Thanks for the reminder - I had seen the event listed and I'd love to get involved up this way as well but my roster shows me as working from 3pm to 11pm that date so it might be tricky.
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I thought I'd add a bit of an update to the Moonwalk program / public viewing tie in.
I went along to the Kings Beach walk location on the scheduled night, ie 5th March - sady it was a bit windy, especially right there near the rocks, and it was around 80% overcast as well. I didn't end up even unpacking the scope, and in fact despite the obvious beauty fo this particular location it is not condusive to setting up a scope for several reasons - visibe blowing salt spray and around a dozen large floodlights illuminating the enire beach area amongst them.
By the time the next moonwalk came along (Tuesday 5th April) I'd had a couple of phone calls with Council's Sport & Recreation co-ordinator, who in turn passed my number along to the walk leaders for 2 of the different locations. Council's official position was that they woudl not promote or advertise the telescope viewing add-on to the event as such, but neither did they throw any red tape at me, etc. I think unofficially they were quite interested to see how it would go.
Anyway on the appointed evening I took my 12" dob and the trusty ETX-70 along, and we were fortunate in that we enjoyed a very clear evening. Around a dozen moonwalkers turned up and all were quite intrigued by the chance to have a look through a telescope, and they were impressed to see the detail and how the moon actually looked up close. We guided them around the moon, etc, for about 10-15 minutes before they set off on their walk - about 5 minutes late, and some of them almost seemed unwilling to do the walk until I assured them we would still be there when they returned.
Right on cue (about 45 minutes later) the group returned and the majority came straight back to the scopes without so much as a break to catch their breath or a quick drink of water. The group members stayed around for another 45 minutes or so during which time we all looked at the moon, Saturn, the Jewel Box, we showed them the double stars in Alpha Centauri and Alpha Crucis, etc - anything we could still see while the full moon blazed away. Everyone was grateful that we came along and all were keen to know if we would come back again another night.
What was particularly gratifying was the fact that I could offer some useful info to a couple who had recently just received their first telescope! The gent in question had just retired and as a parting gift the company had bought him a new scope! This man and his wife were keen to use it as much as possible although they were unclear on details as to make and model, etc. It seems the company spent a few hundred dollars on some variety of refractor (possibly around 80mm) on a tripod mount. They are at the stage where they need to know where to look to find things so we were able to give them a few basic pointers as it were.
One thing I learned for next month - take plenty of paper to hand out website addresses
and to give and take phone numbers, email addresses, etc, for seriously interested people. I have now been "booked up in advance" for next month for one of the other walk sites so I'll post an update again afterwards.
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Anyone else in the Caloundra area who may be available, and interested in bringing along a scope (any size) and some enthusiasm, please get in touch and we'll arrange something.
The next Moonwalk evening is to be held on Wednesday the 2nd of May and walk locations span the area from Golden Beach through to Kawana Island - the actual walks go from appox 7:30 pm to 8:15 so if you can make it along either before or afterwards that would be great
but both would be even better!
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) I'd be happy to join you.
Steve,I think you would geta few more of us suncoasters if it was on a friday or saturday and maybe a first quarter moon
