The numbers aren't finalised but over 40,000 people turned out to participate and have some fun. I was at a small venue - 116 viewers plus 20-30 others - and the vibe was great. There were 12-15 real scopes on site and people circulated around looking at the moon and Jupiter (and Saturn later on). I did some sky tours with my laser pointer. Our small club probably picked up a few members and the Uni's club also got a bit of a kick along.
I don't believe anyone was put off by the toy scopes. They all knew that something that cost less than lunch isn't a serious scope. For the adults they are keepsakes and toys for the little kids. The upsurge in orders to Bintel is evidence that this event has increased interest in astronomy. Sadly, some of these impulse purchases will turn out to be the wrong scope and that could put people off more than the toy scopes but I don't see how to avoid that. In any case, overall this has got to be a positive event.
I have a small list of transient events that I have seen (as opposed to general viewing) and Wednesday night is now on that list. It ranks below solar eclipses and Venus and Mercury transits but I'll be pleased in years to come to say 'I wuz there!'.
got to agree with you David I run the stargazing live at speers point on lake Macquarie it turned out a wonderful night clear as and we had just over 700 people there lots of families kids and oldies everyone enjoyed themselves and all our members with scopes were kept busy all night long with views of the moon and planets
How does it feel to be a World Record holder?
