focus with that attached.** Still learning this system and how it works best.*
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Around 8 pm I called for a pause and we all howled at the moon.*** No werewolves responded so we were OK.
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Most of the night was a binocular party.** Overall, we had a great time.**
Edit: I don't know why I get the *. I write this in my e-mail editor then copy it here and these * show up. Sorry about that.