April 2024 Starry Night at Chase Farm
by Jim Hendrickson
After the April 17th program was clouded out, the first of three scheduled Starry Nights at Chase Farm was held on Wednesday, April 25.
The program began inside the Chase Farm Visitor Center with Kathy Hartley, president of Friends of Hearthside, giving the introductions. While Francine Jackson’s presentation featured the highlights of the springtime sky and a look back at the recent solar eclipses was underway, Bob Janus and Jim Hendrickson set up three telescopes on the hill: two four-inch refractors and an eight-inch reflector.
Sixteen guests came out on what was a rather cold and windy night that felt more like early March than late April.
Objects observed included what is perhaps our final view of Jupiter, low in the western twilight. M42 in Orion, Sirius, and Mizar and Alcor in Ursa Major were also seen..
Later in the evening, Bob gave a reading of Canis Major by Robert Frost, as we’ll soon be bidding farewell to the season of the canine constellation and its brightest star, Sirius.
At the end of the session, the nearly full Moon rose from behind the trees at the east end of the field, and those of us who remained until the end took a quick gaze at its golden-tinted orb before packing it up for the night.
The next scheduled Chase Farm night is on Thursday, May 23.
